PHOTO SUPPLIED: FARAH Palmer and her mother Judith Palmer at the Piopio Christmas parade, with the world cup
FARAH Palmer has been made a dame for her services to sport.
The Piopio-raised Black Ferns captain-turned-professor jokes about being “in hiding” on holiday in Taupō after the announcement.
The nomination letter caused consternation.
“I ummed and ah-ed for ages about it, whether I should [accept],” she said. She wondered if she was too young, or hadn’t done enough yet, but discussed it with her husband, Black Ferns assistant coach Wesley Clarke.
“He said, just don’t do it for yourself, do it for others. So, I said yes.”
“I decided to do it for those trailblazers that don’t necessarily get the recognition,” Farah said, referring to earlier women rugby players.
“They were doing what they were doing in the shadows … wearing second-hand jerseys,” she said.
“They really did set the scene for what happened with the Black Ferns in 2022.”
Even so, Farah still had reservations.
“Even after I said yes, I was like, ‘I’m going to change my mind’ and not accept it and he [Clarke] said no, no. And then I just forgot about it because I didn’t want to think about it.”
The big moment surprised her on New Years’ Eve morning, because she hadn’t known when the news would break.
“My husband bought me a coffee, and I was having a sleep in. I was like, ‘what’s happened?’ He said, ‘You’d better check your phone’, so I checked my phone and saw all the messages. It was very humbling.”
A week earlier, Farah brought the world cup to the Piopio Christmas parade, in a home-made float.
“It was quite funny, it was [in] dad’s golf buggy. So, all the grandchildren got to decorate it, and they dressed up in rugby gear and they had the cup. A lot of people thought it wasn’t the real cup.”
What is one secret of Farah’s success?
“Probably the fact that I grew up in a little place like Piopio,” she said, “I’m really grateful for all the opportunities I had.”
“That’s been a huge benefit to my mindset as well. I learned so much from living in a community where you had to be accountable, everybody knew you. And you can’t get away with anything. And you all have to have all hands on deck at anything.” She also said that watching others succeed, and giving back, had been central to her motivation.
How might others follow in her footsteps?
Girls and women with dreams – in life and rugby – need to stay focussed on their goals, take up space and make sure they have the right people around them, Farah said.
“If you have a vision or if you have a dream, you’ve got to work towards it. I never thought I’d get in the Black Ferns straight away. I just kind of took each of those small steps that would lead to that eventually.
“If you want to pursue something and it’s something you’re passionate about, then just go for it. Find your support people. Do things like, to use rugby anaolgies, I talk about taking that space. If there’s an opportunity in life, take that space.”
Working with others too, was a way to achieve big goals, Farah said.
“I talk about getting a tight five around you, who are your support people and who are people that have skills that you don’t have, that can be alongside you and help you guys collectively achieve that goal.
And it was important to be prepared to work for change.
“When I was at uni, I wasn’t happy with the way Otago rugby were coaching women’s rugby so I wrote this big massive letter.
And I sent it off to them and it got their attention. I met with the CEO of the Otago rugby union and they took on board some of my ideas, not all of them, but some of them. So, I think I mean voicing what you want to do. But also put your hand up, too, if there are any opportunities and you want to get involved.
The new dame won’t rest on her laurels.
Farah’s future projects include research on sports develoment projects in Fiji and New Zealand.
She remains on the NZ Rugby board and is the chair of the Māori rugby board, while serving as the pou akonga (executive director) of Māori Student Success at Massey University.
Farah has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand order of Merit for services to sport, particularly rugby.
