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Kelly Brazier
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Kelly Brazier (born 28 October 1989) is a New Zealand rugby union and sevens player. She has played flyhalf, centre and fullback for the Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's national rugby team, and has competed at three Rugby World Cups in 2010, 2014, and 2017. She has represented Otago, Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Key Information
Brazier has also represented the Black Ferns sevens team in the Olympic Games, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Women's Sevens Series, and the Commonwealth Games. She has won gold medals in every major sevens tournaments. Brazier was the first player, of either sex, to have won two sevens World Cups and two fifteen=a-side World Cups.
Early career
[edit]Brazier was born in Dunedin to an English father and an Irish mother who came to New Zealand with their first child Tony. Her sport career started at five when her two-years-older brother took her to a rugby field, and was split between touch in summer and rugby during winter.[citation needed]
Brazier was in New Zealand's U21 mixed touch team at 14 and in New Zealand secondary schoolgirls team at 15. She also began to play in Alhambra Union rugby in 2003 and Otago Spirit provincial selection in 2004.[2] She entered New Zealand rugby's record books on 2 May 2009, when she scored 64 points – ten tries and seven conversions – for her club in the Otago Metropolitan Women's Premier match against Kaikorai at the University Oval in Dunedin.[3]
Rugby career
[edit]2009–10
[edit]Brazier made her international debut against England on 14 November 2009 at Pillar Data Arena, in Esher, when Black Ferns won 16–3.[4] In the second test match played at Twickenham in front of a record crowd of 12500 people Black Ferns was defeated 10–3.[5]
Brazier was among the nominees for the 2009 Steinlager Rugby Awards for NZRU Women's Player of the Year with Carla Hohepa and Victoria Heighway, who won.[6][7] She was also named the Otago Institute of Sport and Adventure's top sportsperson in 2009 and 2010.[8]
Brazier took part in the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, playing a key role in the Black Ferns' success in the final against England and becoming the leading point scorer with 4 tries, 11 conversions and 2 penalties.[9][10] She scored her first try during the match against South Africa thanks to a fine pass by Anna Richards.[11]
2011
[edit]After going to coach and play for Clan Rugby in Edmonton, Canada for four months, Brazier went back to New Zealand for the start of Women's NPC with Canterbury. In spite of a good debut with her new team – two tries in a 60–0 win over Hawke's Bay Tuis[12] – and some other victories against Manawatu Cyclones and her former team Otago Spirit, Canterbury failed to reach the final.[13]
In October 2011, she was called by New Zealand head coach Grant Hansen to play three tests against England, a tour which concluded with two losses and a draw for Black Ferns and only 5 points for her (a conversion and a penalty).
2017–19
[edit]Brazier was named in the squad for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup.[14][15] At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Brazier was scored the winning try in the grand final against Australia, running 80 metres and securing gold for New Zealand. In 2019, she was part of the winning team of the Women's Super Rugby Series.[16]
2022
[edit]Brazier was named in the Black Ferns Sevens squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[17][18] She won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.[19][20] She later won a silver medal in her third Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[21][22][23]
2022-23
[edit]Brazier played for New Zealand in the 2022–23 Women's Sevens Series.
2023-24
[edit]Returning to the New Zealand team for the 2023–24 season Brazier scored her one hundredth try in the team's quarter-final win over Brazil in the Dubai tournament on 2–3 December 2023.[24]
An severe ongoing Achilles injury in 2024 meant that she was unavailable for selection for the New Zealand sevens team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
2024–25
[edit]Brazier was selected for the New Zealand team to play in the first two tournaments of the 2024-2025 Sevens season.[25]
At the second tournament of the season held in Cape Town on 7–8 December 2024 she celebrated playing in her 50th tournament of the Sevens series.[26]
In July 2025, she was named in the Black Ferns squad to the Women's Rugby World Cup.[27][28] Her appearance in England meant that she became only the second woman to play in four World Cups.
