Titan tighthead Santo Taumata went from a shy teenager to somebody big, quickly.
When the Black Ferns won the Rugby World Cup final against England 34-31 on November 12, 2022, at Eden Park before the largest crowd for any female sports event in New Zealand, snapping the Red Roses’ world record 30 consecutive Test match winning streak, Taumata was the youngest player on the field at 19 years, 9 months, and 7 days.
She came on in the 62nd minute when New Zealand was down 31-29. England’s props had a combined 170 Tests compared with the Black Ferns’ 49. She was stable in two scrums. One of her three tackles came in the 78th minute, with the Black Ferns now leading, on Alex Matthews when the talismanic blindside was within arm’s reach of the tryline.
When replacement lock Joanah Ngan-Woo, penalised twice earlier, famously stole England’s lineout as the front jumper five metres out with the last play, Taumata quickly shifted from preparing to lift Alana Bremner at the back to joining the maul that became a ruck and salvaged the Black Ferns’ possession.
Across the tournament she made five appearances, totalling 103 minutes, having only previously played a dozen first-class games, seven for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the Farah Palmer Cup. She then got to hang out with Six60 and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the celebrations.
Taumata hasn’t played a Test since. She laughed that she hasn’t heard from the band or the former PM but hoped they’d respond if she reached out.
On Friday at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt, 1463 days after the World Cup final, she will come off the bench for the Black Ferns in their trial match against the Black Ferns XV. She successfully came through Super Rugby Aupiki 2026 with her new team, Matatū. She played six games for the Southerners, beating every side and making the final.
“I was surprised I was picked. There is a lot of talent in the front row. I’m pretty happy,” Taumata says.
“Knowing my role and executing the game plan is what I want to achieve in the trial. Where I should be in lineouts, winning the hit during the scrum, and what I should do in general play is my focus.
“The growth in the game has been huge. Everyone has more knowledge and experience now. It feels a lot faster.”
Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen praised Taumata’s strength and was proud of her resilience.
For the past three years, Taumata’s career pretty much ground to a halt. In a 2023 training incident with Chiefs Manawa, she broke her left hand. The injury worsened after an accidental collision with a member of the public on the street.
“He asked for an autograph. I’m left-handed,” Taumata laughed. “It was a scribble, a fake one.”
Her only match in the 2023 first-class season was Manawa’s 53-21 win over Hurricanes Poua in Levin on Febuary 25 in Super Rugby Aupiki.
Upon her return, she ruptured her ACL in her left knee in her first club rugby game, ruling her out for 18 months. She played three times for Bay of Plenty in 2024, managed six appearances for Chiefs Manawa in Super Rugby Aupiki 2025, but she still wasn’t right. Microfracture surgery was required to further strengthen the knee.
“It’s been tough. I learned a lot of patience and how important it is to have balance in your life,” Taumata says.
“Faith is a big one for me: Church on Sunday, trust in God. In Matatū we have a fellowship group with about 10 girls. Leaving my parents was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I feel like coming to Matatū has improved my fitness and helped me become a more confident and mature person.
“My injury has changed the way I warm up and prepare for games. I know much more about my body now.”
Taumata is blessed with natural size and athleticism. Of Samoan heritage and the middle of five children, Santo grew up in the kiwifruit orchards of Te Puke, southeast of Tauranga, where two generations of her family have worked. Her father Toafia eventually became an engineer and her mother Asofaafetai worked in administration. Fellow 2022 Rugby World Cup winner Kendra Reynolds and All Blacks Nathan Harris and Tanerau Latimer also hail from the Western Bay of Plenty town.
Dean Heyblom was the girls’ rugby coach at Te Puke High School, where they still ‘let em’ play bullrush at lunchtime. When he saw Santo charging fearlessly through boys, the former freezing worker and 18-year senior forward for the Rangiuru rugby club knew he had a serious rugby player. In 2022, Heyblom complimented Taumata as a “beast” and a “gentle giant.”
Taumata recalled: “I felt better playing rugby so that’s why I quit netball …“It was a struggle getting numbers. We started with 15 but had to do tens. I started at centre but my favourite position was Number 8 running off the back of the scrum.”
Following strong form for the Rangiuru senior team, Taumata was selected for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in 2021. She was surprised when Kendra Reynolds suggested she play tighthead prop.
“I didn’t know how to take that. She said I had a better future at prop because of my height and strength. My debut against Auckland didn’t go so well, but by the second match I got the hang of it.”
Taumata played six matches for Bay of Plenty in FPC and then earned a place in Chiefs Manawa, who won the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki in March 2022.
In August, 2022, she was selected in the Black Ferns for the Laurie O’Reilly Trophy series against Australia. She debuted in the 22-14 win at the Adelaide Oval.
“That was one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life. When am I going to come on? Can they just leave me on the bench? I hadn’t learnt the systems. I didn’t know half the team.” Taumata reflected.
She needn’t have worried. A strong run she made set up a critical try for Ngan-Woo. In fact, she made such an impression she was told to put her teacher aide job on hold as she was going to the World Cup. Coach Sir Wayne Smith acclaimed at the time, “We might just see the birth of a star.”
