Like older brother Brad Takairangi, dangerous three-quarter Kiana represented Cook Islands and New Zealand, and made her premiership debut with Sydney Roosters.
After playing for Los Angeles Temptation in the Legends Football League – a seven-on-seven American football competition – Takairangi returned to Australia and committed to rugby league. The 25-year-old turned out for Cook Islands at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
But Takairangi came to wider prominence in a hectic 2019 season. After starring for Cronulla Sharks in the NSW Women’s Premiership, she was called up by the Kiwi Ferns to take on Fetu Samoa at centre – and marked her debut by scoring the first two tries of the 46-8 victory in Auckland.
The flyer earned an NRLW contract with Sydney Roosters, running for over 100 metres in her first match against the Warriors.
Takairangi then featured in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines triumph – playing a prominent role in the final victory over Australia – and played in the Kiwi Ferns’ subsequent Test loss to the Jillaroos in Wollongong, where she made 11 tackles and 74 metres from the wing.
On a special night for the Takairangi family in February 2020, Kiana and Brad both represented the respective Māori All Stars teams against Indigenous All Stars on the Gold Coast. Kiana turned out for the Sharks again in the COVID-19-interrupted NSW Women’s Premiership.
