Source: University of Auckland (UoA)
Fresh from an outstanding season with the Black Ferns Sevens and the excitement of the 2025 Rugby World Cup, Theresa Setefano was humbled to receive Sportswoman of the Year and Most Meritorious Performance at the University of Auckland’s Blues Awards.
Setefano’s sporting success meant pivoting away from her Medical School studies after she was first contracted to the New Zealand Sevens in 2016, and named in the New Zealand Women’s Rugby World Cup squad the following year.
Having just returned from the United Kingdom back into the fold of family life with husband Ryan and fur baby Buzzy, a Pointer cross, her sights are set on completing a Bachelor of Health Science degree. The midfielder is just four papers away from graduating.
“It’s an honour,” she says of receiving the Blues Awards on 3 October. “Because I’ve been studying for so long, I thought the University would be getting sick of me,” she laughs and recalled swapping degrees as her rugby career took off. “I was very surprised.”
Setefano’s recent Rugby World Cup campaign in England was a rollercoaster.
“We didn’t come away with what we wanted, but we were grateful to play for bronze and w
in. That was special,” she reflects. “Sport teaches you it doesn’t always go your way… it’s not always gold medals and championships.
“But the saying, you learn more from your losses than your wins is 100 percent true. We learned a lot about the team and also about ourselves too,” she says emphasising a mindset on growth, not perfection.
“Every time the outcome doesn’t go your way, it’s the perspective that gets you through. It’s about resilience and remembering why you started. We are more than just rugby players.”
Her values of ‘family, love and faith’ have helped maintain the balance of competing in sport at the highest level while undertaking university studies.
“I’ve always wanted to change the statistics for Pacific health. I’ve seen older generations pass away earlier than other ethnicities. Through health science, I’ve learned how much influence your environment has on your well-being.
“Going to the doctor isn’t going to fix everything. Health is bigger than physical—it’s mental, spiritual, social. Models like Fonofale and Te Whare Tapa Whā really embody that.”
Setefano wants to use her experience and platform to inspire Pacific communities:
“Just because the stats show Pacific life expectancy is low, doesn’t mean that’s how it has to be. It’s about empowering our community that change is possible. There are barriers, financial and environmental, but we can find ways through.
“I want to share my journey as an athlete and show that behaviours and mindset affect health. It doesn’t mean everyone has to train like me—but small changes matter. I want Pacific people to know that better health is possible.”
She wants to tap into the natural resource of Pacific peoples — community.
“Pacific people are community-based. We love doing things together and that’s a strength we can use to change the narrative around health.”
For Setefano, rugby, study and service are all connected by one thread:
“Family and love. That’s why I do, what I do. My parents, grandparents, and the University have shaped me. Rugby has given me perspective. Now I want to give back.”
“My goal and my why in everything I do, is to always lead with love wherever we go. That comes from our upbringing, our culture, being Pacific, being Sāmoan women, being women of faith and everything we do, we always lead with love.”
Setefano acknowledged that some things were ‘easier said than done’ when it came to walking the talk.
“I can only control what I can control, so I always endeavour to lead with love, to spread joy wherever I go, and really just inspire and empower young people, to be their true selves.
“For me it comes from my faith. I know that God has a plan for me, that he’s in control and so when I do get lost, or when I find it hard in certain situations, I turn to him.
“That’s what really helps me get through the hard times, as well as my family and my husband; they’re my anchors and so I just know everything will actually be okay.”
Reflecting on her journey, Setefano says rugby has built a strong foundation:
“I have learnt so much playing rugby—it has provided me with a lot of perspective and a lot of experiences. And also my upbringing, my parents, my grandparents—they have instilled in me strong values.
“The University has provided the education that I’m very passionate about, and all of that has gotten me to where I am today.”