Rochelle Martin

It’s fair to say that I know Roach pretty well and have been fortunate to have witnessed two of her three RWC wins up close. I also got to see what went on away from the field, especially when injuries seem to find her every few years. My memory of one of her injuries isn’t so good. Roach split her eyebrow open in her first game back post knee surgery and I had the joy of taking her to hospital. Watching her eye move above her eyebrow all proved a tad too much for me and when Roach had to be moved to another hospital for plastic surgery - they had to put both of us in the ambulance!! But her desire time after time to go through her rehab and get back to not just being on the field, but being a fantastic international player is a testament to her love of the game.

One of the real unsung heroines of NZ and International rugby - the fact that she was co-captain with Dr Farah Palmer and in the same team as Anna Richards definitely resulted in there being less limelight. Not that it ever bothered Roach and she has continued pushing boundaries off the field - becoming NZ’s highest ranking female firefighter and a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

One of the true professionals before professionalism, in the book we look at her experiences in the Black Ferns and what shaped her to be such an outstanding player.