Scott Robertson makes four changes for side to to face Wallabies. Video / All Blacks
THREE KEY FACTS
Tyla King, also known as Tyla Nathan-Wong, has a key player in the Black Ferns’ dominance in sevens rugby, winning gold medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
King retired from rugby after the Paris Games but returned to the Dragons and is set to play in New Zealand’s Pacific Championship league campaign.
King discusses the differences between sevens rugby and rugby league, noting the structured nature of league compared to the spontaneous style of sevens.
The 30-year-old King, formerly Tyla Nathan-Wong, was central to the Black Ferns’ staggering dominance of the sevens scene, including gold medal triumphsat the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
She has conquered the rugby world as one of the greatest players in history and has stepped straight into the rising Australian women’s league competition.
Brought up in a league-loving family from Blockhouse Bay, she first played for the Dragons in the Australian NRLW last year when she was also part of the Kiwi Ferns’ drought-breaking test win over the Jillaroos.
After quitting rugby following the Paris Games, King has returned to the Dragons – whose season ended against the Broncos last weekend – and is set to figure in New Zealand’s Pacific Championship league campaign again.
Tyla King celebrates victory during the NRLW Round 3 match between the Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on August 11. Photo / Photosport
This will include taking on Australia as part of a men’s/women’s test doubleheader in Christchurch next month.
Tyla King chats to NZME about her life and career including the prospects of joining the reformed women’s team at the Warriors, the club she supported as a kid including as a quad-bike riding ball girl.
How did you reflect on that second Olympic gold medal and the end of your great sevens career?
Right after the final I walked out onto the field in Paris and had a moment with myself. “Man, this is literally the last time I get to put on the black jersey and play for this team”. I felt quite sad about it, and at the same time I’d finished on top of the world, walking away as a two-time Olympic gold medallist … so there was that joy and excitement too. I’ve literally achieved everything you can in the sport.
It might not fully sink in until I see the Black Ferns girls start their pre-season … but you know when it’s time to step away and let someone else take over. But I’ll miss the girls, the environment, the little moments off the field, the roomies.
Any favourite roomies?
I had constant change, which was cool ... I’ve roomed with almost every player in the current squad. I loved rooming with Michaela Blyde because we both love a good sleep-in. We’d wake up late, go to breakfast as late as possible, especially on our days off.
Your Black Ferns highlight was …
I still remember my debut, running out in the black jersey in Fiji for the Oceania championships, our qualifier for the 2013 World Cup. I’d just turned 18, this little kid playing alongside my idols like Linda Itunu and Huriana Manuel-Carpenter.
The Olympic silver medal in Rio 2016 involved a gut-wrenching loss to Australia but that lit the fire for the next five years. Winning in Tokyo was a massive relief. All the emotions came – that childhood, lifelong gold medal dream coming true.
Paris was a fairytale ending and it was different being able to celebrate straight away with friends and family in the stands.
In Tokyo, you could hear yourself echoing around an empty stadium (due to Covid restrictions). Then we had to go into isolation and a nationwide lockdown – that minimised it a little bit.
Black Ferns and support staff pose for a team photo after winning gold at Tokyo. Photo / Photosport
And the French crowds were amazing …
The French know how to celebrate and get behind rugby. The stadium was packed for our first pool game – the most people to ever watch a women’s tournament. Knowing they were all there to support the women’s game was special – I don’t think I’ll get to play at a stadium that big and packed again in my life.
The Olympics confirmed Canada and the USA are on the rise …
Canada doesn’t have the financial support yet but they showed what can happen when you show up for each other.
America is such a massive nation – they are athletic, strong and slowly understanding the game more and more. They have incredible support – look what Ilona Maher has done for rugby. She has skyrocketed … she’s on Dancing with the Stars, she’s putting women’s rugby in its rightful spotlight.
Do you have any messages for New Zealand Rugby, in terms of sustaining the Black Ferns’ sevens success?
This incredible team has matched the Fijian men’s team with back-to-back Olympic titles. I hope they capitalise, get the development right, get the national championships back. There’s schools sevens but outside of the Black Ferns not much else. There hasn’t been a national sevens tournament for a long time – if we could get some domestic stuff going that would be special.
What is it like switching from sevens to rugby league?
They are complete opposites. In sevens, as an attacker, you play what is in front, whereas in league it is a lot more structured. You’ve got to get into the cycle as they say, complete your sets of six, have as many completions as possible, get to that last tackle, kick the ball down, rinse and repeat type of things. There’s not as much ad lib football.
Defensively, you need to chop the legs out in sevens, get the ball carrier on the ground so you can get over them straight away for a steal. In league, you tackle more up top, try to wrestle, slow the play the ball speed down so your teammates can get back the 10 metres.
