Source: Radio New Zealand
Awhina Tangen-Wainohu of New Zealand in action during the 2021 World Cup. PHOTOSPORT
Black Ferns prop Awhina Tangen-Wainohu has announced her retirement from international rugby due to a career-ending neck injury.
Tangen-Wainohu played 10 tests for New Zealand, and was a member of the 2021 World Cup winning squad.
Named in the Black Ferns squad earlier this year, she was ruled out of game one following an aggravation of a previous neck injury.
“Sometimes the game you love doesn’t love you back. My neck scans have shown that staying in the game could cost more than the game gives. So I have to hang the boots up, but I am grateful my tinana [body] is still in one piece,” Tangen-Wainohu wrote on social media.
Tangen-Wainohu made a remarkable return to the black jersey in 2025 after stepping away from the game for two years due to her neck.
She quietly returned to the Blues, helping her team win both the Super Rugby Aupiki title and the inaugural Women’s Super Rugby Champions final.
Awhina with her son Hipirini in 2022. Supplied / Rachael Whareaitu
Tangen-Wainohu came off the bench in their 38-12 win over Australia in Newcastle last year, her first international since the World Cup.
A mother to her son Hipirini, he was her biggest motivator in her comeback journey.
She previously played for Chiefs Manawa in Super Rugby Aupiki as well as Waikato and Hawke’s Bay in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Black Ferns Head Coach Whitney Hansen said Awhina will always be part of the team.
“Awhina is a talented front-rower who has consistently shown what’s possible through resilience and determination. She’s been instrumental in helping us shape this new era of Black Ferns. She has approached an incredibly tough decision with mana and optimism; we thank her for everything she has given to this team, and we know she will continue to contribute to the legacy of our people. For that, we are grateful.”
Tangen-Wainohu said she was ‘forever grateful’ to the game.
“Ngā mihi rugby, for a life I never imagined, for everything you gave to my whānau and I. To every team, coach, kaiako, and teammate, you shaped this journey.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand