Black Ferns powerhouse Kaipo Olsen-Baker has been crowned World Rugby Player of the Year, receiving the award following the final whistle of the Black Ferns’ showdown against France in Christchurch.

The No.8 didn’t take the field on Saturday evening, sidelined with the ankle injury she suffered in last week’s game, but she was still the star of the show as her teammates embraced her at a post-game ceremony.

Olsen-Baker made her Test debut for New Zealand in 2022, and while she missed selection for the Rugby World Cup squad later that year, she’s gone from strength to strength since, culminating in her winning this award at just 24.

“I’m honestly lost for words,” she told reporters after a 36-7 New Zealand victory. “I feel shocked, I feel proud, I feel emotional; I think I feel all of the emotions right now. But the first thing that comes to mind is my beautiful mum, she sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am today. I wouldn’t be the person, the player that I am if it wasn’t for her and the sacrifices she made for me.

“I just feel incredibly proud. Proud of where I come from as well, so I just want to show all of the young girls that you can dream big and no matter how big your dream is, keep going for that, because it can come true one day.”

In addition to her mum, Olsen-Baker described her two older sisters as her “biggest hype girls in the world.”

“I had a time in my life where I lost a bit of love for rugby and I lost a little bit of self-confidence, and those two were the ones that hyped me up and made sure I kept going and never gave up. They are definitely my inspiration. I’m super grateful to have them in my life.”

Reflecting on her 2026 season, Olsen-Baker said she started the year dreaming of holding the Player of the Year trophy, among other achievements and feelings.

“I would love to show you my vision board,” she laughed. “Because I actually did have this on my vision board, but I also just had having an amazing Black Ferns season.

“It has been a big goal of mine to receive an award like this. I’m still so shocked because a lot of the goats have accepted this award: Sarah Hirini, Kendra (Cocksedge).

“Hopefully it’s only up from here! Not down. But I’m excited for next year already. I just love rugby, I love the connections, I love this team, I love the Black Ferns, so I’m just excited for the journey of where the Black Ferns are going to take me.”

New Zealand capped their 2026 season with their 10th win, a historic tally in what was the largest Black Ferns season to date. The team has been jelling under new head coach Whitney Hansen, with the players lauding the way they’ve connected off the field and how that has influenced the product on the field. Olsen-Baker said “the vibes are definitely high.”

“This team has different characteristics, and everyone just gets along so well, and we all just have a great relationship with each other, and a great relationship with our coaching staff as well. We would not be the team we are if it wasn’t for our coaching staff and our management as well.”