LONDON— Players at the Women’s Rugby World Cup are more than happy to proudly call their teammates their sisters.
Time together often rivals time with their actual families. Long before they lace up their boots and play, the players spent hours and hours together in the gym, in training, and in hotels and buses.
But among the sisterhood there are some bonafide sisters sprinkled among the 16 teams in England, and here’s some of their stories:
Alana and Chelsea Bremner, New Zealand
The Bremners grew up on a farm in a town of 200. They were unflashy, reliable, tough, and each other’s biggest supporter.
Alana, younger than Chelsea by nearly two years at 28, started rugby like many women do, in a mixed team as a kid. Her determination was obvious. First-class debut at 17, Canterbury player of the year at 18, captain at 23.
Alana persuaded Chelsea, at 21, to switch from netball to rugby. Chelsea found her niche. The lock didn’t lose in her first 43 games for Canterbury and first 15 tests for New Zealand.
Chelsea was picked first for the Black Ferns in 2020. Her first opponent was a Barbarians side captained by Alana. They didn’t tackle each other. in 2022 against Australia.
They played the entire 2022 World Cup final win over England at Eden Park. They’re at their second World Cup and locked together against Spain on the opening weekend.
“Sometimes we underestimate how cool this situation is; to be in it at the same time,” Alana told Rugby Pass.
Manaé and Téani Feleu, France
The Feleus were born in France but grew up on the French island of Futuna, between Fiji and Samoa. Their father, a sports teacher, coached them. In 1993, Manaé played with France men’s international Yoram Moefana in an under-11 tournament on Wallis; she was the scrumhalf, he was the flyhalf. They won.
“One day (at age 7) I tried it out and it just clicked,” Téani told the Six Nations website. “I was free to express myself however I wanted to in rugby. I had more fun. I let off more steam. As soon as I started rugby, I knew it was the sport I wanted to do. I was in it to have fun.”
These days a lock, Manaé debuted for Les Bleues in 2020 and rose to captain in 2023. She was nominated this year for the best Six Nations player.
Téani, three years younger at 22, plays with Manaé at Grenoble Amazones and moved from France’s sevens to 15s in 2024. They both played against Italy on the World Cup’s opening weekend.
Christabelle and Demielle Onesemo-Tuilaepa, Samoa
Also known as Bella and Ella, the Manusina’s youngest players and first twins turn 21 this Sunday. Christabelle is a flanker and Demielle is a lock/flanker. Both played in Samoa’s World Cup pool games against Australia and England.
They may have been destined to play for Samoa. Their father, Setu Tuilaepa, represented Samoa in 15s and sevens and was their first coach. Their mother, Beth Onesemo, managed their youth teams and was a Rugby Samoa board member.
Their first big splash was in rugby league, representing New Zealand last year on Australia’s Gold Coast in a championship for rising women’s talent. Before then, they admitted to googling the rules of rugby league on the car drive to their first game.
Back in rugby union, they made their test debuts in June against Tonga. One of their older sisters, Rialani, debuted for Manusina later that month against Australia A.
“Growing up, playing rugby, the resources we had were limited,” Christabelle told ABC Australia. “We didn’t get to go to the gym, we just had to train with what we had. Looking how far we’ve come, (we’re) just grateful to be where we are and what we’ve become.”
Keilamarita and Risi Pouri-Lane, Samoa/New Zealand
Keilamarita and Risaleaana, better known as Risi, are daughters of a Samoan mother, Lealofi, and New Zealand Maori father, Kevin. They moved as kids from Australia to New Zealand.
Risi earned her first-class debut and first national contract at 17, and two years later in 2019 she began playing sevens for New Zealand. She won Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris. She made her 15s test debut in May at scrumhalf.
Keilamarita, four years older at 29, committed to Samoa early to try and qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Her rugby road hasn’t been as prominent as Risi’s but she answered another call by Samoa in 15s and the outside center played the first two test matches of her career in this World Cup against Australia and England.
After facing Australia in Manchester, Keilamarita made the two-hour drive to York the next day to watch Risi’s own World Cup debut against Spain. Keilamarita celebrated the occasion by giving her little sister an ula lole — a Samoan necklace of candies — a Maori flag, and a big hug.
