Melissa Ruscoe

Melissa Ruscoe
Personal information
Full name Melissa Ruscoe
Date of birth 15 December 1976 (1976-12-15) (age 35)
Place of birth New Zealand
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
National team
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1994-2000  New Zealand 23 (2)
† Appearances (Goals).

Melissa Ruscoe MNZM (born 15 December 1976) is a New Zealand sportswoman who has served as captain of her country's national team in two different football codes—association football and rugby union.[1]

In soccer, Ruscoe made her Football Ferns debut in a 0-1 loss to Bulgaria on 24 August 1994,[2] and finished her international career with 23 caps and 2 goals to her credit.[3]

After leaving behind her international career in soccer, she switched to rugby, joining the Canterbury team in New Zealand's women's provincial championship in 2003. As a loose forward, she made the Black Ferns the following year. She has played on Black Ferns teams that won the Churchill Cup in 2004 and the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2006, and was also named the New Zealand women's player of the year in 2005. Ruscoe captained the Black Ferns to victory in the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup.[1][4]

Ruscoe was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2011 New Year Honours, for services to women's rugby.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Player Profiles — Melissa Ruscoe". New Zealand Rugby Union. http://allblacks.com/index.cfm?layout=nzTeamPlayerProfile&playerID=1160. Retrieved 2010-08-19. 
  2. ^ "Football Ferns - Line-ups". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/id42.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
  3. ^ "Caps 'n' Goals, New Zealand Women's national representatives". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/id38.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
  4. ^ "Black Ferns four times World Champions". New Zealand Rugby Union. 2010-06-09. http://allblacks.com/news/14177/Black-Ferns-four-times-World-Champions. Retrieved 2010-09-24. 
  5. ^ "New Year Honours 2011". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2010. http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/list.asp?id=49. Retrieved 31 December 2010. 

External links