Just one game for Canterbury centre to think about this weekend

Canterbury centre Charntay Poko is feeling refreshed heading into this weekend’s Farah Palmer Cup rugby semi-final against Wellington now that the rugby league season is over.

Charntay Poko of Canterbury during the Farah Palmer Cup 2022.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The former Kiwi Fern has been playing both rugby and league this year and while she’s loved doing both, she is happy that she’ll be at her physical best on Sunday.

Poko is in her first year with the Canterbury FPC rugby team, returning to the game she played while at high school.

She started playing league when she first went to Papanui High School, however when she ran out of options for play, she turned to union.

She returned to league after high school and made her way through club and then Canterbury rugby league.

It wasn’t long until Poko grabbed the attention of New Zealand Rugby League selectors and was in the Kiwi Ferns wider training group for a couple of years before playing internationals against Samoa and Australia in 2019.

She has also been playing in the NRLW with the Warriors and Newcastle.

It was after this year’s stint with the Knights that she returned to Christchurch looking for a new challenge.

“I got back from Australia and just wanted something a little bit different as the last five years had been full on with League.

“Rugby has always been a special part of me and I’d always missed that environment and that type of game, so for a change of scenery I went and played for the Christchurch club.

Her international league experience meant she was also well known in rugby circles.

“I wasn’t planing on playing FPC, but I ended up having a conversation with a couple of the (Canterbury) coaches and then decided to give it a crack and see what it was about.

Poko training with the Kiwi Ferns in 2019
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Poko says she’s loving every bit of it, but wasn’t prepared to give up the game she first played as a youngster. She was still able to play club league for Sydenham.

“They let me play both which I’m very grateful for, obviously there’s a big commitment within Canterbury rugby in terms of training.”

It’s meant busy weeks for the 26 year old, training Tuesday’s and Thursdays with the FPC rugby team and then Wednesday’s with the club league team.

She’d play rugby on Saturday and then league on Sunday.

However with the league season finishing a couple of weeks ago with defeat in the women’s club final, Poko is now solely concentrating on rugby, which is a bit of a relief.

“It’s been hard on the body.

“I did feel guilty at the start of the week as I was a bit sore and not as fresh as everyone else having played two games at the weekend and double loading my training.

So will it last?

“Next year I’ll probably have to do one or the other.

“I try not to think too far ahead, I’ve obviously had a busy year already and so I’m looking forward to a bit of a break.

However Poko is keen to be a part of professional rugby and play next year’s Super Rugby Aupiki.

“I’d love to be in that competition but I’m trying to focus on getting the job done this weekend first.

And that could well involve bringing some of her league experience playing in the halves into the game.

“When you compare myself to other twelve’s in the competition I think the Canterbury team has been able to use my strengths.

“I haven’t been put in a box, I’ve been able to do what I’m good at, express myself and just have that free reign to play what’s in front of me.”

She’s had no thoughts about becoming a double international and playing for the Black Ferns but says the pathway is there if it was to happen.

Defending champions Waikato play Auckland in the other Premiership semi-final, while in the Championship Hawke’s Bay play Northland and Otago play North Harbour.