This year she was part of the establishment.
In just three years of serious rugby Hohepa has developed into one of the best wingers in women's international rugby.
She added three more tries in the Black Ferns two-test series win against Australia at Canberra this month.
In just four tests for the Black Ferns Hohepa has scored eight tries Hohepa (23), a third-year College of Education student in Dunedin, has blistering speed and is difficult to stop when in full flight.
She scored two tries in the 37-3 win by the Black Ferns in the first test and the decisive try in the 22-16 second-test win.
Her best was in the second test when she ran in a long-range, first-half try from 40m to give the initiative to the Black Ferns.
"My next goal is to represent New Zealand at the World Cup Sevens in Dubai next March," Hohepa said yesterday.
"I suffered from concussion and missed this year's tournament in Samoa."
Her long-term goal is to help the Black Ferns retain the women's World Cup in England in 2010.
Last year, Hohepa was a member of the New Zealand touch team that finished runner-up to Australia at the World Cup in South Africa. She sat one of her university exams before she left for the 10-day trip to Australia, but had to start her teaching section a week late.
She started her practical teaching experience at the Brockville Primary School on Monday. Hohepa, who comes from Te Awamutu, made her mark for Otago in the NPC last year when she scored 10 tries and gained a reputation as a try-scorer.
Hohepa was marked closely in this year's NPC but still managed to score eight tries - a remarkable effort given she was a "marked man" and received few scoring opportunities in a struggling Otago team. She received a Prime Minister's scholarship this year which has made it easier to combine top-level sport with her university study.
Hohepa was a student a the Sports Institute of Otago when she first came to Dunedin five years ago.
She was a talented athlete as a child in sprints and the triple jump and represented New Zealand as a 12-year-old.
Her best 100m time was 12.2sec. She played for the New Zealand secondary schools netball team and was in the Otago Rebels Development team three years ago.
Hohepa comes from a rugby family.
Her father, Selwyn, and her mother, Debbie, played NPC rugby for Waikato.
Her sister, Chyna, (18) has played rugby for the Waikato secondary schools team and the New Zealand under-21 touch team.
