Rugby: Rosser in equation to take on Black Ferns

Hawke's Bay's Tania Rosser, left, is the sole Kiwi in the Ireland team at the women's World Cup in France. Photo / Supplied

Once upon a time, 20 years ago to be precise, Tania Rosser had to sneak out of her family's Hastings home when she wanted to play rugby.

"Mum and dad didn't like me playing rugby, they wanted to see me succeed in netball ... I used to jump out the window quietly," Rosser recalled, referring to parents Dennis and Nancy, ardent supporters of Tamatea rugby and netball teams.

Those parental restrictions are now distant memories for halfback Rosser and tomorrow her parents will rise at 3am to watch their daughter, now 36, make her 50th appearance for Ireland in a women's Rugby World Cup clash against world champions New Zealand in France. Rosser is likely to start and expects to mark Central Hawke's Bay College product Emma Jensen, who she played alongside in Hastings' teams at the Hawke's Bay Sevens in Waipawa during those days of sneaking off to play the oval ball code.

"Marking Emma would be an awesome way to celebrate my 50th," Rosser said before yesterday's Captain's Run.

A former New Zealand Secondary Schools' touch representative, Rosser first played for Ireland in 2003 after following future hubby and former Magpie Simon Broughton to the Emerald Isle three years earlier. She is playing at her third World Cup.

"This is the first time Ireland has played the Black Ferns at World Cups I have been to. We've got nothing to lose and we're going to throw everything we can at them.

"We have to beat New Zealand or get lots of points against Kazakhstan to qualify for the quarter-finals," Rosser said of the Irish team which beat England in the women's Six Nations two years ago.

Kazakhstan, who are coached by former Hawke's Bay Sevens' mentor Adam McDonald of Hastings, lost 79-5 to the Black Ferns last week, while Ireland beat the United States 23-17 in their first pool game of the tournament.

Rosser retired after the last World Cup in 2010 when the Irish team finished eighth.

But after watching her play at the Club Sevens in Ireland earlier in the year the Irish selectors asked Rosser to come out of retirement. And she is really enjoying the game again.

Since she was last involved she says there has been a massive advancement in the level of professionalism within the Irish camp.

"The levels of video analysis and that sort of stuff."

In turn, her Irish teammates have been grilling her on what they can expect from the Black Ferns, in particular how to react when they perform their haka.

Asked if she plans to continue playing at international level into her 40s like retired Black Ferns inside back Anna Richards did until she was 46 Rosser replied:

"I don't know if the body can hold out that long ... Anna was a legend."

Rosser plays 15s and Sevens for the Dublin-based Blackrock College club. Broughton coaches the Clontarf club side.

A former Eastern Development netball team representative, Rosser hopes to return to New Zealand within the next couple of years.

"I'm missing family and we're missing the opportunity to see our son experience the New Zealand culture and spend time with his grandparents," she added, referring to six-year-old son Serge who is named after Serge Blanco, a France fullback from the 1980s era who at his peak was one of the best counter attackers in the game.

Needless to say Rosser and her teammates will require plenty of Blanco magic if they are to upset the world champions in the morning.