Rosie Kelly kicks a conversion during a Black Ferns game against Australia. Photo: Martin Hunter/ActionPress
Black Fern and Paramatta Eels star Rosie Kelly will make the shift to Chiefs Manawa for the 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
Kelly was a standout for Matatū the last two seasons, playing every game for the side in that time. Following Matatū's 2023 title-winning season, she was named in the Black Ferns squad and made her debut against Australia.
This year, Kelly switched to league and was on the park for every minute of the Eels' five-win, four-loss season. She earned a place in the Kiwi Ferns wider squad for the current Pacific Championship.
Kelly said she was "super excited" to be moving north.
"I look forward to embracing the team culture, creating new connections and growing as a player both on and off the field. Super Rugby Aupiki is growing every year and I can't wait for the 2025 season to begin," she said.
Chiefs Manawa head coach Dwayne Sweeney said: "We are stoked to have a player of Rosie's calibre join us here at the Chiefs. She is an experienced first five at this level with a huge drive to compete and grow as a player.
"We are looking forward to what she will add to our squad in 2025 and can't wait to see her in a Chiefs Manawa jersey."
A standout talent from early on, Kelly captained the Christchurch Girls' High School First XV and made her representative debut for Canterbury Sevens while still at school.
In 2017 she was a member of the region's Farah Palmer Cup winning side and was selected in the NZ Barbarians squad.
It is the second big Aupiki news of the week, following the Blues announcement of the signing of Black Ferns Sevens and fifteens legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.
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