The Bascik Transport Canterbury Premier Women’s Final took place last Friday under the lights at Nga Puna Wai, and it had everything we love about finals footy – well executed set pieces, defence on the try line and creating opportunities.

In their debut season in the women’s competition, New Brighton made an immediate impact. They topped the round robin stage with just one loss — to High School Old Boys. So it was only fitting that the two sides would meet again in the final.

Te Rauowira Gapper, New Brighton captain and no stranger to high stakes games with her experience playing for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup, offered solid advice to her side in the week leading in, “we really lent into our camaraderie and our whānau” said Gapper. “Letting each girl know that no matter what - we've got your back. We’ve got your back on the field, we've got your back off the field.”

“I think it's a belief thing” she continued, “there's nothing you can say at a finals game except for back yourself. We know when all the work's been done then it's just about having fun with your sisters.”

The game had everyone on the edge of their seat, with eighty minutes of exhilarating rugby making it anyone’s guess as to who would walkaway with the trophy. Despite HSOB strong efforts and leading 15-7 at halftime, New Brighton made a huge comeback by dotting down three tries in the final15 minutes and were crowned the winners after a 26-15 victory.
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Gapper credits the teams success to the dedication of ex-players like Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox, Rebecca Todd and Vicki Campbell , women who have given back to their community by helping with coaching and building their team culture from the ground up. “They’re pretty special people” said Gapper, “they always treat everyone around them like whānau, and I think that's definitely been the biggest success for our team. We all genuinely enjoy each other's company, and I think that's where it all started.”

“We're so excited to see what happens next, we've created an opportunity and a pathway for our younger girls coming through now”.

You can relive the excitement and watch the whole game again on our Facebook page here.

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Words by Hannah Yates