Crystal Kaua

Crystal Kaua (born 1984 or 1985)[1] is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player.

Crystal Kaua
Date of birth1984 or 1985 (age 38–39)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward, lock
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2013 Waikato 12 (0)
2009 Auckland 7 (0)
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
Aotearoa Māori Sevens
Coaching career
Years Team
2013–2015 Hamilton Girls' High School 7s
2018–2022 Mie Pearls 7s
Mie Pearls XVs
2022 Chiefs Manawa (assistant coach)
2023– Chiefs Manawa (head coach)

Playing career

Kaua made the Black Ferns sevens and fifteens trial squads,[2][3] and also played for the Aotearoa Sevens Māori side.[4][5] She represented Auckland and Waikato in the Farah Palmer Cup.[5][6]

Coaching career

In 2011, Kaua and two of her New Zealand Māori Sevens teammates and Black Ferns, Victoria Grant and Teresa Te Tamaki, helped the University of Waikato Rugby Club make a comeback.[7]

Kaua and her husband, Brent, led Hamilton Girls' High School to three consecutive Condor Sevens national titles, and also world youth titles in Hawaii and Japan up to the end of 2015. They then moved to Japan in 2018 and coached there for about four years.[1][8] They coached the Mie Pearls sevens and fifteens teams in Yokkaichi.[1]

2022

Kaua was an assistant coach to Allan Bunting in Chiefs Manawa during their inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki season when they won their maiden title.[4][9] She was also the Black Ferns Sevens performance analyst and skills coach in 2022.[8][10] She was the technical advisor for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the 2022 Farah Palmer Cup.[11]

Kaua headed the Rawata team during the Black Ferns trial in July ahead of the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup.[12] In September, she was appointed as the new head coach of Chiefs Manawa for the 2023 season.[4][9][13]

References
  1. McFadden, Suzanne (14 February 2022). "Kaua's goal to become both epic coach and epic mum". Newsroom. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  2. "Black Ferns get down to business". Scrum Queens. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. "Black Ferns begin World Cup preparations". www.world.rugby. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  4. "Crystal Kaua named Head Coach of Waitomo Chiefs Manawa". Chiefs. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  5. Kirkness, Luke (26 October 2022). "'It's a starting point': First female Super Rugby coaches have big dreams". NZ Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  6. "Women's Sevens cast net far and wide for squad". www.aucklandrugby.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  7. "Varsity team help bring Waikato women's rugby back to the NPC". www.waikato.ac.nz. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  8. "Kaua, Grant to become first female Super Rugby head coaches". 1 News. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  9. "Super Rugby Aupiki returns for 2023 with two new coaches". NZ Sports Wire. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  10. "Kaua and Grant to become first female Super Rugby head coaches". RNZ. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. "Bay of Plenty Volcanix 2022 Farah Palmer Cup Squad announced". www.boprugby.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  12. "Black Ferns triallists named". Rugby Heartland. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. Powell, Alex (28 September 2022). "Super Rugby Aupiki: First female coaches appointed for expanded 2023 competition". Newshub. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
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