Black Fern changes sides to join former charges

The start of May has been a busy one for Amy Rule, with the tighthead prop selected in the Black Ferns squad for their upcoming test series and making her return to club rugby over the weekend.

However, the return to club rugby was a special one for Rule, who linked up with the Prebbleton Royals for their match against Lincoln University.  

Back in 2020, Rule joined the Prebbleton club as a coach, helping out with the U17 Girls’ side, many of whom made up the side she played with on Saturday. On loan from the same Lincoln University side she found herself up against, Rule said it was a cool opportunity to play with and against friends.  

“We had been released to play club and with our first game back being against the Prebbleton girls I used to coach, it presented itself as a really cool opportunity to go over and help out for the week, and give back too.” said Rule. “It was so cool to see how far the girls had come since I was last involved, and it was really awesome to be welcomed back with open arms. The game was also a really fun opportunity to go up against my Lincoln teammates, so there was a bit of banter on the field during the game” 

It’s an exciting time for Rule, with the Black Ferns selection helping to building towards a big year for the 21-year-old prop. 

“It’s been a very exciting year so far. Obviously, there’s been a lot of change so far this year but being named in the squad presents an awesome opportunity to learn and prepare for the Pacific Four Series in June.” Rule said.  

“Being a professional this year means I can give 100% effort all of the time, so it’s going to be a great year for me and push myself going forward.”