Their men might be the stars on the field, but for today at least, it’s all about Blues WAGs Danielle Grace, Amanda McClatchie and Emma Tu’ungafasi.
To celebrate Ladies Day at the Auckland Blues this Friday, we’ve gathered together three of the wives and girlfriends of some of the Super Rugby club’s brightest stars for an afternoon of pampering and gossip. And at our exclusive photo shoot, the girls waste no time in spilling the dirt on dressing up, life as a WAG and, of course, their men.
“We’re all awesome friends,” says Amanda, 32, a freelance journalist and PR consultant who has been with first-five Piers Francis, 26, for two years.
“I came to New Zealand with Piers this year. He’s English and I’m Scottish, so I knew no-one here. It was really nice to meet the girls and we’ve since become really good friends.”
Danielle, 22, whose partner is Maori All Blacks star Ihaia West, 24, agrees, adding that the group’s regular conversations on WhatsApp mean no-one is ever lonely when the boys are on the road.
“We all meet up and hang out when they’re away,” the accounts assistant nods.
Despite the separations and demands of being with men who are professional athletes, all three women remain very dedicated to their boys. Emma Tu’ungafasi, 24, who is married to new All Black Ofa, says the sacrifices are worth it – and that Ofa is “the best thing that ever happened to me”.
“Well, he told me to say that, but he definitely is!” she laughs. “We met in high school and he had a crush on me. We’ve been together for seven years and we have two girls, Elice and Dorothy, who are five and three. We love them so much and they adore their dad.
“I didn’t know Ofa played rugby when I met him and when I first saw him on the field, I was a bit scared! But he’s a gentle giant. I’m very, very blessed to have him.”
Fate played a part in getting Piers and Amanda together too – she was due to go on her first Tinder date in Edinburgh the same night she met Piers.
“Thankfully, I didn’t go!” she smiles. “We met at a drinks thing I got dragged along to. I thought, ‘Free wine, why not?’ We started talking and that was it, really. And now I’m here!”
Danielle and Ihaia met via social media, despite already having mutual friends in Wellington. She giggles, “He came across me on Instagram. Oh, this is embarrassing! We’ve been together two-and-a-half years now.”
And this week, when both the Blues awards dinner and Ladies Day take place, these smart, gorgeous women are planning on thoroughly enjoying the glitz and glamour on offer – a huge change from their day-to-day lives. Laughs Amanda, “It’s all a bit exciting and fancy, isn’t it?”
See more photos of rugby stars and their gorgeous girls here
Looking dapper, boys! Ihaia West, Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Piers Francis strike a pose.
The close-knit trio share a laugh at our shoot.
From L-R: Ofa and his wife Emma, Danielle Grace and Ihaia, Amanda McClatchie and Piers.
“We’re all awesome friends,” says Amanda, 32, a freelance journalist and PR consultant who has been with first-five Piers Francis, 26, for two years.
“We all meet up and hang out when they’re away,” accounts assistant Danielle says of the group.
Watch the boys chat with our A-List Insider Dominic Bowden in the next video! Gallery continues after the video.
Dom Bowden interviews rugby stars from The Blues
The boys try their best ‘Blue Steel’ for the cameras.
The ladies look gorgeous in their gowns as they cuddle up to their Blues boys!
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