Photography: Maree Wilkinson
Black Ferns superstar Stacey Waaka’s life has changed dramatically in the past two years. When Woman’s Day last caught up with her, the World Cup-winning winger was single, flatting with fellow rugby player Tenika Willison and unsure of where she wanted her sporting career to take her.
Was it time to hang up her boots? And when would she fulfil her dream of becoming a mum?
“I asked and, man, did I get what I wished for!” laughs Stacey, 30.
“There’s been a lot of changes.”
A ready-made family
After falling in love with her partner Rob Tai, she’s become a stepmum to two gorgeous girls, moved to a farm, acquired 15 animals and embarked on a new career.
As she prepares to make her debut for the New Zealand Warriors women’s league side in July, Stacey is relishing life with Rob and his girls Jhzara, 13, and Nhila, eight.
Stepmum life
“My stepdaughters keep me on my toes and they’re so awesome,” she smiles.
“I always wanted girls one day and now I have two – it’s cool! They’ve already been taught amazing values and they’re beautiful children, who are very blessed and talented. “They’re a massive credit
to their mum who raised them to be independent and respectful. Now I have stepmum guilt when I leave for work and don’t see them again for ages!”
A love years in the making
Having known each other since high school, where they used to play touch rugby together, Stacey and Rob reconnected two years ago.
The smitten athlete calls him “the love of my life”.
A competitive match
She says, “We’re so similar. We’re both very competitive and he loves sport. We just kind of rekindled. It wasn’t planned and here we are.”
Unsurprisingly, sport is key in the Waaka-Tai household, with both Jhzara and Nhila taking up rugby, much to Stacey’s joy.
She beams, “They’d never played before – Nhila had her first season last year and Jhzara has only recently taken up the game. It wasn’t forced, I promise! But it’s cool to see them follow in our footsteps.”
Leading on and off the field
The maternal energy she brings to her role as a stepmum is also being channelled into her Black Ferns teams. She’s relishing being one of the more experienced players, ready to dole out advice and
support the young women coming through.
“This generation is so different,” she muses.
“They come straight out of school and haven’t really experienced much life. It’s different for these girls than it was for us, which is great. “It can be a challenge to teach them the differences between high-school sport and high-performance sport, but I love sharing my knowledge and my skills. It’s cool I can now do that within rugby, then do the same thing at home with my girls.”
A new code, a new challenge
However, while she might be one of our all-time rugby greats, with two Olympic gold medals and two Rugby World Cup trophies to her name, Stacey admits she has a lot to learn about league.
“Oh, man, I can’t wait,” she tells of pulling on her Warriors jersey for the first time after her 2024 seasons with the Brisbane Broncos.
“They’re such a special team. It also means I get to play at home, and have my friends and family come to the games.”
Her toughest comeback yet
Stacey’s season with the Broncos was cut short after a fractured leg bone, and she describes the lengthy and painful recovery process as her “roughest yet”.
She explains, “The rehab was so sore, but then I was able to come back and play a successful sevens season. But even after that, I was still unsure if I wanted to try out for the Rugby World Cup squad last year.”
Facing another World Cup decision
Stacey was “50/50” on whether she’d return to the 15-a-side game for another shot at a World Cup, revealing that if she was asked at the end of 2024, she probably would have said no. But after lots of pep talks from whānau and friends, she realised that turning down a shot at another World Cup would be crazy.
“Even though we didn’t win and we took home a bronze medal, it was one of the best times of my career,” she reveals.
“England turned it on. It was one of the biggest events I’d ever played in.”
Passing on passion
Stacey’s contract with New Zealand Rugby means she’s still able to juggle rugby with her burgeoning league career.
But her biggest priority? Teaching her girls to follow their passions.
“I’m trying to pass down that whatever they choose to do, they just need to love it,” she enthuses.
“Well, me and all of the rest of the aunties they now have in the Black Ferns team!”