Retirement
[edit]In February 2026, after 18 years of playing for New Zealand Brazier announced her retirement from playing rugby.[29]
Coaching
[edit]Brazier had long expressed a desire to transition to coaching.
In 2023 Brazier was granted a eight-week sabbatical so that after the 2022-23 World Sevens Series finale in Toulouse, she could be an assistant coach with the Brave Louve Club in Japan between May and July for the Taiyo Seimei Women's Sevens competition.[30][31][32] Her role as ‘spot coach’ included working on the game plan and player skills.[32] Her family accompanied her to Japan.
In 2025 she was an assistant coach at the Global Youth Sevens and later with the New Zealand Development Sevens team. [29]
Concurrent with her retirement in 2026 from playing rugby she joined the technical staff of the Chiefs Manawa as assistant coach for the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki competition.[29]
Personal life
[edit]Brazier is openly lesbian and her wife Tahlia gave birth to their first child, a son in 2020.[33][34] The couple subsequently had a second son.
References
[edit]- ^ "Kelly Brazier". SVNS. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Mouat, Marion (24 August 2011). "Kelly Brazier, a remarkable rugby talent". Aoraki Polytechnic Newsline. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ McMurran, Alistair (5 May 2009). "Dunedin teen bags NZ scoring record". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
- ^ "Black Ferns team named for first test against England". 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
- ^ "England's women boost confidence with NZ win". 22 November 2009. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "Remaining nominees for 2009 Steinlager Rugby Awards". 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "2009 Steinlager Rugby Awards winners announced". 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "Brazier again wins institute award". Otago Daily Times. 23 October 2010. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "New Zealand crowned world champions". 5 September 2010. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Final statistics". 6 September 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Pool A: Australia and New Zealand enjoy wins". 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "Dream start for Canty". The Timaru Herald. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "Women storm into provincial rugby final". The Dominion Post. 29 August 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "Black Ferns squad for 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup named". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Black Ferns World Cup squad named". Radio New Zealand. 5 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Black Ferns skipper Les Elder returns for Super Series decider against England". Stuff. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Commonwealth Games". All Blacks. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Experienced New Zealand sevens squads revealed for Commonwealth Games". Stuff. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ McConnell, Lynn (1 August 2022). "Double bronze for New Zealand Sevens sides in Birmingham". All Blacks. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "NZ Sevens sides bounce back to win bronze medals". 1 News. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ Julian, Adam (12 September 2022). "New Zealand sides scoop silver in Cape Town". All Blacks. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "NZ Sevens come up short, losing World Cup finals in Cape Town". 1 News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Sam (11 September 2022). "Recap: New Zealand's men and women beaten in Rugby World Cup Sevens finals in Cape Town". Stuff. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Kelly Brazier scores 100th career try as Black Ferns Sevens progress to semifinals in Dubai". Stuff. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ Kermeen, Mat (18 November 2024). "Black Ferns star Katelyn Vahaakolo to make Sevens debut". Stuff. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Julian, Adam (9 December 2024). "Black Ferns Sevens reign supreme in Cape Town". All Blacks. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Black Ferns name 33-strong squad for Rugby World Cup in England". All Blacks. 25 July 2025. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Morton, Finn (25 July 2025). "Ruby Tui misses out as Black Ferns name squad for Rugby World Cup". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "'Incredibly proud': Black Ferns veteran Kelly Brazier announces retirement after 18-year career". Stuff. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "Black Ferns Sevens playmaker Kelly Brazier granted coaching sabbatical". Stuff. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "Kelly Brazier to embrace coaching opportunity". All Blacks. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ a b McFadden, Suzanne (26 April 2023). "Black Ferns Sevens star to coach in Japan". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "'It's what gets me out of bed every day' - Black Fern Kelly Brazier embracing huge 2020". 1 NEWS. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Tiny fan gives Kelly Brazier new zest for rugby". Stuff. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
External links
[edit]- Black Ferns profile
- Kelly Brazier at the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (archived)
- Kelly Brazier at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
- Kelly Brazier at Olympics.com
- Kelly Brazier at Olympedia
