Krystal Murray

Krystal Murray is an explosive goal-kicking prop*, who has represented New Zealand in both rugby league and union. She was vital in helping the reconceived Northland women’s team become a competitive unit - an achievement which saw her win the 2021 Fiao’o Fa'amausili medal as Farah Palmer Cup player of the year and selected for the Black Ferns. She made her only appearance on the Northern Tour in the Black Ferns 100th test, a heavy defeat to England.

“It’s humbling to wear any black jersey. We didn’t go away to lose, but England was better. You've got to trust the process and trust that you're out there for a reason. I might not be the best scrummager but I can offer a lot more in other places on the field. All I can control is what I can control, producing the best I can offer.”

The youngest of five siblings was raised in Kaitaia and started playing rugby aged nine. A Northland Secondary Schools representative, she joined the army after leaving college and was a supply technician for five years while playing touch, league, basketball and rugby.

Her first NPC rugby campaign was with Manawatu 2014, the same year she debuted for the Kiwi Ferns. In the 2017 Rugby League World Cup she scored five tries in as many matches, helping the Kiwi Ferns reach the final of the tournament.

Her rugby potential had become abundantly clear a year earlier when she helped Counties-Manukau win the inaugural Farah Palmer Cup. Murray scored six tries in five matches for a rampant Heat.

Murray suffered a personal setback in 2017 which threatened to derail her sporting progress, when father Chris suddenly died.

“He pretty much worked every day of his life as a digger driver. He supported me 150 percent, especially after Mum (Jessie) died young. At college my training was either in Moerewa or Whangarei, one or two hours away. Dad would start two hours early in order to finish two hours early to get me to training on time. He was a good player in his heyday, a first-five in rugby and hooker in league. He had to quit because he put his back out. He was a hard out fella. When he died it made me do a lot of self-reflecting and I realised we only have a short amount of time. Knowing that and living through him would be for me to do as much as I could and be the best that I can be.”

Northland Kauri joined the Farah Palmer Cup in 2019 and captain Murray has been one of their best. She has swapped from eight to prop, anchoring the tighthead side of the scrum while preserving her explosive running game, complemented with superior offloading skills. With 127 points in 17 appearances (including tries in seven consecutive games) she’s a more than useful goal kicker.

“It’s a skill I’ve had since I was little playing around with my cousins. A lot of people think it’s different when a prop kicks goals but you can’t put yourself in a box. If you like doing it, practice it enough and it doesn’t matter where you play you can do it.

“We are resource challenged up here. We struggle a lot with the distance of travel, a lack of a University or development stage once high school finishes, but we’ve got some awesome, loyal people involved. We're not about holding people back.”

Murray is self-employed making custom dog kennels.

*Goal kicking front rowers are a rare beast in New Zealand and international rugby. Black Ferns prop and former first-five Regina Sheck was noted for her goal-kicking at club level. Scottish hooker Lana Skeldon regularly kicked for Scotland in addition to working 12-hour shifts weighing cashmere jumpers. Perhaps the most famous goal kicking prop is Springbok Okey Geffin who kicked 32 of South Africa’s 47 points in their 4-0 sweep of the 1949 All Blacks. Geffin kicked all his sides’ points in two tests with the visitors scoring more tries overall in the series. All Black Ian Clarke kicked a goal from a mark for the Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1963-64. Steve Watt played 60 games for Auckland in the 70s and was later headmaster of Kelston Boys’ High School. He scored 419 first class points with 53 conversions and 102 penalties part of that tally.

Profile by Adam Julian