women
international women
Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a has a penchant for big moments. The 20-year-old winger scored four tries in the 81-12 rout of the Black Ferns. France in Hamilton, only her fourth Test and first at home.
A year earlier at the same ground, she scored the winning try in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) final for Waikato in their 19-13 win over Canterbury. It was her fifth try in four appearances, all of which were wins, with other successes against Bay of Plenty (88-5), Hawke’s Bay (60-17) and Auckland (36-29).
U Super Rugby Aupiki In 2026, Chiefs Manawa did not win a game but Tuliau-Tua’a was their most outstanding player. In six games, she was third in tackles (five), fifth in points (25), ninth in carries (55), third in clean breaks (nine) and first in defensive tackles (28), yards gained (626) and offloads (12).
It’s been a meteoric rise for Tuliau-Tua’a who, while at Hamilton Girls High School in 2024, was selected for the FPC but was injured in a pre-season game. The failure lasted a year.
“I just finished the team’s hard work. It was nothing amazing,” Tuliau-Tuaa said RugbyPass with an almost self-deprecating modesty about her French quartet.
“One of my tasks is to scan and communicate. I have to look for space more. I did a good job finding it and getting back into the midfield. They did a great job finding me.”
She scored another try in the Black Ferns’ 31-12 win in the second test in Whangarei.
The eldest of four siblings, he first found rugby at Sacred Heart Girls’ College in Hamilton. She started her sports career even before she became a senior.
“I was a junior in the senior sevens team. We finished second in the Condors. On the way home with my mum, I told her rugby is really fun; this is what I want to do,” Tuliau-Tua’a recalled.
“I was still playing netball at the age of 11, but I decided to focus on rugby. It’s hard to name my biggest influences. A lot of people have helped me along the way.”
Tuliau-Tua’a identified Waikato FPC coach Ruben Samuel, fellow Black Ferns wings Mererangi Paul and Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen as just some of the key figures who helped her rise.
New Zealand Rugby has had its eye on Tuliau-Tua’u since she was part of the New Zealand U18 Girls Sevens squad in 2022 and 2023.
Since when Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, the number of girls aged 15 to 20 playing rugby has increased by 26% overall. This includes a 28% increase in school leavers (18-year-olds), with more than 3,000 players in the under-18 cohort.
In FPC 2025, 97 players born in 2006 or later competed in 13 teams. In theory, young talent alongside players exposed to the growing Super Rugby Aupiki should raise standards.
Kendra Cocksedge – better known as the Black Fern with the highest number of captains – is now New Zealand’s women’s high performance rugby manager and explained what the girls’ academy looks like.
“The girls in the academy space have gym and skills sessions, player development support around understanding the technical and tactical aspects of the game, as well as managing nutrition and some off-field challenges,” she said.
“There isn’t the scale of games or opportunities in the girls’ space that there are in the more established boys’ spaces, but they are growing.”
“We have the U18 North-South game, the Global Youth Sevens in Auckland in December, and the Nga Mareikura Maori Girls Under-18 Development and Development Programme.
“When we bring the girls into this collective environment, we want to create the best possible experience, which involves more than just rugby. A sense of belonging and engagement from a captive audience is essential.
“There is also some cross-coding. We have girls from netball, volleyball and rugby league. We encourage the girls to play other sports for better balance. There are cross-over skills.”
Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen continued this phased development approach with Tuliau-Tua’a.
“We were very strategic about how we brought her in as a young athlete. When she came to the Pac4 (Pacific Four Series), she knew she wasn’t going to play; she was learning what it’s like to be in a professional environment, be around it, create some habits, give her a game on the northern tour, and I think she really came through in France surrounded by some exceptional leaders who allowed her to go out and be confident and play her game.”
Tuliau-Tua’a scored a try in their first test, winning 66-19 against Australia August in Auckland. She also played in the victories against France (28-14) and Scotland (66-14).
But it was in the slaughter of the French, the Black Ferns’ biggest win against France since 1996, that Tuliau-Tua’a came of age. There’s even a new word to describe her bravery: “Shylights.”
