CSB - Eloise Blackwell - 150th first-class game

This weekend, New Zealand rugby fans will witness a historic moment as Eloise Blackwell, the captain of the Auckland Storm, is set to play her 150th first-class game, becoming only the sixth woman in Aotearoa to reach this incredible milestone.
Blackwell, a trailblazer both on the field and in the classroom as a schoolteacher, will join the ranks of legendary players like Emma Jensen (189 games), Kendra Cocksedge (172 games), Fia’o Faamausili (164 games), Justine Lavea (152 games), and Steph Te-Ohaere Fox (150 games).
The team will rally behind their captain in celebration of her extraordinary career, making this a must-see match for rugby enthusiasts and supporters.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sport, the Latest from the Land and just great rock.
It's the Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport,
your home of live commentary. Well, this weekend, New Zealand
rugby fans are going to witness an historic moment as
Eloise blackwill, captain of the Auckland Storm, set to play
her one hundred and fiftieth first class game, becoming only

(00:21):
the sixth woman in New Zealand to reach this incredible milestone.
She joins me this morning, Eloise, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good morning. How are you very very well?

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Thank you? Congratulations one hundred and fifty, one hundred and
forty nine at the moment, one hundred and fifty first
class games. That's remarkable, well done.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, thank you. I actually had no idea this this
game was coming up, and I haven't actually been don't
know if I'm being selected for this weekend's game yet,
so it might still be one forty nine. Who knows.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh no, hope you get selected. How's your form?

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Oh no, as we're going all right. We've come off
a back of two losses, but the team is working
well and producing nice so yeah, hopefully hopefully I get
the text for this weekend.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, your name is now up there in lights really
with a lot of legends of the game like Kendrick
Coxhead and Justine Lovey just to just to name a few.
So it's a hell of a lot of games. Can
you go back to where it all started for you?
How did you get into rugby?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
My rugby journey started a very long time ago, probably
at the age of four or five. I'm from great
Berry Island, so that's where it began for me, out
playing with all my mates from all the local skills
every Saturday, done at one of the local rugby clubs,
and that's probably still some of my most fondest rugby
memories as the early days where you know, there was

(01:41):
no pressure of performing and winning and just having fun
with your mates.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Gee, Great Barrier Island, it's an interesting place to grow
up and to start your rugby journey, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah? Sure is. And I can probably credit a lot
to my upbringing being so remote and away. You know,
it really taught me a lot of like strong characteristics
that are hold true and close to my heart now
around like hard work and you know, seeing your goals
and fights on things that you can achieve you know,

(02:13):
nothing comes easy if you don't work hard for it.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
So yeah, and back then too, women's rugby in New
Zealand was so different to what it is today, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah? Sure is, and I've seen it change a lot
throughout my career and it's only going to continue to grow.
And it's awesome the leaps and bounds that women and
rugby are taking right now in our country.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
And it must be pleasing for you when you watch
the Black Fans because you've been a member of that
team as well. I mean they're in the UK at
the moment about to play on Twickenham, what place they've
never played before? You would have loved to have done that. Oh.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
I actually debuted at Twickenham for the White Ferns. Yes, yes,
so it was back in twenty eleven.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh, that's fantastic. It's the first time I think the
Black Fans have played England on twick isn't it.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
No, I've played against England there. It must be in
recent times, yeah, maybe in ten years. It might have
been that long since we've played England at Twickenham.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Certainly been a wee while all right, So oupen Storm,
how's your form? Going this year. You said you last year,
you're coming off the back of a loss or two.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, it's been an interesting season. We've lost close to
ten players off on international duties and we've got a
really new group of players who have come through and
just we're two losses too wins. So for us, it's
just about making sure we can gel together the experienced
people we have in the team as well as the

(03:43):
youth and up and coming superstars that we have. So
it's been progressing nicely as I said before, and yeah,
hopefully this weekend we can get across the line and
come out with the win.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Up against Bio plenty of the Volcanics, so it's third
versus fourth I think on the table.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, they're a quality team and they've got some legends
in their fight as well, with the likes of Calibrazia,
So it's going to be a huge challenge for us.
But again the focus needs to be on us and
making sure we can execute what we need to.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
So when's the team being named? When do you find
out you're going to be in the team?

Speaker 2 (04:18):
And find out tonight at training, So it's it's a
long wait till six point thirty and yeah, fingers crossed.
I haven't received the call yet, so I think that
means I'm in the twenty three. I just don't know
whether it's starting or off the bench. But no, every
time a team gets named, it's you know, nothing's ever expected,
and it's always an honor to pull on the Auckland jersey.

(04:42):
So yeah, I'll be eagerly awaiting that announcement and fingers.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Crossed that if you do get named, it'll be your
one hundred and fiftieth. And of course, you know, when
you're not playing rugby, you're a school teacher, aren't you.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah, I'm actually tucked away in the printing cupboard right
now hoping i'm printing makes some me a lot of
noise for us.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
All right, we'll be better let you go because you're
probably about to start school. So all the very very
best for the weekend. And again, congratulations Eloise.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, thank you so much. There's the Prince and now
you can't.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Here here you go, good on your eloise. Alois Blackwell
Auckland Storm playing her hopefully her one hundred and fiftieth
first class game. It's the Bay of Plenty of Volcanics,
becoming the sixth woman in New Zealand to reach that milestone.