Eloise Blackwell: Black Ferns and Ponsonby Captain previews the Coleman Shield clash against Marist

Auckland Rugby Women's premier final (The Coleman Shield) is on this Saturday between Ponsonby and Marist.  

The final returns to Ponsonby's home ground of Western Springs after having to relocate in 2023 due to flood damage. 

Black Ferns and Ponsonby Captain Eloise Blackwell joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildergrave from News TALKS'B.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's a big day for women's at rugby, for local
women's rugby in the Auckland are region. The Coleman that
shield has been competed for. Ponsonby are playing Marist. It's
at three o'clock out Western Springsway. Alobi's Blackwall joins us.
The captain of Ponsonby, welcome to the show. Good morning
and how important is this fixture?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
This is a hugely important ficture for us where the
current common shield holders. It's pretty huge for us to
be having the opportunity to go back to back this
year and we've got a pretty formidable but familiar opponent
in Auckland Mara. So yeah, this is this is huge
for women's rugby and Auklands.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Look at the strength of the different teams. Plainly you're
quite handy. I think you've represented at quite a level
Alawise Blakewell what about the rest of the teams? Where
are the key players? People want to come along and
watch this? Have you any rock stars out there for
us to put our peepers on.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah? This has been different because we've had no black
ferns whatsoever, so it's provided opportunities for lots of our
young girls to get some quality game time. We've got
a few of our Super Rugby players who are jumping
on the field. We've got Dan Ankleville in the midfield,
so she's going to be crucial to making sure that

(01:27):
our back line is able to launch off. And we've
got Shaye tullif fully as well in the forwards. She's
had a pretty outstanding Super Rugby campaign and that forms
just rolled straight on through to Club Rugby. So those
are probably two of our big ones. But we're also
got the likes of an eighteen year old Makaya Kiper

(01:47):
who's just come back from injury as well, so she's
going to be crucial for us. And now set peace.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
What about across the white line? Who are you looking at?
Who you need to I won't say eradicate because that
sounds a bit killy, but who do you need to
snuff out? Where are the threats over there?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Allowise oh, I think the biggest threat in the Maras
pack is Joey Fan and she's she's been around the
block for a long time and she's probably one of
the most dangerous ball carriers in all of Auckland rugby,
so we've got to make sure we shut her down
early and keep her shut down.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
When you look at the players coming through have been
given this opportunity to represent at CUB level. Satisfied with
the quality of the players from what you've seen so
far throughout the Common Shield, and we've got the next
level coming through, Eloise, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
I've seen glimpses of it. And what's cool in Auckland's
now is that we've just rolled out a new pathway
program through under seventeens and that's been running for a
few months now and we've actually got three two or
three of our under seventeen pontive players who will be
taking the field for our women's premier team. So there's

(02:58):
a lot of pathways in place now to support our
girls who are coming up from the age grades. So yeah,
there's a lot potential in the future. And like I
said before, not having the black ferns in those spots
allows them to get like precious game times.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
There's a skipper, Aloise. You're not really allowed to point
out one or two your individuals and say, hey, you've
got some potential, but I'm gonna ask you to do
it anyway. Who do you like in your side?

Speaker 3 (03:28):
It's the old cliche. We're at the perfect mix of
youth and experience, and I think our backs they've really
been carrying us this season because we've got such a
young and inexperienced full pack. But I'd have to say
our back line, probably with the likes of Kobe Daniel,
who's been around the club scene for a very long time.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
You know, the young ones, Eloise, Aloise, You're gonna pumpleetize
the young ones. Who's coming next?

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Oh, who's coming next? I'd probably have to say Makaia
kaipoul a young Locke coming through. Who else? Who we
got to say a thing? A young winger. Yeah, there's
so many good young people, though they are probably one
month on the back to month on the forwards of
the up and coming.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Do you know much about the history of the Common Shield, Like,
have many teams gone back to back, which is what
you're attempting this afternoon?

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I believe Rifles and Merits have gone back to
back multiple times, so yeah, they've done it before, and
I don't well, it's hard to say without looking at
the shield in front of me where we've done it before.
But yeah, we broke our twenty eight year drought in

(04:44):
twenty twenty one and then we lost it the following
year after that, lost it again. They won it back
last year, so it's been a while since we've gone
back to back. So get it done.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Where do you keep it? Do you do anything traditional
with it? Do you take it on a tour around
the place? Do you your locker under key somewhere? What
do you actually do with it when you've got your
hands on do you take it home to put it
on your bellow?

Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah? Well, when we won it after that twenty eight years,
we took it on a bit of a road trip
around Auckland and it just kept hopping between all the girls'
houses and Auckland Rugby and our club was trying to
track it down, and you know, we'd just say, oh no,
I didn't have it, that person has it, and it
just kept skipping to the next person. Because you know,
when you hadn't had it for so long, you want

(05:27):
to share it with your important people in your lives,
and that's what we did. But at the moment it
currently sits at Auckland Rugby because we don't have anywhere
to store it at our club. But one of our
premiere boys, Pelley Kelly, he's a builder and he's actually
made us a cabinet for it which will go up
in our clubroom. All going well, the common Shield will

(05:48):
have a new home with our in our clubroom next
to our gallahas shield case for the men.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
So yeah, no presure, I mean you don't want this
being built and then you can't put it anything in it. Hey,
look we're the best, Alloway, He's always a pleasure talking
with you. Calm and Shield, Western Springs, three o'clock, Auckland
Rugby prem Football. It's pots to be taking on Morris.
Thanks for your time. Allowhere'd you go? Well?

Speaker 3 (06:11):
Awesome? Thank you Darcy.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
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