On a winter Friday night, 17-year-old Ashlee Forsyth can be found at Westport’s Craddock Park, helping her parents train her siblings’ under-9s rugby team.
The pint-sized players have a great role model in the talented teenager, who has been named in the Tasman Mako women’s side for this year’s Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) competition. You can count on teina Luke, Brooke, and Brayden, her mum and dad, possibly a few aunties, uncles and grandparents being at Trafalgar Square for the first home game on 22 July.
Making the Tasman Mako team has taken a huge amount of commitment and sacrifice from Forsyth and her whānau. Without a women’s club competition in Westport, she's had to travel long distances each week to train for Waimea and play in the Tasman women’s competition.
Part of her motivation to make a six-hour round trip two to three times per week was for a chance to make the Tasman Mako side.
When Mako coach Mel Bosman recently called to say she had made the squad for this year’s FPC, she was "over the moon".
"I ran into the lounge and started dancing and said to my family: ‘I’m a Mako now!’…Everyone was so happy for me."
It was her second exciting phone call in recent weeks. She has also been selected to be part of the New Zealand Māori Under-18 training camp, held in Rotorua from 9-12 July.
For Ashlee (Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa) the noho marae is an important part of her year, helping her grow as not only a player but strengthening her identity and connection to her culture. The programme gives rangatahi the opportunity to celebrate who they are, and what Māori give to the game, alongside some time-out from the status quo.
They hear pūrākau of the land they are on, they share their own stories with their team, and they spend a lot of time connecting.
"We all get to be in one space together. We get to laugh and talk," Forsyth says.
She's grateful for all the work by management staff and volunteers for the event, and always looks forward to seeing not only her peers but the drivers; the rangatira, Tiki Edwards, Kahu Carey, Tara Buckley and Aunty Riwa Keno, better known at camp as Aunty Riwa.
The camp has provided her with a pathway to some big opportunities, such as playing for the New Zealand Māori team in the World School Sevens last year.
Occasionally the early morning starts for the daily Hui Te Marama can be a bit rough, standing out in the damp grass, barefoot, before the sun is up. But this coming together before dawn, cements the collective purpose: to better themselves and tautoko each other.
Last year the camp went to Eden Park to watch the first of the 2022 women’s World Cup games, where New Zealand beat Australia 41-7.
"It was so cool… We got to watch the haka and it was just such a cool atmosphere."
She got to see some of her heroes, including Portia Woodman, Ruby Tui, Kendra Cocksedge, and Stacey Fluhler.
"I was like, that could be me one day, imagine that."
Photo: SHEREE CARGILL PHOTOGRAPHY
This year's camp marks Forsyth's third year of taking part in the programme; she's more prepared for what it brings and hopes to step into more leadership roles. Her aim is to drop what she describes as "negative self-talk" and "hesitancy on the field".
Not surprisingly, Forsyth is a shining star at Buller High School, where she’s the current record holder for the 100m, with a time of 12.49 seconds, and averages two to three tries per game for the school’s side.
She’s generous with her time despite her busy schedule, helping coach not only her siblings’ team, but also assisting with the Buller Rugby Union holiday camp programme, the school side, and volunteering for any local development initiatives.
The community’s support means a lot to her; she appreciates sponsors like local trainer Liv Armstrong, who designed and oversees a personalised strength and conditioning programme to help her reach her potential.
"Support like that is awesome," she says.
Rugby is a family affair; her dad played, her grandfather Wally too, and now her mum, Latoya, and two aunties – Misty and Kate – are playing alongside her for the Buller Women’s team.
"It’s really fun playing with them, it’s the funniest thing ever," she says.
"I’ll be holding up a hit shield going, 'come on then Mum, come at me'.”