I guess one similarity is the Black Ferns were known for their defensive line speed which I’ve brought into my league game. If you’ve got a big forward winding up towards you, better to shut them down, right?
How does the money work in the NRLW?
League is only semi-professional. You have to be working or studying – I study – and you can’t assemble before 4pm for training.
We’ve got girls working full time, burning the candle at both ends … there are builders, floorers, sparkies, people constantly moving in their jobs before training.
We go straight from the field to the gym. We squeeze into four hours what I used to spread over a day as sevens rugby player.
It is a bit of a challenge but it shows how incredible these women are, creating an incredible product to show people what our league is all about. I watched it from afar for so long – it is so cool to be part of this space. The game is getting better and better. I hope it goes full time.
The Warriors return to the NRLW next season – any chance you will sign for them?
I’m contracted at the Dragons next year. But never say never … the Warriors are my childhood team. I was a Warriors ball girl …
Tell us more…
It was cool being amongst it all, as such a massive league fan when I was growing up.
I was a ball girl for two or three seasons, when we had quad bikes. Shaun Johnson was playing, and so was Steve Price – I was doing the ball girl thing with his kids Jamie, Kasey and Riley.
When a try was scored, I’d drive the tee out to the kicker, and wait for them to kick it, or if the other team scored I’d drive the tee to halfway for the kickoff.
Tyla King, right, as a ball kid for the Warriors in 2010. Photo / Photosport
One strong memory was doing the Four Nations at Eden Park … fans were going off, chucking water bottles. Luckily I had a helmet on because I got hit a couple of times.
It was so much fun being a ball girl … free food, going to the games for free. They’ve got rid of the quad bikes now.
Your grandfather Dave Wong is renowned in old league circles … he must be chuffed at your Kiwi Ferns selection and win over Australia in Melbourne last year.
He was a number seven, and the first full-blooded Chinese man to play for Auckland. He could have made the Kiwis but broke his leg. He played alongside some of the greats, like Roger Bailey. I was one of those kids in the clubrooms selling raffles at Ponsonby and the New Lynn Stags.
He and the whole family have said how proud they are. My family always cheered me on, no matter what sport I played.
The Kiwi Ferns broke a seven-year drought against Australia in Melbourne last year …
It was awesome and Rick (coach Ricky Henry) did an incredible job, getting us all to buy in. We clicked quickly. I didn’t get to celebrate long. I was on a plane to Paris for the World Rugby awards, and ended up with the gong for sevens player of the year. So it was an overwhelming 48 hours for me, winning that game and picking up the award.
Tayla King celebrates winning the HSBC SVNS Singapore Sevens after defeating Australia 31-21. Photo / Photosport
You’ve just come back from a three-game absence due to concussion … any thoughts on this big issue in contact sports?
I’m actually doing a masters paper on it. Rugby does it pretty well. League is better than it was, but sometimes you still see someone with a head knock stay on the field whereas I feel they should instantly come off for an HIA. It’s getting better, and players have a better understanding that it could potentially harm them.
My current sports psychology paper is looking at anxiety around concussion, particularly for players with a history of it, which I have had.
You must be honest in your recovery, do all the correct steps in the return-to-play programme – then you can be pretty confident. I had no doubt last week, throwing myself in front of bigger bodies.
And there are some big bodies out there …
It is 100% more physical than rugby, no doubt.
The cold winds of professional sport blew through the Dragons recently when your coach Jamie Soward was told he would not be required next year.
We were all pretty shocked and he’s a passionate man who wears his heart on his sleeve so this situation is difficult for him. Players had signed extended deals because of him – the connection I felt with him is a big reason I signed with the Dragons. But sport is a business, and stuff like that happens.
He was a mercurial NRL half who played State of Origin – what was his best advice to you?
I owe a lot to him and (Dragons/Kiwi Ferns teammate) Raecene McGregor for helping me pick up league so quickly.
For any half, it’s about organisation, over communicating and not assuming players around you know what you want.
Then obviously, as a smaller player, getting your body in front for those tackles and never giving up. I had that kind of attitude – no matter what I’m doing, I jump in 110%. I don’t do things in halves.
Tell us about Raecene…
We’ve created a good halves pairing and also a good friendship off the field … we’re part of this little group that goes fishing as well.
It’s so funny – I’ve lost count of the people who get us confused on the footy field. Maybe it is our hair – I get called McGregor, and she gets called Nathan-Wong. It’s very funny – commentators, players, the ref, everyone mixes us up. It’s a crack-up.
Beating Australia was so awesome last year – we all wanted to see the joy on her face knowing she had been there all that time and never beaten them.
You and Tupuria King were wed in January – your sports globetrotting must have made for an unconventional start to the marriage.
We’ve had to live apart – nine months into the year I’ve only been home for about a third of that, and only had a week max with my husband in the past three months. I’m looking forward to getting home to Tauranga.
