President Rush, long may she reign

Erin Rush is the Forrest Gump of New Zealand women's rugby. Her entire rugby career is a series of cameo appearances in the formative moments of our game. Flick through the albums, scour the almanac, scan the crowd and there she'll be. A box of birds, all chirping furiously for the game she loves.

Her rugby story started like most did in the 1980s, where all roads led back to Laurie O'Reilly. In Erin's case, she saw a group training in a park and thought "that looks like women". When she got back to her Christchurch student flat, she mentioned it to her flatmate who just so happened to have a classmate in the team.

Next thing she knew, Erin got a call on the landline. The caller informing Erin that she heard she was interested in joining the team. Before she could decide whether she actually was or not, Erin had been signed up to join the next training. Some things, never change.

This team was coached by the Godfather of women's rugby, Laurie O'Reilly and featured many players fresh from the famous "Crusadettes" world tour. This tour establishing the relationships that would lead to New Zealand's inclusion in the inaugural World Cup in 1991.

But right now it was 1989 and Laurie was busy instigating things domestically. Billeting players to Erin's dingy student flat to drum up more fixtures. One of those players, Black Ferns prop, Carol Hayes. Who Erin told me, "Ate, drank and smoked at same time" in front of the wide eyed audience of her flatmates. It should be noted that Carol disputes this version of events as in her younger days she believed "eating was cheating".

Erin then headed away soon after on her OE before returning to Wellington in 1995. This time, she made the call to find her nearest rugby training. Ringing up the Wellington Rugby Union she was sent over to Wests for a season before finding her home at Wellington FC. She'd play there for 10 years, a season for Ories and then 50 more games for OBU.

Erin remembers fondly club rugby in the 90s. Back when the women played on a Sunday and would pull in a healthy crowd. Thanks perhaps, in part, to pubs then being unable to open on the Sabbath. Clubrooms therefore offered their crowd of regulars a chance to sidestep trading laws for a pint. With a little women's rugby on the side.

Erin was a stalwart for the Wellington Pride of that era, proudly captaining the side. An achievement she personally ranks higher than her new role as New Zealand Rugby President. It was during this time that she played with history again. Commentating the first Black Ferns test to be broadcast on TV. Alongside legend, Keith Quinn, John McBeth and the late, great, Sue Garden-Bachop. Their voices lifted our spirits as the Black Ferns lifted their first World Cup trophy.

Erin played in the last ever match at Athletic Park. No, it's not the one you're thinking of, hers was played midweek after the blokes had had their send off. The Pride beat Canada, 18-0 and they took the posts down immediately afterward.

She played for Wellington in the first women's fixture at the new stadium too, where Erin scored the match winner. Her luck unfortunately didn't carry over to infamous game they were curtain raising. That Bledisloe test where John Eales kicked that penalty.

Erin wore the black jersey in 2003, after knocking on the door of the Black Ferns changing shed for the better part of a decade. Assembled in many a training camp she finally got her chance to play in the first Black Ferns game I ever saw on TV against the World XV.

A little while later, she hung up her boots but continued to be a good teammate and a history maker, in that order. As the first women President of the Centurions, she was the person you'd call if you needed a set of jersey for a team you'd thrown together. Whether that was an U18 girls side or the opposition of the New Zealand Parliamentary Rugby Team.

Erin answered my call back in 2021 and alongside fellow club legend, Dawn Patelesio. Together they helped assemble teams our cities first ever Presidents grade match for women. Laying the groundwork for a competition I intend to resume for our wāhine. To provide the same lifelong connection to rugby that is offered more freely to our men.

To find players for that league, I can leverage the work Erin's been doing for the last few years. The thankless task of assembling a full list of women who played in the Wellington Pride since it's origin in 1990. This work will soon result in a celebration of the full player record from number 1 to whomever has the privilege of pulling on the jersey this season. It's been a labour of love but is just another example of her commitment to the people that play this sport.

Two years ago, she became the first woman to be elected Vice President of New Zealand Rugby and yesterday, she went one better. Becoming the first women to be the President of our national game. It's a ceremonial role unless you're someone like Erin. Who will constantly look for ways to leverage this position to tie the top of the game into the back paddock where she once roamed.

Erin Rush is New Zealand Rugby's Forrest Gump. But to borrow another Americanism, she's also the type of person Mr Rogers told us to look for in times of trouble. Things are looking scary for New Zealand Rugby right now but in appointing Erin, they have looked for a helper.

I feel a whole lot better about our game this week, knowing my rugby Mum is there. Ready to help all of us.

With you,
Alice