If Burna Boy is planning another cameo in English women’s sport before March, Maiakawanakaulani Roos hopes it’s in West London.
The Black Ferns lock, a fan of the Nigerian star who was a part of the Lionesses’ Euros celebrations in July, has signed a four-month deal with Premiership Women’s Rugby side Trailfinders Women, giving her the chance to explore England both on the field and through its live music options.
The 24-year-old confesses she and New Zealand teammate Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, who has recently signed for Harlequins, are huge music fans and want to take advantage of what is on offer in England.
“Lots of people [artists] seem to come to London,” Roos, who won the Rugby World Cup in 2022, said. “Li and I love music. Abi Burton told me to download a few apps so I am having a nosey on there. Did Burna Boy already come? We can see who else comes but if someone comes I will be there.”
Roos is one of several Black Ferns stars to sign in PWR this season, a few other examples being Layla Sae at Quins and Ruahei Demant at Bristol Bears. Part of the reason Roos wanted to make the short-term move to England was so she did not miss out.
“I got FOMO,” Roos said. “I saw quite a few of the Kiwi girls over here playing rugby and I wanted to play rugby. Trailfinders, they picked up the call for me. It’s a great location, I love the style of play. They play quite similarly to New Zealand, the mindset to play on top, to play attacking footy and to keep the ball in hand. I thought that was pretty cool.
“I saw the likes of Abi Burton and Meg Jones here, they are a couple of people I would love to learn from and play alongside.”
Roos’ first game may come against Saracens on Saturday, where Trailfinders hope to claim their third win of the season. The London club are currently fourth in the league table and Roos’ addition to Barney Maddison’s squad will only boost their semi-final ambition.
Roos has experience of playing rugby on English shores after representing New Zealand in the Women’s Rugby World Cup earlier this year. The Black Ferns lost their first World Cup match since 2014 against Canada in the semi-final which Roos says was a “hard pill to swallow”.
“That’s rugby, it’s the game we play,” she added. “Someone has to win and someone has to lose. We got really close over the next week, we had to really bind up together, stay strong so we could go hard again one last time. We didn’t know where everyone was going after the last game so we wanted to make the most of the time that we had together.”
New Zealand did take something from the tournament though as they beat France to claim a bronze medal. Around 60,000 people were in the stands at Allianz Stadium to watch the bronze final and the volume of support was special for Roos.
“We looked out of the window of the bus and it was flooded with people,” she said. “It was really surreal. I don’t usually get emotional before games but I felt quite emotional to see such a turn out, especially when we weren’t expecting anyone to be there.
“I felt the impact of the depth and breadth of the occasion we were playing. It was so cool, so special and I felt so grateful in that moment. I think that’s a feeling I will hold for a long time.”
Not only is Roos a role model with her skill and precision on the pitch but also for what she advocates off of it. She posts on social media about mental health and the importance of knowing it’s okay not to be okay.
“As a young person I experienced quite a bit of loss in our community and at school,” Roos explained. “Mental health was quite taboo, especially from the older generations. So that impacted lots of people my age. I really think it is important to remove that stigma, especially in team environments.
“Rugby was my safe space and so I hope other young girls and boys find it as a safe space for them. I just want everyone to know it is important to talk about things and if something is bugging you, you have someone to listen to you and what you feel is valid.
“It’s not weak to ask for help, it’s actually really courageous and it is something we can all get better at.”
The idea of being a role model to the next generation of players is something Roos feels the weight of.
“It’s kind of scary in a way,” she said. “I have never seen myself as a role model but when I think back to when I was younger and Black Ferns used to come and visit my school, I didn’t care if they had one cap or 50 caps but their presence and the pride in the black jersey that you could see them hold, that was enough to be inspired. I think I hold that now. It is a privilege and I hope to do it justice.”
Roos is already doing the black jersey justice and will look to do the same in a Trailfinders shirt. She is relishing the challenge the PWR has set and the separate task of tracking down Burna Boy.