Background

Farah Rangikoepa Palmer was born in Te Kuiti in 1972 and is of Tainui descent (Ngati Mahuta and Ngati Waiora). She was raised in the farming community of Piopio where she attended Piopio Primary School and Piopio College playing netball competitively and also participating in other sports - athletics, swimming, tennis, highland dancing, and cross-country.

Her introduction to rugby was taking part in a fun game played as a curtain-raiser to the district's annual Married v Singles social fixture. Finishing school in 1990 Farah moved to Dunedin to attend Otago University and in 1992 she joined the university rugby club. Farah made her international debut for the Black Ferns, the NZ Women’s Rugby Team, in 1996, and became the captain in 1997. Farah captained the Black Ferns to successfully win three consecutive World Championships (1998, 2002 and 2006).

Having completed her Bachelor of Physical Education (with Honours) Farah commenced working towards a PhD in sports sociology which she completed at Otago University in 2000. In 2001 Farah moved to her current position in Palmerston North to become a Senior Lecturer in Sports management at Massey University. She also took on the role of Director of the Maori Business Research Centre at Massey from 2003 to 2006.

In addition to her sporting and academic achievements Farah has received numerous awards. She has been named the NZRU Women's Player of the Year 1998, IRB International Women's Personality of the Year 2005, Māori Sportsperson of the Year 1998 and 2006, nominated for Halberg Sportswoman of the year 2006 and is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to women's rugby and sport. She has been involved in a Women’s Advisory Committee for the International Rugby Board (IRB) and is currently the first woman to be appointed to the Māori Rugby Board as an independent Director. In 2007 she was a presenter on the popular Māori Television sports show – CODE.

Farah’s life philosophy is one of continually striving to achieve balance, seek out challenges, and encourage as many people as possible to question stereotypes, step outside their comfort zones, and to work hard for what they believe in.