From ‘impossible’ to honoured: Vania Wolfgramm’s rugby journey recognised

Vania Wolfgramm says she was left “stunned” after receiving news she had been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to rugby.

The former Black Ferns player says the honour was something she never expected when it arrived in the mail.

“I know when I received the email, I froze a little bit… you know you see the acknowledgements of those who have gone before us… I was like maybe this isn’t for me,” she tells PMN News.

Wolfgramm, who debuted for the Blacks Ferns in 2003, says the recognition is not just hers but belongs to her “parents, grandparents, and our family but also the wider community”.

She and her sister, Justine Lavea, made history as the first Sāmoan sisters to represent the Black Ferns, a milestone for Pacific representation in women’s rugby.

A proud product of Onehunga High School and Auckland Marist Rugby Club, Wolfgramm’s playing career was cut short by a serious eye injury. But her connection to the game never ended.

Instead, it opened a new path in rugby development, one that she says was once seen as “impossible”.

Since 2020, she has worked as Women’s Development Manager at New Zealand Rugby (NZR), helping grow participation, pathways and opportunities for women and Pasifika players.

Her introduction to working in rugby however, came through a role created as part of a trial to measure interest in women’s rugby, a concept she initially “scoffed” at.

Vania Wolfgramm coaching students in India. Photo/Instagram

“There’s plenty of interest in rugby for girls, but that was the belief 13, 14 years ago… if you look at rugby now, you’ve got rugby at the Olympics for women… we’ve got a new female president at New Zealand Rugby, and who would have known that we would have hosted a Rugby World Cup here in New Zealand.”

“I remember growing up and playing… and then working in it. All of these things were told to us that would be impossible.”

Wolfgramm has also helped lead programmes such as Ako Wāhine and Teine Toa, which create leadership pathways for women and Pasifika youth in sports and governance.

She says the focus has been on making sure Pacific perspectives are embedded across the game, from community rugby through to high performance.

“We know for a fact that judgmental environments are the biggest reason why women are not entering the coaching space… so this is one way we’ve found that works, attracting women into the game outside of playing.”

She says the rise of women leaders in rugby is not new, but a reflection of long-standing strength already present in Pacific homes and communities.

“You look at our churches, you look at our families… our women are very strong, they’re the backbone.”

She paid tribute to trailblazers including former Black Ferns captain Seiuli Fiao’o Fa’amausili, Auckland Rugby president Huriana Manuel, and women leading within the Pacific rugby spaces, saying her honour reflects the collective effort.

She said it has “always been normal that our women were leading in these spaces”.

For Wolfgramm, the recognition is a reminder of how far the game has come and how much of that change was once thought impossible.

Vania Wolfgramm is one 178 New Zealanders recognised in this year’ King’s Birthday Honours List, including 12 Pacific recipients.

The honours are administered through the New Zealand Government and Governor-General system. The New Zealand honours system is overseen by the Honours Unit within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Listen to Vania Wolfgramm's full interview below.

Nominations are reviewed before recommendations are made, with the final honours list announced each year around King's Birthday and New Year.

Click here for more details.