Amy du Plessis’ Rugby World Cup may have ended early due to a devastating shoulder injury, but what the Black Ferns legend didn’t know at the time was how quickly her heartbreak would turn into happily-ever-after.
When Woman’s Day chats to Amy and her longtime love Kaleb Talamahina at their home in Christchurch, she reflects on the tournament-defining moment in the opening game against Spain
in England, where she landed awkwardly on her shoulder in a tackle and knew something serious had happened.
“I’d never experienced pain like it before,” she recalls.
“It shot up my neck and I thought, ‘Oh, this doesn’t feel good.’ I tried my hardest to carry on, but was in too much pain.”
Early scans offered hope she’d return for the Black Ferns’ quarter-final clash against South Africa, a game that held special meaning for Amy, who spent her first seven years there before moving to New Zealand.
A match to remember
“I was named to play in the match and was so excited because I’m from South Africa and we don’t face them regularly,” she shares.
But there was another special reason Amy, 26, was keen to get into the quarter-final action – her partner of eight years Kaleb and dad William were on their way over to England from New Zealand for the game. What Amy didn’t know was there was something extra-special winging its way over in Kaleb’s carry-on luggage – a stunning oval diamond engagement ring. Amy’s shoulder seemed to be recovering, but in the final week before the match, the pain proved too much and she could feel her World Cup dreams slipping away.
Dreams cut short
“Kaleb and Dad arrived in the UK,” she remembers.
“It was great to have them with me when I was told the day before the quarter-final I was being ruled out for the rest of the tournament and would have to leave the team environment. “It was devastating. The team were amazing with how they rallied around to support me, but it was so hard watching their games from the stands.”
A proposal to remember
Kaleb, 26, admits it was heartbreaking to see Amy so upset but hoped his surprise might help to ease her pain.
“I was planning to propose while we were on holiday in Greece after the World Cup,” he tells.
“But when Amy left the team, coming to stay with me and William in our accommodation, I was worried she might find the ring. I thought I’d better do it a bit sooner!”
Designing the dream ring
Kaleb had spent three months designing the ring with Suzanne Carlson from Christchurch jewellers Austen & Blake, which involved a fair bit of sneaking around.
He grins, “It was easy when Amy was away leading up to the World Cup, but when she was home, I couldn’t email, call or text Suzanne, so I’d have to leave work and pop in to see her in person. “I was pretty adamant about the design and Suzanne was so helpful. She even prepped me for travelling with the ring and gave me good advice about carrying the ring around until it felt like the perfect time.”
Timing the perfect moment
After Amy’s World Cup setback, the couple headed to Bournemouth for the weekend, and Kaleb considered proposing on one of the city’s stunning beaches, but it didn’t feel right.
“Amy was still so sad and I didn’t want the engagement to be the reason she was happy,” he explains.
“It was better to give her time to work through her feelings a bit first.”
The following weekend, Amy and Kaleb went to Bath for the day, and the stars finally aligned. Over lunch, their waiters told them about Alexandra Park, a local landmark on a cliff with stunning views across the city.
The perfect spot for “yes”
“That’s got to be the place!” thought Kaleb, who was as excited as he was nervous to make it official.
When he got down on one knee with the ring box in his hand, he caught Amy completely off guard.
“It was a total surprise!” she laughs.
“I went blank and didn’t say anything at all to start with. Kaleb had to ask, ‘Are you going to say yes?’ He was so funny. Just before he proposed, he asked a random lady if she could take a photo of us standing at the lookout. I didn’t realise he’d pressed record, so he got the whole proposal on film.”
Amy can’t believe Kaleb was able to keep the surprise a total secret.
She explains, “We’ve been together eight years, so I’d wondered in the back of my mind whether he might propose after the World Cup, but there’d been no inklings at all during the year. He did so well to do everything by himself. I honestly had no idea, which made it even more special!”
Performing under pressure
Grinning as he recalls Amy’s initial reaction, Kaleb says, “Everyone talks about athletes performing under pressure, but she crumbled!”
After the romantic proposal, the newly engaged pair – who first met in their mid-teens when they were at Southland Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools, – headed back to Bristol, where the Black Ferns were due to play their semi-final against Canada.
Sharing the big news
Amy got an invite to the jersey presentation, but after all the engagement excitement, it just didn’t feel right to go. Instead, she and Kaleb went to the team hotel afterwards to share their news with Amy’s Black Ferns besties, including Alana and Chelsea Bremner, plus Georgia Ponsonby.
“They screamed!” laughs Amy.
“They couldn’t believe it and were so excited.”
A European escape to remember
After the World Cup, the couple travelled through Italy, Greece and France, later sharing some dreamy pictures from their European escape, including the proposal photos, which were captioned, “Signed a lifetime contract.” The post was flooded with comments and thousands of likes.
Amy smiles, “The response was overwhelming. We had so much love and support. Being engaged added something really special to our holiday. It was the trip of a lifetime.”
Planning their future together
Since arriving back in Christchurch late last month, the lovebirds are settling back into their regular routines, celebrating their engagement with friends and starting to think about wedding plans. Although they don’t have any firm dates yet, Wānaka is the likely location, reveals Amy.
“We love Wa¯naka and holiday there every summer,” she shares.
“Central Otago is special to both our families, who’ve holidayed at Glendhu Bay and Alexandra for years and years.”
Back in action
Amy’s shoulder is healing well and she’s due to return to the Black Ferns hub in Christchurch in preparation for the upcoming 2026 season. Meanwhile, busy builder Kaleb is back running his company KT Building.
While Amy admits her World Cup didn’t have the fairytale ending she’d hoped for, she says her injury and engagement have helped give her a fresh perspective.
“When I first got injured, I thought my life was over,” she confesses.
“But after Kaleb proposed, I felt so happy and remembered there is much more to life outside rugby. “It’s cool to have a wedding to plan and we’re both keen to start a family in the next few years. But I love rugby too. I’ll just keep living in the moment and enjoying all the exciting things coming up.”
