Kaikohe's Kerri Johnson will feature for the Melbourne Rebels W in just her second year playing rugby.
Kaikohe's Kerri Johnson will feature for the Melbourne Rebels W in just her second year playing rugby.
Two Northlanders will form a deadly combination for the Melbourne Rebels Super W, and it’s a fair bet they won’t settle for anything less than the ultimate prize.
For Kaikohe-born and bred Kerri Johnson and Jason Rogers, Melbourne may be a long way from home, but the opportunities the franchise presents are just the catalyst the duo need in their respective playing and coaching careers.
Former Northland College student Rogers was appointed as Rebels Super W head coach for this year’s women’s rugby competition in Australia after coaching in the Aon Sevens series.
Johnson’s rugby trajectory is one to envy. In her first year playing rugby, the gun winger set the Northland club competition alight and got picked for Northland Kauri, which bowed out in the quarter-finals of the Farah Palmer Cup.
It wasn’t long before the 19-year-old flew across the Tasman to link up with Rebels Super W, and she’s been named to start on the left wing for a trial match against Western Force Super W in Perth this weekend.
The competition starts properly on March 25, when the Rebels host Queensland Reds W in Melbourne.
Given that Black Fern and NZ Sevens powerhouse Portia Woodman is her aunt, it’s no surprise Johnson has blistering speed, which she also attributes to CrossFit training.
After his new appointment late last year, Rogers got in touch with his former schoolmate Sheryl Smith— now a women’s rugby lead at Northland Rugby Union— to identify potential players for Rebels Super W.
“Because I was faster than other players and also good in defence, they thought I could step up and play over in Melbourne. I also did track running in school, which helps me play rugby,” Johnson said.
She played a bit of rugby at Ōkaihau College and admitted the Farah Palmer Cup competition was a lot harder than club rugby. The women’s rugby competition in Australia is a different ball game altogether, she reckons.
“The game is more structured over here, so I have a lot to work on, but the girls and the coaching staff have been great. We had a trial game in Wagga Wagga two weeks ago against New South Wales which we won, so that was good.
“The same group has played for our team the last couple of seasons, but with a new head coach, half the girls have never played for the Rebels before, so it’s going to be an exciting year.”
Kerri Johnson (pictured being piggybacked) will be key for the Melbourne Rebels W in this year's competition.
She’ll be back in Northland once the Aussie women’s competition finishes in May.
Her parents, brothers, boyfriend and family in Sydney will fly to Melbourne to watch the first round next month, and Johnson is excited but also nervous about playing in front of her whānau.
Like Woodman, she aims to one day pull on the coveted black jersey, but hasn’t ruled out playing across the globe if opportunities arise.
Smith said Johnson has achieved a great deal in just her first year in rugby.
“For me, sending her over to Melbourne was sending a message that there’s a pathway for women rugby players in Northland. You just don’t know what opportunities are out there.”
She said Rogers was after players with outright speed, and Johnson had that quality.
Melbourne Rebels W head coach Jason Rogers was after outright speed, and Kerri Johnson offers that quality.
Rogers said having Johnson on board was a blessing for the team.
“She’s a fantastic rugby player. Her skill level, ability to run and CrossFit [training] helps her in her ability to run and hold her fitness. Our team, from one to 15, is super-fit and everyone is a hard worker.”
The nephew of former Māori All Black Ard Rogers, his first goal as head coach was to recruit players in certain positions to bolster the squad, and Johnson and two girls from Fiji signed new contracts a few weeks ago.
Rogers acknowledged the input from Smith and the Northland Rugby Union, and he hoped more women players from Northland would get the same opportunity to ply their trade overseas in future.
The Rebels identified Rogers as the most outstanding candidate to emerge from the strong pool of coaches across Australia.
“Rogers brings a wealth of coaching experience and success to the Rebels Super W program, having recently led the Melbourne University Rugby Sevens to its highest-ever placing at the University Games with a silver in Newcastle and Canberra, following a third-place finish in Adelaide the week before,” the franchise said.
Rogers is just the second head coach in Rebels Super W history, taking over from Melbourne’s inaugural Super W leader, Alana Thomas, after more than five years in charge.
