Shakira Baker (born 4 January 1992) is a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in both the fifteens and sevens rugby, plus rugby league.
| Born | 4 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 21 October 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby career
edit2011
editBaker made her provincial debut at 16 for Wellington before making her test debut for the Black Ferns in 2011 against England.
2012
editBaker was one of the 800 young women who attended the “Gold for Gold” Sevens trials in 2012 organized to identify talent with the potential to represent New Zealand in the Sevens competition at the Rio Olympics. At the trial she attended she was put through various fitness, rugby skills and character assessment activities. She was one of the most promising 30 who then attended a camp at Waiouru.[1] This led to Baker playing both for the Sevens team as well as the Fifteen a side Black Ferns.
2013
editIn 2013 during a routine medical exam an electrocardiogram led to the discovery that she had a rare disorder of the heart's electrical system called Long QT syndrome which can lead to dangerous heart rhythms, fainting and sudden cardiac arrest.[2] In her case it can be triggered by physical activity. She was treated first with a sympathectomy, where the nerve that controls the heart rate was burned in order to prevent it going over a certain rate, before key-hole surgery was used to cut the nerve supply to her heart.[2] As a result, she missed most of the 2013 rugby season. Despite the success of the treatment it is necessary to have a defibrillator close by whenever she plays.[2][1] Her first game back for the Sevens was at Dubai at the end of 2013.
2014–23
editBaker then ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) early in 2014[1][2] from which she recovered in time to be named in the Black Ferns squad to the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.[3][4]
Baker was selected for the New Zealand women's sevens team to the 2016 Summer Olympics.[5] In 2022, she was named as a non-travelling reserve for the Black Ferns Sevens squad to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[6][7]
In December 2022, She was confirmed as one of three final signings for Hurricanes Poua for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season.[8]
2024
editOn 20 September 2024 it was reported that she had signed for the New Zealand Warriors to play in the NRLW[9]
Personal life
editOf Māori descent, Baker affiliates to the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.[10][2]
She has a science degree, majoring in marine biology, from Victoria University.[2]
Due to her ACL injury in 2014 she was taken off contract while she recovered. This gave her the opportunity to train as a high school teacher, specializing in mathematics which she used subsequently used to obtain a position teaching at Hamilton Girls’ High School for two years.[2] Among the students in her Year 10 mathematics class during her first year teaching was future New Zealand sevens player Jazmin Hotham.[2]
Baker is related to New Zealand Sevens star Gilles Kaka.[11]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Swannell, Rikki (2022). Sevens Sisters: How a People First Culture turned Silver into Gold (Paperback). Auckland: Mower. pp. 21, 47, 48. ISBN 978-1-990003-58-5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McFadden, Suzanne. "Shakira puts her heart on the line 30 September 2019". Newsroom. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ "Black Ferns squad named for Women's Rugby World Cup 2014". All Blacks. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ Heagney, George (3 July 2014). "Shakira back to best form". Stuff. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Historic first for Rugby Sevens as 24 athletes named for Olympic Games". Olympic.org.nz. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Commonwealth Games". All Blacks. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ↑ "Experienced New Zealand sevens squads revealed for Commonwealth Games". Stuff. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ↑ "Hurricanes Poua lure NRLW champion Kiwi Fern home for Super Rugby Aupiki". Stuff. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ↑ Becht, Richard (20 September 2024). "Baker: I was over the moon when Ron called". New Zealand Warriors. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ↑ Farmer, Don (1 December 2012). "Baker's award win dedicated to 'papa'". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
External links
edit- Shakira Baker at the Black Ferns (archive)
- Shakira Baker at the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (archived)
- Shakira Baker at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
- Shakira Baker at Olympics.com
- Shakira Baker at Olympedia
- Shakira Baker at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)
- Shakira Baker on Instagram
