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Shakira Baker

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Shakira Baker
Date of birth (1992-01-04) 4 January 1992 (age 32)
Place of birthMasterton, New Zealand
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Fullback
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009– Wellington ()
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2023– Hurricanes Poua 0 (0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2014 New Zealand 13 (0)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2011– New Zealand
Medal record
Women's rugby sevens
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Gold medal – first place 2018 San Francisco Team competition

Shakira Baker (born 4 January 1992) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She has represented New Zealand in both the fifteens and sevens rugby.

Rugby career

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2011

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Baker made her provincial debut at 16 for Wellington before making her test debut for the Black Ferns in 2011 against England.

2012

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Baker was one of the 800 young women who attended the “Gold for Gold” Sevens trials in 2012 organized to identify talent with the potential to represent New Zealand in the Sevens competition at the Rio Olympics. At the trial she attended she was put through various fitness, rugby skills and character assessment activities. She was one of the most promising 30 who then attended a camp at Waiouru.[1] This led to Baker playing both for the Sevens team as well as the Fifteen a side Black Ferns.

2013

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In 2013 during a routine medical exam an electrocardiogram led to the discovery that she had a rare disorder of the heart's electrical system called Long QT syndrome which can lead to dangerous heart rhythms, fainting and sudden cardiac arrest. In her case it can be triggered by physical activity. She was treated first with a sympathectomy, where the nerve that controls the heart rate was burned in order to prevent it going over a certain rate, before key-hole surgery was used to cut the nerve supply to her heart. As a result, she missed most of the 2013 rugby season.[2] Despite the success of the treatment it is necessary to have a defibrillator close by whenever she plays.[1] Her first game back for the Sevens was at Dubai at the end of 2013.

2014–23

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Baker then incurred a knee injury early in 2014[1] from which she recovered in time to be named in the Black Ferns squad to the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.[3][4]

Baker was selected for the New Zealand women's sevens team to the 2016 Summer Olympics.[5] In 2022, she was named as a non-travelling reserve for the Black Ferns Sevens squad to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[6][7]

In December 2022, She was confirmed as one of three final signings for Hurricanes Poua for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season.[8]

Personal life

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She is related to New Zealand Sevens star Gilles Kaka.[9] Of Māori descent, Baker affiliates to the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Swannell, Rikki (2022). Sevens Sisters: How a People First Culture turned Silver into Gold (Paperback). Auckland: Mower. pp. 21, 47, 48. ISBN 978-1-990003-58-5.
  2. ^ McFadden, Suzanne (1 October 2019). "Black Ferns Sevens veteran Shakira Baker puts her heart on the line for the team". Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Black Ferns squad named for Women's Rugby World Cup 2014". All Blacks. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ^ Heagney, George (3 July 2014). "Shakira back to best form". Stuff. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Historic first for Rugby Sevens as 24 athletes named for Olympic Games". Olympic.org.nz. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Commonwealth Games". All Blacks. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Experienced New Zealand sevens squads revealed for Commonwealth Games". Stuff. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Hurricanes Poua lure NRLW champion Kiwi Fern home for Super Rugby Aupiki". Stuff. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. ^ Farmer, Don (1 December 2012). "Baker's award win dedicated to 'papa'". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. ^ "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
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