Black Ferns forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker reaches over to score a try against England in their WXV1 match at Langley Events Centre in British Columbia in October.
Photo / Getty Images
Black Ferns forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker reaches over to score a try against England in their WXV1 match at Langley Events Centre in British Columbia in October.
Photo / Getty Images
Gisborne can lay claim to two awards at the 2024 New Zealand Rugby Awards this week with Black Fern Kaipo Olsen-Baker and All Blacks great Ian Kirkpatrick among the recipients.
Former Gisborne Girls’ High School student Olsen-Baker won the coveted Blacks Ferns Player of the Year and was a finalist for Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year, won by Blues and Black Ferns winger Katelyn Vahaakolo.
Kirkpatrick was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the game with the Steinlager Salver – an award described by New Zealand Rugby as “one of the highest honours in New Zealand Rugby”.
Kirkpatrick told the Gisborne Herald he was a bit taken aback when he learned he was to receive it, “and a little bit humble, to be honest”.
“We never played rugby to be honoured,” he said. “We’d just go out there and try to do something for the game we got so much out of.”
Kirkpatrick, 78, said he kept in touch with “one or two” teammates from the old days and tried to keep in good nick.
“You’re only here once and you should make a reasonable job of it if you can.
“I exercise reasonably well. I don’t want to go to the next Olympics. I’ve just been playing golf. It felt like it was about 35 degrees. I bike, walk up Kaiti Hill, do a bit of hard yakka with firewood. I try to keep the wheels turning, but not as quick as 30 years ago.”
All Black great Ian Kirkpatrick has added another accolade to his achievement list. At this week's NZ Rugby Awards announced on Sky TV, he was awarded the Steinlager Salver for outstanding service. Photo / Neil Reid
Kirkpatrick is one of the most legendary of All Blacks with 113 appearances, including 39 tests between 1967 and 1977.
He scored a then-record 16 test tries, including a spectacular 50-metre solo run against the 1971 British Lions at Lancaster Park.
He was the first player to be dropped as All Blacks captain, but remain an All Black; the second to become an injury replacement in a test – coming on and scoring hat-trick; and is the only man to captain North Island and South Island teams in his domestic career.
Post rugby, Kirkpatrick has served as a mentor to All Blacks sides and the Hurricanes Super Rugby squad, served as patron to the New Zealand and Poverty Bay Rugby football unions, and is often approached by the media for comment.
Tairawhiti-raised Gisborne Olsen-Baker plays No 8 for Manawatū in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC).
In Super Rugby Aupiki, Olsen-Baker played for Matatū and ranked in the top 10 for carries (59), defenders beaten (19), metres gained (286) and offloads (9) and was reselected for the Black Ferns.
Olsen-Baker has nine test caps to her credit and has scored five tries after debuting against Australia in 2022.
The 22-year-old hails from the East Coast settlement of Rangitukia where legendary All Black George Nepia lived most of his life.
In a story on the All Blacks.com website this year, Olsen-Baker said: “I think I’m a distant relation to George Nepia. Everyone says that up the Coast but I’m pretty sure it’s legit.”
The New Zealand Rugby Awards were held on Thursday night and screened live on Sky Television.
