Shannon Willoughby
Rugby player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shannon Willoughby (born 15 January 1982) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She played for New Zealand internationally and at provincial level for Hawke's Bay. She previously captained Otago.
| Born | 15 January 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (180 lb; 12 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Rugby career
On 29 June 2005, Willoughby made her test debut for the Black Ferns against Scotland at the Canada Cup in Ottawa.[1][2] She also featured in the two games against Canada in the competition.[3][4][5]
Willoughby was member of the Black Ferns squad that won the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup.[6][7][8] She appeared in all of the matches at the tournament.
She played her last international against the Wallaroos on 18 October 2008 at Canberra, it was the final match of the Laurie O'Reilly Cup.[9]
In 2015, she returned to playing rugby and played her final game for Auckland on World Stroke Day.[10]
Personal life
Willoughby was instructed by Matthew Greenslade when she obtained her commercial pilots' license from Ardmore Flying School in 2011.
She suffered a stroke at the age of 32.[7][11] She discovered the benefits of aromatherapy diffusers and essential oils, then founding Aromarrr NZ.[12] In 2023, after expanding the product range, she launched Seven Scents, selling home fragrance and skincare.[13]
In 2015, she received her aviation medical back, after being told she would likely never fly again.[10] A 2017 International Women’s Forum (IWF) Global Women Athletes' Business Network member, Willoughby is now part of the IWF NZ Founding Committee.
