Who is Kendra Cocksedge: Ten things you should know about the New Zealand scrum-half

A former World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, Kendra Cocksedge is a central figure in the Black Ferns set-up.

Ten things you should know about Kendra Cocksedge

1. Kendra Cocksedge was born on 1 July 1988 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Her earliest sporting memory is running around the rugby field in bare feet on ice-cold mornings.

2. She went to Lincoln University on a cricket scholarship, such was her sporting prowess, but when it came to making a decision between the two sports, rugby won out.

3. Her prominence in rugby began in Taranaki and Hurricanes Schools in 2006 before her provincial debut for Canterbury in 2007 led to her Black Ferns debut the same year against Australia. Cocksedge is Black Fern #142.

4. Cocksedge is a scrum-half and has played in the 2010, 2014 and 2017 Rugby World Cups – winning two of them. She was also a Rugby World Cup Sevens champion in 2013.

5. She plays for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup, with whom she won a fourth straight title in 2020. She is their record try- and point-scorer, racking up over 1,000 points.

In 2022, she will be part of the new Matatū team – the South Island team that will compete in Super Rugby Aupiki.

6. She works as a Women’s Rugby Development Manager at NZ Rugby, looking after the Crusaders region.

7. For New Zealand’s 2021 tour to England and France, Cocksedge was named as one of two vice-captains. At that stage, only Fiao’o Fa’aumausili had won more caps for the Black Ferns than the No 9.

8. She was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2021 New Year Honours.

9. As a pre-match meal, you’re likely to find her cooking up some poached eggs on toast.

10. In 2015 Kendra was named World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.

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