It was a hot summer's day on March 19 at Kirkpatrick Park in Hastings and Hawke's Bay women's rugby league team player-coach Chanel Huddleston sprinted 90 metres from dummy half for a solo try.
I turned to a fellow spectator at the Mid Central Competition game which saw the Bay beat Linton 38-28 and said Huddleston is back to her best and I wouldn't be surprised if she regained a berth in the Kiwi Ferns squad this year. Huddleston, 33, backed up the prediction and on Sunday was selected in a 30-strong squad from which 25 players will be selected to attend the November-December World Cup in Australia.
The Henry Hill School teacher's selection followed her vice captain's role with the Central Vipers team which finished third with four wins from five games at the national women's tournament in Auckland at the weekend. The Vipers beat the Auckland Vulcans 22-12 in the playoff for third.
Second-season Vipers coach John Tuala, from Palmerston North, was full of praise for the contribution standoff Huddleston and the other Bay players, props Awhina Wainohu and Jess Bennett, utility forward and top defender Te Aroha Hunt, centre Jaimee Robin and secondrower Laurae Blake, made to his team.
"They all displayed the benefits of playing those regular Mid Central Competition games. Chanel's leadership was tremendous and her experience showed," Tuala said.