Annaleah Rush

Rush played for the Black Ferns from 1996 to 2002.^[1] She made her test debut on 8 September 1996 against Canada at St Albert. She also competed against the United States and France who were also participants of the Canada Cup. In 1997, She played against England and, the Wallaroos.

She was part of the New Zealand side that won their first Rugby World Cup title in 1998 in the Netherlands.^[2][3] She scored two tries in the semi-final against England to help her side reach the final.^[4][5] She was the tournament's topscorer.^[6]

Rush appeared in the Triangular '99 tournament that was hosted by New Zealand which featured Canada and the United States. She also played Canada and England in the 2000 Canada Cup.

In 2001, She was selected in the Black Ferns squad that played England in two test matches in June.^[7] Her side won the first test with a narrow margin of five points.^[8][9] After ten years of being undefeated, they lost the second game 22–17 at Albany.^[10]

She won a second title with the Black Ferns in Spain at the 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup.^[11] The final against England was her last international appearance for New Zealand.

She was a member of the first official New Zealand women's sevens team, who took part in the 2000 Hong Kong Sevens.^[12][13] She also played in the 2001 Hong Kong Women's Sevens tournament which New Zealand eventually won.^[14][15]

In 2023, She coached the Cambridge High School’s 1st XV girls’ rugby team to win their Under-17 grade and claim the Vanessa Cootes Cup.^[16] She had been coaching the school's rugby for seven years.^[16]

She is the sister of former All Black and Blues Number Eight Xavier Rush.^[17][18] She also won the Women's Player of the Year award in 2001.^[19]