Women's Rugby World Cup: Medical studies on hold for shot at World Cup

Theresa Fitzpatrick in action during training at Grammar Tec. Photo / Peter Meecham

Theresa Fitzpatrick's medical studies are on hold as she chases her rugby dreams.

The 22-year-old Auckland midfielder is in Ireland for the Women's Rugby World Cup as a strike option for the gun Black Ferns' backline, but she made the decision last year to put her studies on the backburner after three years while she made the most of her rugby opportunities.

"Auckland University were really understanding. They said I could play sevens and 15s and when my body packs in I can go back. They have held a spot for me. They didn't give me a time frame. I guess they said I can study when I'm older, but opportunities like this don't often come up," says Fitzpatrick.

She follows another Ponsonby clubman, former All Black Jeremy Stanley, who combined medical studies with a rugby career. It so happens that Fitzpatrick became the 100th full international out of the famous club when she came off the bench in June to make her debut against Canada in Wellington.

"That was cool, and caught me by surprise, so that made me a bit more nervous."

Her debut would have come in 2016, but she busted her shoulder in the Auckland Storm's Farah Palmer Cup semifinal against Canterbury. The result was the Portia Woodman centre experiment with the Black Ferns on their season-ending programme of five tests.

But Fitzpatrick won the call-up in 2017 after a season with the Black Ferns Sevens, for whom she played until the final tournament in June.

She started the Australia international in June at second five.

"Twelve is an exciting position. You get to touch the ball a bit more and you have more of a playmaker role, whereas 13 is more of a strike player. There's lots more talk at 12. You are the connection between the forwards and the backs, as the 10 is just trying to get the ball out."

It will be interesting to where Fitzpatrick is used, but that may depend on how much game time Kelly Brazier gets in the No 12 jersey. If that were to occur, you might see Fitzpatrick or Stacey Waaka suit up at centre.

Fitzpatrick is not counting her chickens in any way, shape or form.

"The whole team has agreed. It's a one-game at a time mentality. We all know, from the last World Cup, that you want to win every single game to have the best possible chance of getting into the finals.

"It's getting real now. We're doing all we can, and there's a really good vibe."

*The Black Ferns kick off their WRWC campaign against Pool A opponents Wales next Thursday at 1.45am (NZT).