Photography: Jenna Renee.
For nearly 10 years, Chelsea Semple has been one of the most familiar faces in women’s rugby. But when Woman’s Day catches up with the Black Ferns and Chiefs Manawa favourite just after her 33rd birthday, it’s clear life has shifted into a new gear.
Five months ago, Chelsea (née Alley) and her husband James, 35, a high-performance rugby coach, welcomed their second child, a sweet baby boy named Rhodes. Their two-year-old daughter Cami has now embraced her new role as big sister with all of the determination her mum once brought to the rugby field.
“This time around feels different from my first,” says Chelsea, gently bouncing Rhodes.
“When I had Cami, I was back with the Chiefs after six weeks. I don’t know how I survived. I remember being exhausted, then stepping straight back into rugby.”
That comeback is part of her legacy. She trained through her pregnancy and travelled with baby Cami in tow, then joined the other rugby mums who were busy breastfeeding while playing professional sport.
Doing motherhood differently this time
“The environment was just amazing,” she recalls.
“You’d see babies at training, everything was funded and other mums were doing it too. Cami even came on the road with me. We’ve got the most beautiful photos from those days.”
This time, however, Chelsea has taken an entirely different approach.
“I’m taking maternity leave like a normal person!” she laughs.
“Life is busy with two kids, but I’m soaking it in because I now know how quickly it goes.”
When birth doesn’t go to plan
Though her pregnancy with Rhodes was smooth, the birth wasn’t quite the textbook breeze she was promised it would be.
“I definitely fell for that whole ‘it’s easier the second time’ thing,” she confesses.
“The latent phase dragged on for days and I didn’t sleep for three nights, but the active labour was quicker.”
Calmer, wiser, more confident
While Rhodes has been “a gorgeous but colicky little thing”, Chelsea says she’s far calmer this time around.
“With your first, you panic about everything,” she admits.
“Now I just think, ‘He’ll be fine.’ Going from one to two is actually easier in some ways because you know you’re capable of surviving the hard parts.”
Sharing the load
For James, however, the juggle has been more intense. His new dual role as skills coach for both the All Blacks and Black Ferns Sevens means long days at the Adams Centre in Mount Maunganui.
“It’s been harder on him,” Chelsea reveals.
“I’m tied up feeding a lot, so he’s had to take on more with Cami, all while doing huge hours at work. But we’re finding our rhythm.”
Life in a new town
Moving to Papamoa has proved a big shift. With most of Chelsea’s family and friends still in Hamilton, she’s had to navigate parenting mostly with James and the help of his mum, who lives close by. The result is plenty of “mum fails”, from wild kindy drop-offs to disasters on short walks.
But nothing was quite as much a fail as their pre-planned family photoshoot.
“We booked this 15-minute pop-up at the beach,” she tells.
“It was blowing a gale, Rhodes screamed nonstop, Cami announced she’d done a poo the second we arrived, plus me and James had a little tiff. Rhodes isn’t looking in a single photo. But weirdly, we still got some lovely pics!”
Yet amid the nappies and toddler chaos, the big question still remains – will Chelsea return to rugby?
A decision still to be made
“I haven’t officially said no, but I want to give myself the space to really think about it.”
She is, however, more certain about the state of the women’s game in Aotearoa.
“What England did with the Rugby Women’s World Cup was incredible,” she enthuses.
“There were huge crowds and the whole country got behind it. Here, we barely heard about the competition until the quarter-finals. After the amazing success of hosting the 2022 World Cup, it felt like we didn’t build on that momentum.”
Surging ahead
As well as the pay, which hasn’t changed since Chelsea was last playing professionally, she points out that visibility and long-term investment are severely lacking here.
“Kiwis love women’s rugby,” she says.
“We’ve proved that. But overseas, especially in England and the Six Nations, the growth is massive because they’re putting in resources.”
Since becoming a mum, Chelsea says her passion for the game has grown hugely.
Level playing fields for the next generation
“I want Cami and Rhodes to have the same opportunities, if they choose sport,” she muses.
“It’s already so much better than when I came up, but there’s still such a long way to go.”
Cami is already showing a willingness to follow in her mum’s footsteps.
Chelsea explains, “Cami wants to be outside kicking a ball all day. She’s so strong and coordinated. I’m biased, but other people notice it too!”
Living in the moment
For now, however, Chelsea’s focus is firmly on the season she’s in.
“I’m just trying to be present,” she says.
“Even with the sleepless nights and the chaos of all of it. Rugby will always be there, but I’ll only get these moments once.”
