Joanah Ngan-Woo
# Joanah Ngan-Woo

Joanah Ngan-Woo (born 15 December 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays Lock for the Black Ferns and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Wellington provincially.

## Personal life

Ngan-Woo is of Chinese and Samoan descent. Her great-grandfather migrated from China to Samoa. She took up rugby in Year 9 at St Catherine's College in 2009 and was soon promoted to the Oriental Rongotai seniors while still a schoolgirl. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Education from Victoria University and also completed a Masters in International Relations in 2019.

## Rugby career

### 2018

Ngan-Woo was one of 28 players who were the first to receive a professional contract with the Black Ferns.

### 2019

Ngan-Woo made her Black Ferns test debut against the United States on 2 July in the Women's Rugby Super Series in San Diego. She later earned her second cap against England. Ngan-Woo scored her first international try against Australia on 10 August at Perth. The Black Ferns thrashed the Wallaroos 47–10.

### 2021

Ngan-Woo was selected for the Black Ferns 2021 Europe tour, she played in the second test match against England and in the first test match against France.

### 2022

Ngan-Woo signed with the Hurricanes Poua for the inaugural 2022 season of Super Rugby Aupiki and scored the first ever Hurricanes Poua try against Chiefs Manawa in Hamilton.

Ngan-Woo was named for the Black Ferns squad for the 2022 Pacific Four Series. She was selected again for the two-test series against the Wallaroos for the Laurie O'Reilly Cup in August where she scored tries in both tests.

Ngan-Woo made the Black Ferns 32-player squad for the 2021 Rugby World Cup. She became the first ever Black Fern forward to score a first try in a Rugby World Cup. In the World Cup final, she made the winning play as she stole the ball from England's line-out throw.

### 2023

Ngan-Woo recommitted to Hurricanes Poua for a second season.

