One of the most charismatic figures within rugby today, Black Ferns wing Katelyn Vaha’akolo was as animated as ever in her plans for revenge against the Red Roses. Vaha’akolo was fired up for another round against England, after New Zealand were defeated by the Red Roses this past Saturday at the Allianz Stadium.
Thankfully for Vaha’akolo and her Black Ferns teammates, New Zealand get their chance for redemption against the Red Roses in just a few short weeks time. The Black Ferns will battle England in round two of WXV, with Vancouver, Canada this hosting city for his colossal clash of Test match titans. The enigmatic 24-year-old gave an adrenaline-fuelled reaction to the defeat in Twickenham, and is already plotting her revenge when the sides meet in British Colombia on Sunday, October 6th.
“Yeah, we’re growing every week. We get better every week. What’s cool about losing this game is that we can boost them again, so we can come back with a vengeance! It’s exciting, because we can go back to the drawing board and get another opportunity which is really special, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Vaha’akolo went toe to toe with Red Roses speedster Abby Dow at the Allianz, with the flying England wing getting the upper hand in their personal battle within the war. The Trailfinder skipped passed Vaha’akolo along the right touchline, before accelerating away for a stunning solo try, with the Black Ferns wing seeking redemption against her positional opponent. All the comments were made in good spirit, as Vaha’akolo has the upmost respect for Dow.
“She’s awesome, such a good player, man, just a lot of experience. I missed that tackle on her, oh, so gutted! But man, I just feel I’ve grown so much as a player, and to be able to play against people like her has been really helpful for my growth. So it’s cool to go up against someone like her and her skill set.”
Continuing on the topic of the fixtures’ flying wings, Katelyn discussed the Black Ferns return of Ayesha Leti-I’iga, who was back in the black jersey for the first time in two years. Prior to the match at the Allianz, Leti-I’iga’s last appearence for New Zealand was also against England in Auckland, in the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at a packed Eden Park. Vaha’akolo called her back-three partner a ‘lethal player’, and credited the wing for the viral video of the Black Ferns giving King Charles III a group hug at Buckingham Palace.
“She is such a lethal player, n both sides of the board, defence and attack. She’s also a really awesome teammate off the field. She brings a lot of energy to our team, and she made some awesome breaks out there, I think she has had an awesome comeback. I’m so excited to see more of what she’s going to give in the next few games coming up.”
“My fellow Winger! Oh man, Ayesha is so cool. That’s just her natural personality. But I actually think the King really needed that hug! Just his smile was so genuine. I’m glad we have teammates like her, who can make it all a bit more chill. He (King Charles) probably felt like he could just be normal. I thought that was really cool.”
Vaha’akolo, Lei-I’iga and the Black Ferns have their sights set on a return to Twickenham in a year’s time, as the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final will be hosted at the re-named Allianz Stadium. The final and bronze final matches will be the only fixtures held at the home of English rugby, with plenty at stake for the upcoming women’s matches in South West London.
Vaha’akolo believes that her Black Ferns gained valuable experience of the 82,000 capacity amphitheater, as the wing contributed New Zealand’s two tries of the contest. The Blues star is excited to see where her side is at in a year’s time, as the Black Ferns eye up an unprecedented third consecutive Women’s Rugby World Cup title.
“It’s just been so cool to see our growth within the last year. I feel like we’ve obviously talked about it, but no one really knows how it feels to really grow. Although we lost man, I feel like we’ve just developed so much on our skill set, so much more. Imagine where we’re going to be in a year, and what that’s going to be like at the World Cup. We have so much more to give, and I’m so excited for that to blossom.”