Bringing a triple threat to the Redcliffe Junior Rugby Union Club (JRUC) in playing for the Redcliffe SeaSnakes, Ivy Vanderaa and her nieces Nevaeh-Rose Vanderaa and Kalani Vanderaa have banded together under the name K.I.N and set their sights on both literal and emblematic goalposts.
JRUC is located in Clontarf and focuses not just on rugby skills but on building confidence, teamwork, and respect – values which also underpin this particular group of family teammates.
According to Ellerose Vanderaa, mother to Nevaeh-Rose and Kalani and older sister to Ivy, the name K.I.N not only stands for the girls’ initials but also represents Whanau, meaning ‘family’ in Māori.
“With our strong bond as a family and also the bond we have established with our teams, we carry our Whakawhanaungatanga with us on and off the field,” Ellerose said.
Ellerose is an active part of the girls’ activities, naming herself one of their biggest supporters and also “the one behind all their footage, including on social media as well as everything in between”.
Empowering Young Women in Rugby
For the girls themselves, each player is in different age groups within the club, with Ivy in the under 14s, Nevaeh-Rose in the under 12s and Kalani in the under 8s.
“Each coach and team have been amazing – we absolutely love going to training and playing our games,” Ivy said.
For Kalani, her mission is clear as she “wants to make my whanau proud, and I love playing rugby”, while Nevaeh-Rose views the team’s motivation as striving to be “the best we can be physically and mentally”.
“We want to show people the passion and love we have for rugby in hopes other girls will not feel nervous about such a contact sport and hopefully make it to the ‘big lights’,” Nevaeh-Rose said.
Ivy said that K.I.N was currently saving up to buy custom headgear featuring a Māori Tā moko design “so we can wear our culture and heritage with pride on the pitch”.
The public can support the girls by following their Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts (search ‘Triple Threat K.I.N’) and emailing triplethreatkin@gmail.com.
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