In 2020 Christyl Stowers added a Kiwi Ferns debut to her list of achievements, following on from several highly successful seasons at club and representative level.
A powerful middle forward also capable of playing in the backline, Stowers featured in Manurewa Marlins’ 2017-18 Auckland grand final victories over Richmond Roses.
Stowers represented the Māori All Stars against Indigenous All Stars in 2019 and ’20, before helping Counties Manukau Stingrays to glory in the inaugural Sky Sports NZRL National Women’s Premiership in the latter year.
Selected alongside six of her Stingrays teammates in the New Zealand squad for the end-of-season clash with Fetu Samoa, the 28-year-old worked hard on both sides of the ball after coming off the bench in Kiwi Ferns’ 28-8 victory.
Stowers was retained for New Zealand’s mid-2022 Test against Tonga, making four powerful runs and racking up 20 tackles in 27 minutes off the bench of a 50-12 win at Mt Smart Stadium. After featuring in the Marlins’ grand final win, she was one of seven New Zealand-based players named in the Kiwi Ferns’ squad for the World Cup in England.
She came off the bench in three matches at the tournament, including the nail-biting pool-stage loss to Australia and the heavy defeat at the hands of the Jillaroos in the final.
