Black Ferns playmaker Kendra Cocksedge told Ryman residents that following her recent retirement, after helping New Zealand beat England in the World Cup woman’s rugby final, she might well coach one day.
Kendra stood up in front of a hall full of residents from both Ngaio Marsh and Diana Isaac villages yesterday to recount the key moments during the final, played in front of a record-breaking crowd, at Eden Park last month. As well as those in the stadium, it seemed the whole of New Zealand was watching from the edge of their seats.
The 34-year-old says confidence with the team grew following their close semi-final win, leading into the Eden Park thriller.
The final, won 34-31 over the favoured England team, also saw her leadership skills as a player look at many options during the tense final minutes of that game. England had a lineout very close to the New Zealand tryline and could easily have scored except for some desperate defence on the front line.
“For me as a leader in the team, I just said to the girls we’ve got to get someone up to contest for the ball… our lock was lucky enough to get up and knock the ball off and then it just ended up in Krystal Murray’s hands…,” she says.
“Ruby Tui was even celebrating before the whistle.”
Kendra is happy with her retirement decision but says she prolonged taking her final game jersey off following the game until midnight. “I didn’t leave Eden Park until the lights went off,” she says.
The kit stayed on until a return to the hotel. “When it’s your last time in a jersey you kinda want to keep it on for as long as possible. It’s interesting because there’s actually a similar story for Richie (McCaw).”
Coaching is definitely an option. “I’m not going to be lost to the game, and I’ve learned a lot from (coach) Wayne Smith as well so I might get into a little bit of coaching after a year off.” She noted that she and Black Ferns assistant coach Whitney Hansen had as club contemporaries once promised each other to be joint coaches for the Ferns.
Canterbury Rugby Media Manager George Berry hosted Kendra, asking her questions before the seated audience at Ngaio Marsh village. Kendra was eloquent and extended in her answers, much to the delight of the residents and some staff, beginning by saying the Black Ferns enjoyed their underdog status for the World Cup. Ryman Healthcare has a sponsorship arrangement with Canterbury Rugby.
“We just had so much fun -- I think that’s what it came down to. A lot of people have asked me; ‘Why do you think you were successful at the World Cup?’ For me it was around enjoying what we were doing, and we had Wayne Smith come on board and he was absolutely fantastic with the girls, and also Sir Graham Henry...
“In that final, the New Zealand (public) was probably more nervous than what we were on the field. It was actually a great game to be part of.”
Village Manager Anna Thomson introduced Kendra as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and as someone with a story to tell related to multi-decade career that included being named as New Zealand's Women's Player of the Year at the end of 2015.
Kendra also spoke of her time playing cricket, and how at a point in her career she had to choose between the winter sport of rugby and one of New Zealand’s summer sports. While she was brought up in Ōkato in Taranaki, where she is a distant relation to the All Black-playing Barrett brothers (of Rahotu), in terms of rugby most of her connections are in Canterbury.
As a youngster, Kendra, a few years older than the Barrett trio, played backyard rugby and cricket versus Beauden, Scott and Jordie. She chose rugby as a youngster after her mother said her chatty nature might not be suited to the tap dancing classes she and her twin sister were attending.
Following the presentations, including those with a sporting edge joined with Kendra and George for a chat. Jack Harliwich, who represented Canterbury as a province in multiple sports, and Peter O'Malley, a provincial rugby rep who played alongside the likes of Sir John Graham, were two sports people in the audience.
A move to Canterbury in order to complete a degree at Lincoln University, on a cricket scholarship, eventually saw her play 100 rugby games for Canterbury. She works as a Women’s Rugby Development Manager at New Zealand Rugby.
