Iritana Hohaia
| Date of birth | 1 March 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | New Plymouth, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Iritana Hohaia (born 1 March 2000) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays halfback for Taranaki provincially and for Hurricanes Poua professionally.
Personal life
Hohaia was born in Ōpunake in Taranaki. She began playing club rugby at Coastal as a child and has also played representative Basketball.[1]
Rugby career
2018–20
Hohaia won a gold medal with the New Zealand Sevens team at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.[2] She was named Taranaki Whio's Player of the Year in 2019.[3] In 2020, she played for the Possibles against the Probables in a Black Ferns trial match[4][5] and then later appeared for the New Zealand Barbarians against the Black Ferns.[6][2]
2021–23
For 2021 she was selected for the Black Ferns squad for two test matches against England and France.[7][8] She was contracted by the Hurricanes Poua for their first-ever women's squad for the inaugural season of Super Rugby Aupiki.[9]
Hohaia received her first fulltime Black Ferns contract in 2023, she was one of three players whose names were finalised to join the contracted group.[10] She was selected in the Black Ferns 30-player squad to compete in the Pacific Four Series and O’Reilly Cup.[11][12] She made her international debut against Australia on 29 June 2023 at Brisbane.[13][14] She then featured in her sides 21–52 victory over Canada at the Pacific Four Series in Ottawa.[15][16]
References
- ^ "Iritana Hohaia". New Zealand Olympic Team. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b Perry, James (9 October 2021). "From Youth Olympics to Black Ferns, another dream come true for Hohaia". Māori Television. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Brown and Hohaia claim top prize at Rugby Awards". www.trfu.co.nz. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Possibles v Probables named for Black Ferns trial match". allblacks.com. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Bay of Plenty women named in Possibles v Probables". NZ Herald. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Powell, Jennie (12 November 2020). "Teams named for Black Ferns v NZ Barbarians". 4 The Love Of Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Johnston, Will (6 September 2021). "Iritana Hohaia selected in Black Ferns for upcoming tour". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Taranaki's Iritana Hohaia selected in Black Ferns for upcoming tour". NZ Herald. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Hurricanes Women's Squad Named in Historic Announcement". Hurricanes. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Final three contracted Black Ferns players confirmed for 2023". allblacks.com. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "First Black Ferns squad of 2023 named". allblacks.com. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "Nine rookies named in first Black Ferns squad of 2023". NZ Herald. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "PREVIEW: Black Ferns v Wallaroos (Brisbane)". allblacks.com. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ Burnes, Campbell (30 June 2023). "Black Ferns run rampant in Redcliffe". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ "Black Ferns fly past Canada in front of record crowd in Ottawa". Americas Rugby News. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ Burnes, Campbell (9 July 2023). "Black Ferns secure WXV1 qualification with Ottawa victory". allblacks.com. Retrieved 9 July 2023.