Grace Brooker back to lead Matatu after pioneering spell in AFL

Grace Brooker is back in rugby after her pioneering stint in the women’s AFLW with Essendon in Melbourne. She is the captain of Matatu for Super Rugby Aupiki 2026, refreshed with new perspectives and skills.

“There were a number of things AFL taught me, like different techniques for kicking the ball, new perspectives on how to find space and contesting in the air,” Brooker told RugbyPass.

“It’s a fast-moving game with mistakes ranging from small to huge. Managing that challenge was an area of growth for me and my fitness is definitely better. You cover a lot of ground. In the first couple of games, I was running around like a headless goose.”

Essendon trains at a state-of-the-art facility called ‘The Hangar’, which includes an indoor field, basketball courts, a 25m swimming pool, a private gym, sauna, ice bath, physio room, and changing rooms.

In the 2025 AFLW season she played five of 12 games for Essendon. The Bombers won only four times and finished 14th out of 18 teams, but Brooker leaves AFLW with only love.

“Everyone was amazing. They took me under their wings and taught me how to play the game. They were there for any questions, more than gracious with feedback and extra training,” Brooker said.

The idea of playing in the AFLW first took root when she lost her Black Ferns contract in 2024. After returning in 2023 from a ruptured patella tendon suffered while playing for the Black Ferns in late 2021, she was overlooked for selection despite a solid Aupiki campaign in 2024. She featured in both wins against Hurricanes Poua and Chiefs Manawa and ranked inside the Top 20 for meters run, defenders beaten, line breaks, and offloads.

Restless for the new challenge, she developed a friendship with Essendon coach Natalie Wood while playing rugby in Japan. The pair exchanged phone calls and videos until Wood invited Brooker to a pre-season camp and Brooker was offered the final spot in Essendon’s 30-strong AFLW roster, becoming the team’s first-ever rookie signing.

She joined Chloe Dalton [2016 Rio Sevens gold medallist], the Levi Sisters [Maddison and Teagan], and Courtney Hodder [Brisbane Premiership winner] among female rugby players to have also played “Aussie Rules.” In the men’s game, Wallabies Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau made the transition. Canada international Mike Pyke played 113 games and won a Premiership with the Sydney Swans in 2012.

Former Fijian Dura coach Mick “The Kick” Byrne won two Premierships in 1982 and 1986 with Hawthorn and, during his tenure as All Blacks skills coach, won 128 of 146 Tests, mentoring two-time Rugby World Cup winner Dan Carter.

Brooker’s attention to detail is renowned. The youngest of three siblings, her father, Dave, was an undersized, tenacious flanker who represented North Canterbury and often ran 20km a day with his daughter while managing a farm in Oxford. Brooker was deputy head girl at Christchurch Girls’ High School and excelled for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup, playing 41 games with 38 wins and scoring 26 tries. She has written papers for the University of Canterbury’s psychology department.

These attributes led Sir Wayne Smith to utilise injured Brooker as a video analyst for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup win. “Grace was outstanding in this role,” Smith said in 2022. “She has an eye for detail, asks good questions, and challenges the coaches while providing constructive feedback. She was a big part of our success.”

Talent, experience and an aptitude for inquiry make Brooker a natural fit as captain of a young Matatu team that hosts Chiefs Manawa at Te Kaha/One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday. Every game at Christchurch’s new $683 million stadium has sold out, and there is a push to shatter the record women’s crowd for an Aupiki match of 4,800.

“When our young fans come along, it shows them what you can achieve if you commit to something and chase your goals,” Brooker said. “It gives them role models they can connect with, and moments they can hold on to. This could be the day that sparks something for the next generation. You never know what one game can mean. It could be the moment someone starts believing in themselves.”

A family-friendly kickoff time of 16:05pm, with tickets priced from $20 for adults to $5 for kids, under-5s free, and $40 for a family of four, will help push the stadium toward a sellout.

The hosts being slight favourites will help to. Matatu have 21 returning players from their 2025 team, which narrowly finished as runners-up to the Blues. The absence of former captain Alana Bremner and Georgia Ponsonby will hurt. Both are among the first names included in any Black Ferns starting XV and haven’t missed a Matatu match.

Still, it’s a settled squad, albeit less dynamic than the Blues, with classy performers and Black Ferns like Laura Bayfield, Lucy Jenkins, Chelsea Bremner, Maia Joseph and Amy Du Plessis. First-five Hannah King grew in 2025. She needs a big season to become a genuine back-up in the Black Ferns to Ruahei Demant.

By contrast, Black Ferns Ruby Tui, Kelly Brazier [now assistant coach], Awhina Tangen-Wainohu [retired], Tayana Kalounivale [Queensland Reds] and Luka Connor, the record try scorer with 17 in 15 games, have all departed, leaving Manawa with a distinctly new face. Indeed, 13 of the 33 in the squad are potential debutants.

“While it’s true we’ve lost a lot of experience, there’s a lot of talent in this group that has connected strongly during the offseason and is keen to play an up-tempo style of rugby,” Brooker said.“We’re not taking Manawa lightly. They’re in a similar position and always play really fast and dynamic rugby.”