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'You made my dreams come true': Black Ferns star farewells rugby
Black Ferns great Kendra Cocksedge has penned an emotional tribute to rugby, as she officially farewelled the sport after playing her final match in last weekend’s World Cup final.
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Cocksedge was truly a pioneer for the women’s game, as she achieved revolutionary success both domestically with Canterbury and on the international stage in the black jersey.
The star halfback made her international debut at just 19-years-of-age in 2007, and went on to become the most capped Black Ferns player of all time.
Cocksedge made history in 2018 when she became the first Black Fern to be crowned the best rugby player in New Zealand for that year – winning the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Award at the New Zealand Rugby awards.
After a ground-breaking career which challenged and changed what was thought to be possible in the women’s game, the 34-year-old announced in September that she’d retire after the World Cup.
The Black Ferns were able to unite a nation throughout their incredible run at their home World Cup, which included sold-out Test matches at New Zealand’s home of rugby Eden Park.
More than 42,000 packed the stands at the Auckland venue to watch the Black Ferns record a hard-fought 34-31 upset win over England on Saturday, as Cocksedge bowed out of the sport as a three-time world champion.
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Cocksedge shared a powerful tribute to the sport on her Instagram this morning, where she thanked rugby for making “my dreams come true.”
“Dear Rugby, I can’t thank you enough for what you have given me over the last 30 years,” Cocksedge wrote on Instagram.
“When I first met you I didn’t know what to do; I ran the wrong way, passed the ball forward, got my hair pulled, got told I couldn’t play with boys. But I persevered with you and I am so grateful for that.
“You have taught me many life lessons, such as how to lead, how to work in a team, how to deal with pressure. You’ve taught me about passion, commitment and you have given me confidence on and off the field.
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“You have given me purpose for 30 out of my 34 years. The list could go on. However, the most valuable thing you have given me is the friendships and connections with people all around the world.
“I have met some incredible people who now will be life long friends. I am going to feel lost without you, but in one way or another I know you’re still going (to) play a role in my life over the years ahead.
“Rugby you made my dreams come true like never before and I hope that any young girl and boy can live the dream that you gave me. Thank you.”
Cocksedge became just the fourth women’s player in the history of New Zealand rugby to play 100 domestic matches – and it couldn’t have ended any better.
Canterbury won the Farah Palmer Cup after they beat Auckland 41-14 in the final in Christchurch earlier this year.
The veteran of New Zealand rugby played her 100th and final cap in that decider, and scored a try as well.
After Cocksedge had announced her retirement in September, New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson spoke about the “legend of the game.”
“Kendra is a legend of the game. Her success is without peer, and it is testament to her work ethic to have such an enduring career in the black jersey,” Robinson said.
“She is widely respect on and off the field as a fierce competitor and genuine leader in the women’s game.
“While we are sad to see the end of her playing career, we know she is not lost to the game, and she will continue to have a positive impact in rugby for years to come.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Dagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
4 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
37 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
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