Marcelle Parkes has completed a remarkable comeback to the Black Ferns and it's all thanks to a joke made by one of her coaches a year ago.
The Matatū player has been selected in the Black Ferns' first squad of 2024 as a loosehead prop, a position she only started playing last year after switching from loose forward.
Parkes, 26, played five tests for the Black Ferns as a loose forward between 2018 and 2019, but hadn't been considered for international selection since 2020.
It was only when Matatū head coach Whitney Hansen began joking about Parkes switching to the front row, that she realised that change could be her ticket back to international rugby.
"It was actually just an ongoing joke last year in Super [Rugby Aupiki] and my initial response was, are you serious?" Parkes told Newshub.
"And then midway through last year I had some honest conversations around what the future could look like for me, and the dream of being a Black Fern was still there and so I just decided to give it a go."
And it's a risk that's clearly paid off. Parkes was one of 40 contracted Black Ferns announced by New Zealand Rugby on Monday, ending her four-year drought.
It wasn't an easy transition, however. Parkes had to completely remould her game while convincing coaches that she could make an impact in her new position.
"It was very difficult going from the back of the scrum to the front, a lot of hard work."
"You take for granted what they do upfront when you're at the back so I'm really grateful to learn from some of the best and get into the tough work."
It helped that change was wholeheartedly encouraged by Black Ferns head coach Allan Bunting, who was adamant Parkes had a unique skillset that would transition well into the front row.
"She's been brave, really brave," said Bunting.
"You know she's been a Black Fern before as a loose forward and for her to jump into the front row it just tells you how hungry she is and she's made massive progress in that area."
"We want her to play like a loosey with the technically ability in the scrum."
Parkes jumped at that idea.
Despite making just four appearances off the bench for the Matatū during the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki season, Parkes impressed Bunting enough to receive a call-up.
"The mould of a prop is changing, and I like the direction Bunts [Allan Bunting] was going with it," said Parkes.
"We just had some honest conversations that that could be a future for me and I thought I could give it a crack and put my all into it."
