Britain's King Charles III poses for a photograph with members of New Zealand's Black Ferns rugby team at Buckingham Palace, 2024. Photo: AFP
Asking the King for a hug might be not be everyone's first move when meeting royalty, but for Black Ferns wing Ayesha Leti-I'iga, it's completely normal.
The World Cup winner is back in the Black Ferns side for the first time since a standout performance in the World Cup final at Eden Park in November 2022.
She has recovered from a serious knee injury that kept her sidelined last year and has been named to start against England in Sunday morning's one-off test at Twickenham.
Britain's King Charles III reacts as he is hugged by members of New Zealand's Black Ferns rugby team at Buckingham Palace, 2024. Photo: AFP
On Wednesday she found herself going "viral" after asking King Charles for a hug the team toured Buckingham Palace.
"A hug? Why not?" Charles said.
A group hug followed with other members of the Black Ferns joining in and embracing the monarch. A visibly amused Charles said: "I've been battered by a scrum" and later paid tribute to the team.
When asked about her unusual request, Leti-I'iga said it was the natural thing to do.
"Anyone that knows me actually knows that that's me normally. I think that's just kiwi behaviour, we say hi with hugs not handshakes though. So it was pretty normal for me but not for the king," Leti-I'iga told RNZ.
"If anything I felt like he needed the hug more than me! I actually didn't see his reaction until I saw the footage and it was wholesome, it was a great hug."
Leti-I'iga is used to being a star on the field, but her encounter with King Charles made her famous on social media. She said she never expected the moment to go viral.
"I didn't expect it to blow up on social media like it did. It even got back to my Nana and she doesn't have social media, but she listens to Samoa Radio and they announced it on Samoa Radio as well, haha. That's when I realised how big it became."
Ayesha Leti-I’iga of New Zealand scores a try during Pacific Four round three women's rugby match between New Zealand and USA at Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei, New Zealand on Saturday June 18, 2022. Copyright photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz Photo: Aaron Gillions
Touching a member of the royal family when they have not initiated contact is considered a breach of royal protocol and while Leti-I'iga did ask permission for a hug, she wasn't initially aware of the rules.
"At the time I didn't know you're not actually allowed to hug the King, so now I know why it's such a big thing," Leti-I'iga joked.
"I have a soft spot for old people, I'm not saying he's old, but that did play on my mind at the time."
Leti-I'iga believes the group hug with the monarch will give the Black Ferns good luck on Sunday morning against World No.1 England at Twickenham.
"Oh definitely. He said he was rooting for us (Black Ferns), both of us (NZ and England) but I know he was meaning me, so yeah."
Leti-I'iga is joined in the back three for Sunday's match by fellow wing Katelyn Vahaakolo and fullback Renee Holmes, with Ruby Tui on the bench.
Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) and Prince Charles. Photo: AFP
Holmes said the visit to Buckingham Palace and meeting the King was something she would never forget.
"It was actually really surreal. Back home before we left there was talk of we might meet the King but I didn't actually think that was going to happen. I guess you don't actually dream of something like that happening because you're not in that kind of space. So for us to turn up yesterday and for us to ride the bus in through the gates, it was just incredible and a lot of the expressions on the girls faces was very in awe. It was an incredible experience."
Midfielder Logo-i-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai'i (Sylvia) Brunt echoed those sentiments.
"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity which was pretty cool and he was so nice to speak with and allow us to give him a hug. I wouldn't say we planned it out, we joked about it for a bit but we didn't think Ayesha was actually going to ask and that he'd say yes and it was really surprising that he did, but it was really cool," Brunt said.
