Five of the New Zealand women’s sevens team, who won silver at the Rio Olympics, were in Dunedin yesterday on the final stop of a promotional tour in which they have visited seven cities in seven days.
Former local Kelly Brazier was joined by team-mates Sarah Goss, Ruby Tui, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Portia Woodman and about 200 teenage girls.
The event was held at Hancock Park and included an under-15 sevens tournament, a question-and-answer session and, of course, the chance to have a photograph taken with a silver medallist.
While the team was left bitterly disappointed when it lost the gold-medal match to Australia, no-one seemed to care what colour the medal was yesterday.
And for the fleet-footed Portia Woodman, who put a lot of blame on herself following the loss, the tour has been a kind of cathartic experience.
"I’ve been to Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin and each time the reaction of the girls has been priceless," she said.
"You just see how excited they are and how much they want to be where we are. I really want to tell them our story and tell them that there is a pathway for them to be professionals."
Women’s rugby is enjoying impressive growth.
In Otago, the number of registered female rugby players had increased from 1030 in 2014 to 1285 this year.
That mirrors what is happening nationally.
Last year there were 19,500 players and that is expected to have grown to 22,000 this year.
"It is all thanks to the Olympics," Woodman said.A former top netballer, she switched to sevens in 2012 to chase her Olympic dream.
"Whether we got a medal or not, it would have grown because people are seeing the game and noticing women’s rugby is the real deal and that girls can play rugby," she added.
"I can’t wait to see where it goes from here."
Woodman’s next assignment is in the 15-a-side code.
She will join Counties Manukau for its Farah Palmer Cup fixture against Wellington next weekend.
She hopes to make the Black Ferns squad for the end-of-year tour.
"But at the moment I’m in holiday mode so I’m trying to get in as much family time as I can and chill out."
Sevens team-mate Brazier will play for Otago in its match with Wellington in Porirua today.
The 26-year-old made her debut for the province as a 15-year-old but has not pulled on the blue-and-gold jersey since transferring to the Bay of Plenty in 2012 to further her ambitions in sevens.
"I’m excited to come back and play for Otago. It is where it all started," Brazier said.
"It just kind of worked out because I was down here for these promos, so I could attend team training here."
Otago v Wellington
Porirua Park, today, 12.30pm
Otago Spirit: Kelly Brazier, Georgina McCullough, Greer Muir, Michaela Baker, Renaye Flockton, Olivia Waldron, Megan Manson, Rachel Ovens, Georgia Mason, Angie Sisifa, Julia Gorinski, Annemieke van Vliet, Gemma Tuhega, Tegan Hollows, Kirsten Shalosky. Reserves: Paige Church, Eilis Doyle, Jess Kendall, Maddi Finch, Zoe Whatarau, Hannah Stolba, Kiana Wereta.
Wellington Pride: Georgia Daals, Vaine Marsters, Bernadette Robertson, Fa’asua Makisi, Ayesha Leti-Iiga, Elizabeth Goulden, Acacia Te Iwimate, Jackie Patea, Gina Williamson, Saimoana Solia, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Sanita Levave, Brooke Tauaneai, Alice Soper, Muteremoana Aiatu. Reserves: Alicia Print, Angel Uila, Rosie Stirling, Caroline Sio, Maryanne Collins, Lekah Leti, Davina Lasini.