Manawatū Rugby has launched its first Women’s Academy with a focus on developing players into future Cyclones.

The 2024 Women’s Academy intake includes a mixture of players currently in secondary school and players who have left school and have a few years of senior rugby under their belts.

The idea of a Women’s Academy started to gain traction last year during the inaugural Manawatū Wāhine Development XV’s campaign. Coaches noted that key players in the squad could be good enough to play for the Cyclones if they had the right kind of support in their rugby and personal lives.

Cyclones and Wāhine Development XV coaches then met to discuss where there were gaps in the women’s game locally. Through depth charting, they identified positions that had the greatest need for player development.

Like the Men’s Academy, Women’s Academy players will have access to a strength and conditioning coach, physiotherapy, a nutritionist, mental skills coaching, and the union’s personal development manager for assistance with life outside of rugby.   

Many of the Academy players have come through Manawatū age grade representative teams.  

The Academy intake includes six players currently in secondary school – Lashaye Blake-Thompson, Manaia Blake-Thompson (MANUKURA), Kaelyn Ilangana-Latu, Tayma Jahnke (Palmerston North Girls’ High School), Havahna Tuwhangai-Moon, and Shakariyah Waiwai (Feilding High School).

Players from the 2023 Wāhine Development XV selected for the Academy include Ffion Barr, Briahna Roache-Jackson, Anahera Hamahona, and Kaia Walker-Waitoa. Walker-Waitoa played for the Cyclones in 2021 and 2022 before having her child.

Manawatū Rugby Women and Inclusion Lead Kahurangi Sturmey is overseeing the Academy temporarily until a Women’s Performance Manager is appointed.

Sturmey says the key purposes of the Women’s Academy are to bridge the gap between Manawatū Under 18s and the Cyclones and widen the talent pool for the future.

“There was a need to provide an opportunity for women and girls to receive the training and professional development support to grow as players. Most of the players selected for the Academy aren’t new school leavers – this reflects that women and girls start playing rugby at a range of ages, with some playing senior club rugby while still at school.”

Manawatū Rugby Interim Chief Executive Shaun Eade says establishing the Academy is a key part in future-proofing the Cyclones.

“We are hugely ambitious about what our Cyclones programme can achieve but that requires us to future-proof the programme and not only look at what the team looks like this year but what it could look like a couple of years into the future.”

“It is exciting to see this group come together. We were really heartened by the quality of the inaugural Wahine Development XV campaign in 2023 and some of the players really stood out and showed their class. It is great to be able to reward them for their performances and hopefully give them the support they need to take the step to the next level.”

The Academy players started training in late January, with their first session being alongside the Manawatū players from the Hurricanes Poua.  

Women’s Academy 2024 Intake

Ffion Barr – Halfback, Old Boys-Marist

Lashaye Blake-Thompson – Hooker, Kia Toa/MANUKURA

Manaia Blake-Thompson – Midfield back, Kia Toa/MANUKURA

Gracie Donaldson – Lock, Wairarapa Wāhine Toa

Anahera Hamahona – Flanker, Old Boys-Marist

Kaelyn Ilangana-Latu – Halfback, Palmerston North Girls’ High School

Tayma Jahnke – First five-eighth, Freyberg/Palmerston North Girls' High School

Briahna Roache-Jackson – Prop, Old Boys-Marist

Havahna Tuwhangai-Moon – Five-eighth/ fullback, Kia Toa/Feilding High School

Shakariyah Waiwai – Loose forward, Kia Toa/Feilding High School

Kaia Walker-Waitoa – Wing/midfield back, Bush

Article added: Thursday 01 February 2024