Try-scoring machine Ayesha Leti-I'iga has recommitted to the Hurricanes – signing on with the Hurricanes Poua for season two of Super Rugby Aupiki. 

The 23-year-old Black Fern from Porirua said she is grateful to recommit to the Hurricanes Poua and is honoured to don the swirl once again.   

“Off the back of the Rugby World Cup, and what has been an incredible time for women’s rugby, I am excited to get stuck into the second season of Super Rugby Aupiki. It’s a privilege to play for my home club once again,” said Leti-I'iga. 

Leti-I'iga, who Wayne Smith described as “the best player in the world”, has been in unstoppable form in the Rugby World Cup.  

Hurricanes Poua Head Coach, Victoria Grant, said she was excited to see Leti-I'iga inject that same kind of energy into the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. 

“Ayesha is an electric player. She is an amazing try scorer, she has speed, is explosive in collisions, and is equally as good on defence,” said Grant.  

Blessed with sear­ing speed and de­cep­tive strength, Leti-I'iga has long been renowned as a try scoring sen­sa­tion at both club and provin­cial level. 

At club level she has scored more tries than any player in Welling­ton club fi­nals for the past decade, scoring 30 hat-tricks (for Oriental-Rongotai) and in 2020 col­lected a haul of eight tries in a sin­gle match against Avalon. 

Having made her debut for the Wellington Pride at just 16 years of age, Leti-I’iga not only holds the Welling­ton Pride record for most tries scored in a match, dotting down five times against Manawatū in 2019, but also in a ca­reer, with 51 tries scored in 38 games. 

A na­tional call-up was in­evitable and her Black Ferns de­but came in 2018 at the his­toric Soldier Field NFL sta­dium in Chicago. She has since played 19 matches for the side.   

Leti-i’iga, who put her career with the Ministry of Social Development on hold, was rewarded with a full-time Black Ferns contract for 2022. 

SKY Super Rugby Aupiki kicks off Saturday 25 February, with the Hurricanes Poua taking on the Chiefs Manawa in the competition opener at Levin Domain.