Pride milestones in the era of Keira

• By Adam Julian

Keira Su’a-Smith celebrated her 21st birthday last Friday. On Saturday, the milestones kept rolling at Rugby League Park.

The fullback captained the Wellington Pride for the first time in their 34-24 win against North Harbour Hibiscus in the Dame Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) championship. She was the 22nd player to captain the Pride.

She scored two tries as the Pride rallied from 17-5 behind to back up their opening round 49-31 win over Otago at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Keira Su’a Smith celebrating one of her two tries on Saturday with teammates,  wing Fia Laikong and flanker Lourdes Faifua.

“North Harbour was a strong team. We knew that after their first-round win against Hawke’s Bay. In the first half we struggled to exit into the strong wind. I didn’t help with a yellow card. We didn’t capitalise on their mistakes,” Su’a-Smith said.

“The second half was more clinical. All I had to do for my tries was catch it and run.

“Valini Vaka is instrumental in this team. I’m gutted she got injured, which meant I had to step into a greater leadership role, but I’m lucky we have many leaders, so I just listen to the older girls and prod the younger ones. It’s a full circle thing.

“I try to lead through my actions and relate to different personalities by understanding everyone is a little different. I don’t want to overwhelm people.

“There’s no point yelling at Jackie Patea-Fereti. She fended me in the face in my club debut. That was my ‘hello, welcome to senior rugby moment’. What can I tell her she doesn’t already know?”

Former Black Fern Patea-Fereti is Wellington’s most-capped player with 92 appearances. Su’a-Smith has made 13 of a possible 14 appearances since her Pride debut in a 51-12 win against Tasman at Porirua on 10 August 2024.

Su’a Smith, playing for Wainuiomata, can’t prevent Petone’s Jackie Patea-Fereti from scoring the try when these two clubs met in club rugby at the end of June this year.

She scored two tries in a game for the first time against Otago in a 51-31 win in 2024. In 2025, she scored tries in five consecutive matches but was outdone by Harmony Kautai, who scored in six matches.

“Our goal last season was to get out of the championship, which we didn’t quite achieve,” Su’a-Smith said.

“The FPC is a short competition. You have to come out swinging, back your talent from the outset and be clear in your game plan.

“This year we’ve had a change of management with Matt Poutoa, Fred Fereti, Serena Curtis, and Amanda Rasch. Maybe the Otago game was blind faith with eight debutants, but there is a growing trust in our combos and a good culture.”

The Pride on the attack against North Harbour.

Merania Paraone, back from a stint at the ACT Brumbies, 17-year-old winger Anastasia Kerr, who scored two tries in the first-round win against Otago, and lock Jessica Jackson are among the new players to make a big impression. Arene Landon-Lane and Milly Mackey form an experienced nine-ten duo, the latter part of the Petone side that has won 21 consecutive matches in the Rebecca Liua’ana and Tia’ Passi trophies.

For the record, in 2025 Wellington was beaten 29-24 by Northland in a 2025 championship semi-final in Whangārei that Sua-Smith missed.

Still, her eye-catching form earned her selection for the Black Ferns XV tour of South Africa. She came off the bench in their 41-24 defeat to the Springboks in Cape Town.

“That was an eye-opener. I didn’t get the game time I wanted, but I learned a lot about the high-performance environment,” Sua-Smith said.

“When it comes to forward play, South Africa is a real powerhouse and, like the Springboks, they come up with the weirdest moves that challenge the rules and stump you. South Africa is a rising nation for sure in women’s rugby.”

The Hurricanes Poua rose from no wins in two seasons to a record four out of six in Super Rugby Aupiki in 2026. Sua-Smith played in an 18-15 loss to Matatū in the second round and learned a lot throughout the whole campaign from her favourite player, 2022 Rugby World Cup-winning Black Fern Renee Holmes, who was first-five for the Poua.

Her biggest rugby role model is her Mum, Monique Su’a, who still plays for Wainuiomata. Uniquely, mother and daughter have played both with and against each other. Keira has played for both Petone and Wainuiomata.

“It was pretty special to play with Mum. Against Mum is a different story. I’d go to the opposite side of the field to avoid her, then I’d see her on the wing. “Mum, you’re not a wing,” Sua-Smith laughed.

The Pride head to McLean Park in Napier on Saturday seeking their third win of the season against Hawke’s Bay Tui. Last Saturday Hawke’s Bay beat Tasman 36-22.

Teams are named on Friday morning.