Stacey Fluhler scores against France. Photo / Dean Purcell
Stacey Fluhler scores against France. Photo / Dean Purcell
Black Fern and entrepreneur Stacey Fluhler (Ngāi Tūhoe) says her job as a business owner and world-class athlete is a lot tougher than it looks.
“Everyone sees the tip of the iceberg, with you winning or playing. They don’t see all the layers beneath it,” she said.
“I feel we are quite authentic in showing that vulnerability.”
Fluhler started Stacey Fluhler Scrunchies in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic brought sport and travel to a global standstill.
“I always thought about starting my own little business in the back of my head … I remember a lot of people asking about our scrunchies that we used to wear traveling all around the world.”
The Black Ferns’ global recognition brought attention to the eclectic hair ties that first made waves in mainstream fashion during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Everyone wanted them and loved seeing them in our hair so I decided to take the plunge and make my own small business.”
Fluhler’s venture started through her connection with Canadian rugby player Barbara Mervin, who has her own sportswear business Aptoella Rugby.
“She actually gifted me scrunchies five years ago now. I’ve been all around the world and hers were my favourite by far,” Fluhler said.
She said their “sweat-proof, waterproof material” is a major factor in how well they support wāhine during the game.
“I actually loved how she made them, which just made it more convenient for me.”
Like many other small business owners in Aotearoa, Fluhler says her business is a labour of love.
“I tell people it’s just a little side hustle. I obviously don’t make a lot of money off it but it’s about giving to others and making other women feel good. They never go out of style, right?”
“Smithy always talks about women having to feel good to play good. With men, you have to play good to feel good, but it’s so true.”
She says of the Ferns, “We have to have fun. We have to be doing things that we love, whether it is a small business, wearing a scrunchie, or getting your eyelashes or your nails done, to actually play well on the field.”
Stacey Fluhler co-hosts weekly sports commentary show Te Ao Toa at Whakaata Māori. Photo / Supplied
As for herself, she says, “[Scrunchies are] the first thing I prepare when I’m doing my game day bag. It’s something I think about.”
“I’ll try and wear a bright-coloured scrunchie just to offset that black and white. But I do definitely wear different colours every day, every training,” Fluhler said.
While being a professional athlete and small business owner would be a lot for many, Fluhler says studying has helped her stay busy in her rugby career.
“I’ve been studying part-time since playing rugby professionally in 2014.”
She says studying gave her “a little focus outside of sport that helped me keep my mind ticking.”
Fluhler currently holds a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance from the University of Waikato and a Massey University Postgraduate Diploma in Business.
She also pursued a level four qualification in te reo Māori at the Wānanga.
Her upbringing meant she was surrounded by te reo, which she tries to bring into her mahi whenever possible including scrunchie names and designs.
Adding to her list of credentials, Fluhler is a presenter on Whakaata Māori’s Te Ao Toa which earned her a nomination for TV Personality of the Year at last year’s NZ Television Awards.
She says her ultimate goal in her te reo journey is to “fully immerse” herself, which is a challenge to juggle with her rugby career.
“I couldn’t delve into a full-on conversation at the moment but always learning.”
For the future of Stacey Fluhler Scrunchies, she said, “It would be cool to expand one day.”
Fluhler said, “Last year was very busy - I didn’t have a lot of time on my hands to get that done. This year I hope there’ll be some new things released from me.”
“I suppose that’s the power of us doing what we do. I feel like as female athletes now, it’s cool to showcase that we’re more than just athletes. We have other hobbies, we have other interests and we like to show how much we enjoy it.”
She said her fellow players all value self-expression and identity on the field.
“For me, the scrunchie is showcasing for those young girls that you can be an athlete, but you can also embrace your true self and do other things outside of sport too.”
It doesn’t have to be full focus, running yourself ragged, every day during training. There’s also a lot of fun elements to it, and I feel like it’s overlooked sometimes as female athletes.”
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
