Amarante Sititi: 'Growing up in a rugby family definitely inspired me'

When Amarante Sititi, 19, goes shopping with her good friend, Black Ferns World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Braxton Sorensen-McGee, she often has to pause to satisfy requests for selfies.

“I’m always the one taking the picture,” Sititi laughed.

Soon Amarante could be the one in front of the camera. The Blues loose forward, whose name means ‘the flower that never fades’, is blossoming into one of the most promising prospects in Super Rugby Aupiki.

Sititi has started five of the Blues’ six matches on their way to this weekend’s final against Matatu this weekend at One NZ Stadium. She scored a try in the 42-26 win against Chiefs Manawa and has made 62 carries and 70 tackles across 357 minutes on the pitch. Numbers that rival the best loose forwards in the competition.

“Whatever jersey I’m in, I’m happy to be here,” Sititi told RugbyPass. “The growth I’ve had as a player and a person this year has been amazing. Experienced players like Elosie Blackwell make all the rookies feel so welcome. They have so much knowledge to share, which gives you confidence.

“The strongest part of my game is hard work. I’m very competitive. I don’t give up easily and believe that to be successful at anything in life you have to work hard.”

Sititi’s industry been warranted in her debut Super Rugby Aupiki season, despite missing the Blues’ second-round 27-26 win over Chiefs Manawa with concussion. The Blues had won 15 of their last 17 games before suffering consecutive losses for the first time since 2023, beaten by Matatu [27-21] and Hurricanes Poua [45-30].

Their Chiefs win put them back on track, and Sititi believes that when the Blues click, as they did in their 42-7 thrashing of the Hurricanes in Round 1, they are unstoppable.

“Accuracy has been a big focus for us,” Sititi said. “Finishing the chances we’ve created will help us perform better.

“When Ruahei Demant, Sylvia Brunt, Katelyn Vahaakolo and the superstar Braxton do their thing, it feels unstoppable.”

Hard work combined with natural talent, leading to unstoppable momentum, is a familiar ingredient in the Sititi family’s success.

Amarante is the daughter of former Samoan captain Semo Sititi [59 Tests, 17 tries, 33 wins], who appeared in the Rugby World Cup three times, with his try against 2003 champions England one of the greatest moments in the tournament’s history.

He played professionally in New Zealand, the UK and Japan for more than a decade. His eldest son, Wallace, is an All Black, and his older daughter, Maruseana, was runner-up in the Ms Samoa Pageant in 2025. Younger brother Semo Jr. is in the De La Salle College First XV.

Amarante was born in Osaka, Japan and lived there for the first five years of her life before returning to South Auckland. She first played rugby at Papatoetoe North School and then excelled in the Auckland Girls’ Grammar First XV, winning a local title and finishing runners-up twice. Sititi, also a capable basketball and volleyball player, identified coach Leila Lafaele as a key mentor.

Initially a first-five like the rest of her family, she has settled into the loose forwards. She is capable of playing in all three positions but is better suited to six or No.8 than openside.

 

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“I think growing up in a rugby family definitely inspired me to pursue a career [in rugby]. I also genuinely love the sport. My ultimate dream is to become a Black Fern. But for now, I’m just focused on the Blues season.

“Wallace and I are close. He was always hard-working and did a lot of work behind the scenes. I guess his success showed the effort he put in when we were kids. He set the standard for us. He’s always giving me little tips on how to be better.”

Sititi was jousting with adults while still at college. She made her Auckland debut in the Farah Palmer Cup last year in a 31-28 win against eventual champions Waikato at College Rifles, and scored a try.

She backed that up with another try in the record 104-30 win over Bay of Plenty, in which fellow Blues teammate Hollyrae Mete-Renata scored a record four tries.

Auckland reached the semi-finals, with Sititi scoring tries against both eventual finalists, Canterbury and Waikato, again in a narrow 36-29 defeat. She was named 2025 Auckland Rugby’s FPC Emerging Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year.

Additionally, she has been awarded a NZ Rugby National Development Contract for 2026 as well as the Taina Dalton Foundation scholarship, named after the late world champion netballer, which supports leading young female athletes in New Zealand.

Sorensen-McGee is also a recipient of the three-year scholarship, which has previously supported other Black Ferns, including Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Amy Rule.

Blues coach Willie Walker has been pleased with Sititi’s progress in 2026: “Amarante is an exceptional young athlete with a huge ceiling. She’s already shown in a short time that she can compete at a high level physically, and what stands out is her work ethic and mindset.

“She’s the type of player who embraces the big moments and brings others with her. Her ability as a ball carrier, her defensive presence and willingness to learn have made her a really exciting addition to our environment.”