About Our GameMakers
It was during the lockdown of 2021 and we had just heard about the passing of Kathy Flores. It really impacted Georgie. Kathy was the first black player she had seen on the international rugby stage and had gone on to consider her both a respected rival and a good friend. Kathy’s death from cancer was also all too familiar as Georgie was only just coming through her own battle with the disease.
I listened to all the stories that were being shared on the Whatsapp groups and I heard the way Georgie spoke with such admiration about Kathy. It dawned on me that unless we saved these stories, unless we recorded who these women were - then they were going to be lost to the rugby community forever.
Thus began an almost two-year journey to where we are today - with both a book published and a video series completed. There were so many steps needed to bring both projects together and each stage seemed to throw up new challenges. Gaining a partner who could help fund the project was imperative and we were beyond grateful when we were able to secure Mastercard as a naming partner.
We also wanted to produce a book that showcased all the amazing subjects as the superwomen they were. Rather than use old imagery of them playing in massive jerseys, dark grainy photographs that really didn’t do them justice and in some cases, no photographs - we decided to collaborate with an illustrator who could bring them to life. Hannah Wilkinson was the perfect fit for our project. A world class athlete in her own right as a sensational striker for the NZ Football Ferns and Melbourne City, Hannah is also a talented artist who understood what we were trying to achieve.