15 December 2022 Lincoln's World Champion Black Ferns feted

Alumni Amy Rule, Alana Bremner, Chelsea Bremner and Georgia Ponsonby were hosted on-campus by Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards and LU Rugby Club President Andy Borland.

The fifth Black Fern alumna, halfback Kendra Cocksedge, was unable to attend.

As he welcomed the players to campus, Professor Edwards, himself a former New Zealand sports representative in hockey, said Lincoln University was tremendously proud of its five Black Ferns and he congratulated them on their success.

"The value of sport in the mix of everything else we do in life cannot be overstated," he said. "Lincoln had long recognised this through its Sports Scholarship Programme." 

Alana, Amy, Georgia and Kendra were all part of the renowned Sports Scholarship Programme when they attended Lincoln.

A panel interview with the four was conducted by Dr Catherine Elliott, Senior Lecturer from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Society. Questions were then taken from the floor, and finally the players mixed informally with rugby club members and university staff.

Amy said she was still on "cloud nine" and related a funny moment when she lifted up the World Cup trophy (which the team have nicknamed "Nancy") and the bottom fell off.

Georgia was pleased to see that people had become excited about rugby again.

"We seem to have ignited the rugby spirit again in people."

Appearing on Weetbix cards for the first time was significant for Alana, saying she knew a person who ate Weetbix for the first time "because we are on the cards". 

Chelsea was excited to be a role model for future Black Ferns.

"I am so grateful we could do it for our country," she said. "As a teacher, I know how important it is for children to have role models and being able to be a role model is very special for me. It’s important that the country sees the love we have for the game."