CHARMAINE MCMENAMIN

Position
Loose Forward

Blues debut
2021 v Chiefs

Blues caps
11

Born
13/05/1990

Province

Auckland

When growing up on the East Cape, Charmaine committed to traveling big distances just to make rugby trainings and games. Little did she know, all the driving and commitment would one day pay off.  

The double international first broke onto the scene when she played rugby league for New Zealand in 2010. Charmaine then turned her attention back to rugby union and made her Black Ferns debut in 2013, when she was selected to play against England. 

Through consistent performances, Charmaine was offered a place in the Black Ferns squad to play Ireland in the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. 

In 2019 Charmaine was recognised as New Zealand’s best female 15’s rugby player with her Black Ferns Player of the Year award at the New Zealand Rugby Awards.  

Not long after her stella 2019, Charmaine suffered a devastating back injury the following year. Through sheer grit and determination, Charmaine worked her way back and earned selection in the Black Ferns 2022 Rugby World Cup squad, making the starting XV for the famous Final victory against England to claim her second Rugby World Cup title.  

After a strong 2023 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki campaign where she was at her dominant best, disaster struck for McMenamin, suffering an ACL injury in club rugby. 

She enters 2024 with a mountain of rehab behind her and will no doubt be a dominant voice around the nib Blues squad for the season ahead.