My Account
Three knee reconstructions and limited playing opportunities as a child have failed to stop former Mahurangi College student Ruahei Demant joining the Black Ferns.
The 23-year-old made her test debut at first-five eighth in Sydney on August 18, when the Ferns beat Australia 33-11.
The following weekend, she started at Eden Park, gaining a repeat win over the Wallaroos, 45-17.
“The whole thing has been a huge surprise, from getting selected earlier this year to starting in my first game with the team,” Demant says.
“After all my injuries, I didn’t think I would make international level and planned to play club rugby. It’s been amazing to get this far.”
Demant grew up in rural Bay of Plenty and didn’t have access to sporting facilities.
“We moved to Warkworth when I was 12. I became involved with every sport I could after that, including touch rugby, netball and soccer.”
She was heavily involved with the successful Mahurangi College senior girls touch team, but missed out on her final touch tournament when she got her first taste of injury problems.
“In my final year at high school I was selected for the Auckland Storm rugby team, but injured my ACL early in the season, which forced me to miss a lot of rugby.”
Demant has damaged her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) three times now, at the ages of 18, 19 and 20.
“Injuries are always going to happen in rugby, but I’ve faced a lot for my age, which certainly created a mental challenge for me.
“That’s why I just try and enjoy every game I play. You never know when it could be your last.”
She certainly enjoyed her first two international matches, which were played prior to the All Blacks games as part of double-header events.
“By the end of my second match Eden Park was almost full, so the atmosphere was fantastic.
“You don’t notice the crowd when you’re focused on the game, but when play stops you realise what’s going on around you.
“I was chosen for my ability and had the trust of my team mates, so I didn’t feel under pressure out on the field.”
Demant is also pleased with the direction of women’s rugby on the whole.
“Rugby wasn’t a popular sport in the past for girls, but winning the World Cup last year has created a lot of interest in the Black Ferns.
“We owe a lot to the players that went before us for the increased opportunity women have in the game now.”
Her own ambitions in the sport include making the team for the Northern Tour in November and the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad.
She also continues to play for the Auckland Storm and College Rifles club.
Outside of rugby, she works full-time at an immigration consultancy firm. She does part-time law and commerce studies at the University of Auckland.
