Sene Naoupu is in the midst of her seventh Women’s Six Nations campaign and however many the influential centre ends up featuring in, she knows the memories made in her first will take some beating.
GUINNESS is an Official Partner of the Women’s Six Nations, and has launched an initiative to “Never Settle” until sport is a place where everyone can belong, regardless of their gender, race or sexuality. This initiative is part of a long-term commitment from GUINNESS to continue to grow inclusivity and accessibility for everyone in sport.
The 2015 Championship was her first as an Ireland player, with Naoupu having embraced life in Galway since arriving from her native New Zealand six years previously when husband George signed for Connacht.
The following eight weeks proved a dream introduction to life in international 15s rugby for a player who had already impressed on the Sevens circuit as Ireland, then led by Tom Tierney, sealed a second Championship in three years courtesy of a thumping 73-3 win over Scotland on the final weekend.
The trail blazed by those who won the first of those titles played a key role in Naoupu’s decision to set her heart on joining them and the 37-year-old now hopes to play her part in creating a new legacy to encourage the next generation.
“I remember watching the 2013 Grand Slam on RTE and then Ireland Women beating the Black Ferns (New Zealand) in the 2014 World Cup,” she said.
“Those moments inspired me to want to put on a green jersey in the 15s game as well. To earn a place in the squad in my debut year and immerse myself around my Irish heroes meant everything.
Griffin targets third place after France defeat
“I didn’t play many minutes (in 2015) but I learned so much about the environment and it was about more than the medal. It was about what that represented and the legacy those players created to give us debutants that moment.
“That winning moment drives me to this day in terms of what service and contribution looks like.
“They are very special memories and hopefully there will be opportunities for our youngsters to have the same experience.
“Creating a legacy is a big thing for me, our captain Ciara Griffin and all of us. What has been done before shows us what is possible and we will keep working extremely hard.
“We are still on a journey and while success doesn’t happen overnight, we feel in a good place to keep building.”
Naoupu citing the influence of watching iconic matches unfold in the advancement of her own journey highlights the importance of coverage and visibility within the women’s game, a cause close to the centre’s heart.
She has teamed up with Guinness on the recently-launched #NeverSettle campaign, dedicated to ensuring everyone belongs in rugby by closing the coverage gap, and she draws attention to some eye-catching statistics she is determined to change.
“In Ireland, six per cent of coverage is dedicated to female team athletes and globally it’s around four per cent – that is an interesting tell-tale,” she said.
“It’s about educating all of us and being aware of what the reality is, as well as the role we can all play – not just girls and women in society, boys and men as well.
“Having the Women’s Six Nations in its own window provides an opportunity to tap into audiences who may not have seen us play before and a time when we are not able to play games at club or provincial level, it’s even more important there’s visibility on the Six Nations.
“It’s super important girls can see it so they can be it.”
There have been plenty of male and female eyes on this year’s Championship, which concludes with an inaugural Finals Day this weekend.
France and England will do battle for the title while Ireland are set to meet Italy in the third/fourth-place play-off after a period in a ‘bubble’ which Naoupu believes has brought an already tight-knit squad closer than ever.
England hopeful Zainab Alema surprised by hero Maggie Alphonsi
And the importance of community and friendship within rugby has been at the core of a journey which has so far taken in Kobe and London as well as Dublin and Otago – and could yet have space for more memorable chapters.
“We have been very fortunate to travel across the world and be part of some wonderful communities who have welcomed us,” Naoupu said.
“To fall in love with a place like Ireland, meeting wonderful people inside and outside rugby, has been amazing and there are similarities between here and New Zealand in the culture and passion for rugby. “It is a huge honour to represent Ireland in competitions like the Women’s Six Nations, where the friendship and camaraderie after games is key to what makes it so special.
“After we played Wales [in Round 1], I was messaging Siwan (Lillicrap) and her girls. Their attitude was phenomenal and that’s true across all teams – a lot of us know each other and keep in touch regularly. It’s a rugby family that extends beyond the unions themselves.”
