How an all-time Black Ferns great impacted Blues captain’s rugby journey

No sporting champion has ever achieved greatness on their own. Fictitious boxer Rocky Balboa had trainer Mickey in his corner, NFL legend Tom Brady won six Super Bowls with coach Bill Belichick, and Blues captain Maiakawanakaulani Roos goes a fair way back with Ruahei Demant.

Demant helped lead the Black Ferns to a remarkable win over England at the postponed 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil, with backrower Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) sharing co-captain duties during the record-breaking event.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe had been the last New Zealander to win World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2017, before Demant claimed that honour after the World Cup triumph. To this day, the playmaker is the last Black Fern to have received that prestigious honour.

The first five-eighth, who enjoyed a recent stint in England with PWR side the Bristol Bears, was named in the starting side for the Super Rugby Aupiki decider last weekend. But now, with another trophy to be won, Demant will provide impact off the bench.

Roos is looking to become just the second Blues captain to win back-to-back Super Rugby titles that involve Australian teams, after Zinzan Brook in the 1990s. The Blues face the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby Champions Final on Saturday evening at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval.

But there’s much more to this story than any mere result. Roos was coached by Demant as a high school rugby talent, as the all-time great Black Fern was “besties” with the head coach. Roos and Demant went on to win the World Cup together and now have a chance to make more history.

“She is quality in every way possible,” Roos told RugbyPass at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval, when asked about Black Ferns 2021 Rugby World Cup-winning co-captain Demant.

“When she comes on, she has the ability to change the game and I have so much respect and love for ‘Lu’ so I’m really excited for whenever she does come on.

“I’ve looked up to Lu… to have her influence from such a young age and to be able to play alongside her through club, through regional stuff and international has been such a gift.

“She is someone with the highest rugby IQ that I know and she cares so much for the game and for the teams that she plays with. I guess just being able to be influenced by her, by being her friend as well, is really special.”

Demant started at first five-eighth in the Super Rugby Aupiki decider last weekend, with Katelyn Vahaakolo scoring an 82^nd minute match-winner against Matatu. It’s given the Aucklanders a chance to defend their Champions Final crown.

Vahaakolo starts in the outside backs along with winger Sariyah Paitai, and reigning World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Braxton Sorensen-McGee. The fullback was a standout in Super Rugby Aupiki last season and continues to produce remarkable performances.

“I love Braxy, I’m always a fan. She is amazing, she’s such a humble, young spirit and she just shows up and plays free,” Roos said.

“That’s one of the coolest things about her and I hope she always keeps that. Just looking forward to tomorrow and to see what she can do.”

The Blues won the first-ever Champions Final 36-5 against the Waratahs last year, in torrential conditions at Albany’s North Harbour Stadium. Sorensen-McGee was superb that evening, which led to a Black Ferns debut and record-breaking performances at the Rugby World Cup.

But it was blue skies in Sydney on Friday afternoon, as Roos and Tahs captain Emily Chancellor fronted the press. The two then stood on either side of the Champions Final trophy, with one of the teams one more night away from making it their own.

“That’s exciting, aye? Exciting to think about. We’ll just take it for what it is tomorrow, it’s just a game at hand,” she explained, while standing no more than 10 metres away from the Champions Final trophy.

“To be able to win it would be very special. We have a really cool group of girls, a few who are retiring after this, a few who we don’t know what’s next for them.

“Our coach has a different path after this so we just want to play our best together one more time.”