Let’s face it, many of us have an endless fascination with our sporting heroes. They perform amazing feats on the field, but what about their home lives? The All Blacks have incredibly demanding schedules and they rely on support from home while they’re endlessly away on tour.
It can’t be easy, though, juggling things back home while your other half is out putting his body on the line week after week. It takes a pretty special woman to be able to handle that. So here’s everything you need to know about the women behind our mighty All Blacks.
Beauden Barrett and Hannah Laity are undoubtedly New Zealand rugby’s power couple. Together since 2014, Beauden popped the question to Hannah in Fiji earlier this year and she didn’t hesitate before saying yes. She described it as “the best day of my life so far. Thank you for making me so happy, I feel like the luckiest girl alive” she gushed.
They celebrated in style a few months later, inviting their nearest and dearest to a lavish engagement party on Wellington’s waterfront.
While they haven’t yet confirmed a wedding date, we’re picking it could be in the off season this summer after the All Blacks wrap up their end of year tour.
The pair live in Wellington where Beauden plays for the Hurricanes, and are the proud parents to two fur babies – miniature schnauzers Blue and Monty.
Alana Williams (formerly Raffie) is the wife of Sonny Bill Williams. They tied the knot in 2014 and managed to keep their relationship a secret until after the wedding – quite a feat in this social media age. Alana was a 20-year-old aspiring model when she and Sonny Bill married. After the wedding she left her home town of Sydney behind and moved to Auckland were Sonny Bill had accepted a contract to play with the Blues.
Sonny and Alana are the proud parents to two daughters, Imaan, 3, and Aisha, 1, and a new baby son Zaid who was born in June 2018. Sonny surprised his fans by announcing the birth in a social media post, never having publicly announced they were expecting a third child.
Sonny has spoken in the past of the awe and respect he has for Alana as a mother. “When people have the audacity to say being a stay at home mum isn’t a job, they need to have a look at themselves,” he told the Daily Telegraph in 2016. “When I’m home, even for half the day, I’m buggered. It’s a 24/7 job.”
Alana launched children’s equipment hire company Slumber Bumba back in 2017. It sells sleepover hire packages in Auckland and Sydney to “help busy parents and create great memories for kids.”
Hanna Tevita and Nehe Milner-Skudder are one of the All Blacks cutest couples. They regularly post images of their loved-up adventures to Instagram and are proud parents to two dogs – Olive and Wiremu. Hannah is an actress best known for her role in Terry Teo. She is also completing Bachelor of Laws degree at Victoria University Wellington and is the co-president of Pasifika Law Student Society.
Vice-captain Ben Smith has been married to his sweetheart Katie Menzies since January 2015. They had been together for 13 years when they got married, and Katie was 7 months pregnant with their first child.
“It was really nice to not be on my own walking down the aisle,” Katie told the Australian Women’s Weekly on their wedding day. “I could feel bubs kicking away, trying to be a part of the action already.”
Ben agreed. “When I saw her, I thought, ‘How cool is life? It’s my wife and child together on our wedding day.’ It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Katie gave birth to their daughter Annabelle a few months later and then in March 2017 their son Walter arrived.
Katie is a triathlete and a community and schools adviser at Sport Otago.
Greer Samuel is the longtime partner of halfback TJ Perenara. The pair have been together for 8 years and TJ popped the question to his love in June.
Greer is an aspiring singer is in her final year of studying for a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree.
Bridget Read has been married to All Black captain Keiran Read for nine years.
The couple first met when they were at high school in South Auckland in 2002. Bridget was in seventh form, while Kieran was a sixth form.
Bridget says that it was Kieran’s impressive afro that first drew her attention, as well as his “op-shop chic” fashion style. “We have grown and experienced all of the things you do in your adult life together,” Bridget told Woman’s Day. “But we’re definitely not afraid to bring each other back down to earth – more so for Kieran. Head in the clouds, you know, being an All Black,” she teases.
Kieran agrees. “We do have a great relationship. We don’t take each other too seriously. And yeah, she certainly keeps me grounded!”
They have three adorable children together, Elle (6), Eden (5), and Reuben who is 18 months.
Codie Taylor enjoys the loving support of his partner, 28-year-old Lucy Ryan. They have an adorable daughter together, Ayla-May. Codie has praised Lucy for her “unconditional support” and has described her as an “amazing mother.”
Teagan Voykovich is the partner of controversial All Black Aaron Smith. The pair found their relationship under the spotlight in 2017 when Smith was caught in a tryst with another woman in the disabled toilets at Christchurch airport before the All Blacks departed for a flight to Argentina.
Despite the media storm, the pair have emerged from the incident united. Voykovich regularly posts loving images to social media, describing Smith as her “soulmate” and “best friend.” They recently bought a gym franchise together – Functional 45 Training – in Dunedin.
Isabella Stone is the woman happily supporting Anton Lienert-Brown. Isabella is the daughter of Real Housewives of Auckland star Angela Stone.
The pair have been dating for 18 months and Isabella joined Anton on the All Blacks end of year tour to Europe.
Saskia Hartmann-Hechenberger is the longtime partner of Ardie Savea. They had been dating since Saskia was 15 and Ardie was 16. The lovebirds became engaged in December 2017 only days after welcoming their first child, Kobe Edith Savea.
Ardie had bought a stunning pear shaped diamond in South Africa and dropped to one knee while the couple were at home with Kobe and their pet husky dogs.
Ardie and Saskia have set up a clothing line together – Ardie Savea Clothing. Saskia, who has a background in business, manages the brand while Ardie designs the clothing.
Ardie is glowing in praise of his fiancee, acknowledging how she has been there for him during his rise to sporting superstardom.
“She understood my sporting commitments and was really supportive, and that’s what attracted me to her because a lot of people wouldn’t understand,” he told Woman’s Day. “She supported me hard-out and that was a big tick. I don’t know where I’d be if she hadn’t been there.”
Ryan Crotty is dating 21-year-old Teri Stevenson.
Teri is studying animal management and care at the Ara Institute of Canterbury. The pair have been together since 2015.
