Sarah Hirini on Making Rugby Accessible for Kids

The goalposts have been taken down, the signage surrounding the pitch at BC Place has been changed back, and the Vancouver Sevens lies dormant until next year. What remains is the achievements: the points scored, the metres made, the tackles and fends and sidesteps, on film and in the memory of all who participated and all who watched. And, of course, we are left with the winners. That group includes Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini.

One of the most decorated rugby players in the game, Hirini is the winner of seven world sevens series titles, two 15-a-side Rugby World Cups, two Sevens World Cups, and three Olympic medals, two gold and one silver. In 2013 she was one of the first female rugby players to sign a full-time contract with New Zealand Rugby. “We weren’t even shown on TV back in New Zealand when we first started,” Hirini says. Even that simple part of the game has advanced leaps and bounds in the last 12 years, with matches now shown live around the world.

As the team’s captain, it’s clear from the body of work that Hirini is a successful leader on the pitch, but her leadership goes beyond paddock and isn’t shelved when the full-time whistle blows, or even when the winter is over and rugby season wraps up. To this end, the Hirini Rugby Academy, supported through Hirini’s partnership with watchmaker Tudor, provides grassroots coaching for young kids getting into rugby in New Zealand. “I’ve been part of the Tudor family for the last five years, and they’ve been very supportive of my journey—and then I mentioned that I run an academy, and they jumped on board straight away,” Hirini says.

The partnership with Tudor has allowed the academy to develop at a quicker pace and more kids to get involved with rugby, with Hirini noting that the training can now be provided for free. All this is to ensure, she says, that she can “help leave rugby in a better place than when I first started. I want to be able to provide a platform for people.” The academy is an attempt to bridge the gap between grassroots rugby and the professional game while giving high-quality coaching to kids and schools that may not otherwise receive it. That mission is particularly personal for Hirini. “I was from a small town, went to a small school, and I think if I didn’t get the opportunity that I did with my rugby coach, it might not have worked out the way that I wanted to. So, I just want to provide an opportunity for these young girls and hopefully boys as well [to show] that it’s possible to make it from anywhere, and that just because you’re from a small place, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get looked at,” she says.

Rugby Union globally remains somewhat of a niche sport, although visibility has risen with increased TV coverage, the inclusion of sevens in the Olympics, and even a Netflix series focusing on the Six Nations tournament. Further, the physical nature of the sport means parents may have reservations about getting their children involved, and Hirini hopes the academy training can ease some of those fears. She notes that while rugby can seem dangerous, proper technique as taught by dedicated coaches can ensure that all involved know the risks and, more importantly, how to avoid them.

A highly successful career inevitably brings questions around legacy. Hirini’s academy is an avenue to translate on-field success into investment in the grassroots growth and the mentorship of the next generation of New Zealand rugby talent. It can be easy to get caught up in everything that surrounds sport, but Hirini sums up her motivation in the clearest way possible: “I just love rugby, to be honest.”

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