New Zealand rugby star Justine Lavea aims to get Hong Kong girls back in action after pandemic
- Justine Lavea, who won the World Cup with the New Zealand Black Ferns, says kids need sport to help them develop as people
- Hong Kong finds itself at a crossroads with sport and physical activity as it tries to move on from pandemic lockdowns while stuck with strict Covid-19 measures
Justine Lavea sees a lot of herself in the girls on the pitch at King’s Park in Ho Man Tin.
The former New Zealand Black Ferns player, who won the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, was helping coach a group of secondary school girls, most of whom come from non-Chinese, underprivileged backgrounds.
Lavea grew up in Onehunga, a suburb in south central Auckland, and said as a kid she didn’t have much either, and never dreamed that she would one day get to represent her country.
“I have a similar life story to these girls growing up in New Zealand. There was no money, you just went out and played,” said Lavea, who moved to Hong Kong in January and now plays for Valley Rugby Football Club. “There was a back field out by our house and you played with all the neighbourhood kids, and you just ran around. You had no shoes and whatever you were wearing, that’s what you played in.”
