'It’s been awesome': Justine McGregor relishing Black Ferns call-up

Justine McGregor joined the Black Ferns Sevens straight from St Mary’s College in Wellington in 2022.

Now the precocious outside back is set for a potential Black Ferns debut aged 19 after she was named in the 30-strong squad for April’s Pacific Four Series matches against Australia, the USA and Canada.

“The first person I told was my mum, Terina,” McGregor told RugbyPass. “‘Oh my gosh, baby’, she was screaming so loudly that I had to take the phone away from my ear and put her on speaker.

“She works as a support worker for people with disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. She’s always helping others, but the biggest help she’s given has been to me. I’m getting emotional – it was such a proud moment.

“The next person I told was my partner, Frank Vaenuku. He’s been with me through all the ups and downs since I moved to Mount Maunganui to train with the Black Ferns Sevens. It really helps having a boyfriend who’s also a high-performance athlete. He’s doing great in the All Blacks Sevens.”

McGregor’s quick rise won’t surprise anyone who saw her talent as a teenager.

While at St Mary’s, ‘The Doolans’ won the local 15s and sevens titles every year she was in the team. From there, she was selected for the Central Storm for the 2021 Global Youth Sevens, and graduated to the New Zealand Under-18’s in 2022.

2023 was a standout year for McGregor in senior rugby. She won the Erin Rush Medal as the best and fairest player for her club, Petone, in club rugby competition, and made six appearances for her hometown team, Wellington, in the Farah Palmer Cup.

The Pride didn’t win a game that season. But McGregor excelled. Against defending champions Canterbury in Christchurch, the visitors were thumped 58-29. McGregor scored three tries. Including a 60-metre intercept and a 40-metre solo run.

She was the youngest player chosen for the Black Ferns XV in their September 2023 match against Samoa’s Manusina in Pukekohe. Off the bench and made an immediate impact by setting up a try for lock Laura Bayfield in a 38-12 win.

Suddenly she was promoted to the Black Ferns Sevens, who are currently New Zealand’s most dominant sports team. Olympic gold medalists like Sarah Hirini, Michaela Blyde, and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe became her “sisters.”

This did not come as a surprise to her St Mary’s and Petone coach Shannon Nightingale.

“Besides being naturally gifted, Justine has a work ethic that is second to none,” Nightingale told LockerRoom in 2024. “She is willing to listen and take constructive feedback. Sometimes we’ve had to talk to her about overtraining. I’m so proud of her achievements. It’s only the start of great things, he said.”

But when McGregor left her familiar surroundings in Wellington she suffered from stage fright.

“Rugby was all I knew,” McGregor admitted. “Facing the best players in the world, I had to grow up and find an identity beyond just rugby.

“My mental and physical growth over the past couple of years has been huge. Off the field, strengthening my faith and learning Te Reo Maori has given me a new sense of purpose I didn’t have before.

 

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“When I debuted for the Black Ferns Sevens in Dubai, I wasn’t ready. I was scared, actually and then I got a gastro bug. I played terribly. It felt like my world was crumbling.”

McGregor overcame her initial jitters and featured again for the Black Ferns Sevens in their 2025 triumph in Los Angeles.

“That winning feeling with the Black Ferns Sevens is hard to put into words,” she said. “It’s so satisfying when everything comes together and leads to a win. It’s unbelievable.”

In July and August 2025, McGregor was picked for the Black Ferns XV tour of South Africa and played in both games in Cape Town.

Supercharged by a Kelsey Teneti  hat-trick, the Black Ferns XV won the first match 34-26. Despite McGregor scoring in the second game, the team lost 41-24.

“The biggest lesson from those games was not to underestimate your opposition,” McGregor said. “I felt like we were a bit complacent in the second game. Once you cross that white line, you’re on. It just felt a little flat.

“South Africa was an amazing team. They were so physical and direct, up front. I’d never played rugby like that before. It wasn’t a surprise they made the World Cup quarter-finals and challenged the Black Ferns.”

The Black Ferns’ new head coach is Whitney Hansen, who took over after Alan Bunting resigned following the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final exit. Hansen played 111 games for the University of Canterbury club as a prop, hooker, or loose forward, won five senior championships and also played 14 games for Canterbury.

After working as a school teacher, she moved into coaching, helped the Black Ferns win the 2021 Rugby World Cup [staged in 2022] as an assistant and led Matatu in Super Rugby Aupiki for the past two seasons.

During that time her team has beaten every club at least once and reached the final in 2025. McGregor has been inspired by Whitney, who is the daughter of former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen [93 wins in 107 Tests].

“Whitney is one of the first female coaches I’ve had, and it’s been awesome,” McGregor said. “She really connects with us on an emotional level and has told me she’s impressed by my growth and how I’ve carried myself.

“I’ve been training on the wing, which is probably where I’ll play, but I can play in the midfield too. The game plan will be exciting. I’ve been told to go out there and back myself.”