Fab five get Sevens shot

Five Wairarapa players have taken the first step along the way towards their dream of representing New Zealand in women's sevens rugby at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Shakira Baker, Rebecca Mahoney, Tatiana Tafatu, Sinead Namana and Te Aniwa Hurihanganui are among 30 players from the greater Wellington region selected to participate in the NZRFU's Go4Gold training programme. after two days of trials.

Baker and Mahoney are both current members of the Black Ferns 15-a-side squad and along with Tafatu were part of the Eketahuna side which won the two premier Wellington club trophies last season.

Namana, from Kuranui College, and Hurihanganui, from Wairarapa College, are both relative rookies in a rugby sense but they are multi-talented sportswomen - Namana having excelled at netball and Hurihanganui at football.

Mahoney has been a driving force been behind the development of Namana and Hurihanganui and is excited at their potential.Both are outside backs who have impressed with their speed and evasiveness and Mahoney says they could be "anything" once their capabilities are fully honed.

"They are still very much in the learning stage but they have huge natural skills and that's always a great starting point," she said.

Just how many of the Wairarapa players are involved in an exhibition women's sevens rugby match as part of the Friday evening programme at the international men's sevens tournament in Wellington this week won't be known until after further trials are completed in the capital today.