New Zealand’s Shiray Kaka reveals price of ‘embarrassing’ TikTok fame
With more than 100 thousand TikTok followers and 3.5 million likes to match, Black Ferns Sevens’ Shiray Kaka has emerged as one of New Zealand’s leading sports personalities.
Kaka, who returned to the SVNS Series in Vancouver after missing out on the squad for last month’s event in Perth, is everywhere on the platform. But there’s a problem.
The New Zealander may be an Olympic gold medallist, who has also made the podium at the Rugby Sevens World Cup and Commonwealth Games, but people don’t know she plays on the SVNS Series.
Instead, as Kaka reflected with a smile on her face, the Kiwi is known by many as “the girl off TikTok.” But Kaka, half-jokingly, looked ahead to changing that in the future.
“It’s actually a little bit embarrassing,” Kaka told RugbyPass. “People don’t even know I play rugby, they’re just like, ‘That’s the girl off TikTok.’ It’s so sad.
“I would never, well I won’t say ever – I don’t like putting my own highlights and stuff on rugby and I feel like that’s the only way I’d get likes.
“Maybe you post it for me and then it won’t seem like it’s from me. But I’ve noticed that’s on record now. Okay, it’s out there. If anyone wants to make me a highlight reel please go for it.”
Back in the mix with the Black Ferns Sevens at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, Kaka has taken the opportunity with both hands during New Zealand’s two big wins on Day One.
Kaka, 28, scored a first-half double during New Zealand’s dominant 40-7 win over Brazil in their opening match and backed that up with another try against South Africa.
With the women in black now two from two going into the second day, they won’t want to get ahead of themselves but there’s an elephant in the room.
Their season hasn’t gone to plan so far. With three tournaments and no Cup final triumphs, they’ll be eager to change that at the Canadian venue this weekend.
“Not the greatest, you can say it, you can say it. We’ve lost every tournament. That’s what’s happened,” Kaka said.
“We just go back to playing rugby for fun and remembering your ‘why’ and all that kind of thing. Just coming together, recuperating and just remembering the pinnacle event is the Olympics.
“We keep grinding.”
The Black Ferns Sevens will look to make it three from three in pool play when they come up against the Ireland women’s side – who won the Cup final in Perth – on Saturday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to comments