Honey Kerslake steps into professional game determined to forge her own path

Honey Kerslake’s professional rugby career is only just under way, but the 19-year-old loose forward is already developing a reputation for the kind of confrontational, straight-line physicality that once defined her late father, former All Blacks star Jerry Collins.

Exeter Chiefs Women head coach Oli Bishop believes that blend of power and intent gives his new signing a point of difference in a squad already competing for places.

“What she brings is very different than a lot of the other players… it’s gonna be a huge part of what we’re looking forward to,” Bishop said.

Carrying a famous rugby name, on her terms

Collins’ legacy as one of the game’s most feared back-rowers continues to shape how the global rugby community views Kerslake. Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, a cousin of Collins, sees clear echoes of that style in the teenager’s game.

“You can see that she’s definitely got some of the traits of her father, she likes to run straight and she’s physical around what she does, and she’s not scared of anything,” Umaga told 1News.

Kerslake grew up with that reputation in the background but was introduced to the sport in her own right. She joined Ilfracombe Rugby Football Club at the age of 10 and has loved rugby since those first sessions.

Off the field, she credits her mother as the anchor that allowed her to pursue elite rugby while dealing with intense personal loss and the expectations attached to a globally recognised surname.

“She made me believe I can do anything.”

Even with the constant references to Collins, Kerslake is clear that her professional identity has to be distinct.

“Obviously, I’ve got loads of inspiration from everyone and obviously [Collins], but I think it’s really important that I find my own way through my pathway of rugby… I’m excited for the journey ahead.

“I just strive to be the best person and player I can be.”

A rapid rise through England’s age-grade pathway

Kerslake’s 2026 has already been crowded with milestones.

She began the year captaining Exeter College’s women’s side, a role that placed her at the centre of player development, on-field decision-making and leadership in a competitive English college system.

In April, she co-captained the England under-18 women’s team, earning a further call-up to the under-21s later in the season. Those selections place her firmly within the national high-performance pathway overseen by the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for the sport in England and the organiser of the country’s age-grade representative programmes and elite domestic competitions such as the Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby league via England Rugby.

Balancing that schedule with school commitments underlined both her workload and her appetite for pressure.

“I’ve loved it. I quite like being busy. At the time I was doing my A-levels [exams]… so it was chaos, but it was so exciting.”

For a young loose forward, consistent exposure to international age-grade environments is significant. It means regular access to elite coaching, formal reviews and video analysis structures that mirror the senior international game, laying foundations for potential senior selection in the coming years.

Exeter Chiefs opportunity in a growing professional landscape

In July, Kerslake was signed by Exeter Chiefs Women, joining one of England’s leading professional set-ups just as a pre-league competition gets under way. That step moves her into the fully professional daily rhythm of training, recovery and analysis that increasingly defines the women’s club game in England and across the northern hemisphere.

Within that squad she is already working alongside experienced international players, including Kiwi vice-captain Amy Rule, who is also her housemate.

“I love how diligent she is, she’s gonna probably hate me saying this but she’s a little iPad kid and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ but she’s actually always on Hudl [a sport video analysis platform],” Rule said.

“She’s always working on her craft and stuff so that’s really cool.”

That appetite for analysis is central to how many modern forwards close the gap between age-group promise and senior impact. In a league environment where selection is highly competitive and game time can be limited for teenagers, detailed study of opposition trends, breakdown pictures and defensive systems is often what helps younger players convince coaches they can be trusted in high-stakes minutes.

Kerslake describes herself as having “high aspirations” in the sport, which include being part of England’s women’s team. With her ties to New Zealand and Samoa, she is also aware that her long-term international future could involve difficult eligibility decisions.

For now, the focus is on establishing herself in Exeter’s environment and performing consistently in a league that is increasingly influential in shaping national-team selections across the women’s game.

Shaped by New Zealand rugby and Jerry Collins’ legacy

Growing up, Kerslake immersed herself in New Zealand rugby, consuming footage that connected her both to the All Blacks’ style and to her father’s career.

“Growing up, I think I only watched New Zealand rugby.”

That included repeatedly watching Collins’ highlights package and, in particular, the now-famous tackle on France’s Sébastien Chabal.

“Most of them are high tackles nowadays, so I don’t think I’ll be copying any of that anytime soon unless I want to be sent off the pitch (laughs).”

Her acknowledgement of how that tackle would now be viewed reflects how much the sport has changed since Collins’ playing days. World Rugby’s clampdown on high contact and the introduction of head-contact processes have fundamentally altered tackle technique at elite level. For a modern back-rower like Kerslake, channeling physicality within today’s disciplinary frameworks is essential to staying on the field and to being trusted by coaches in tight contests.

Three nations, one identity

Kerslake speaks often about wanting to represent her English, New Zealand and Samoan heritage as fully as she can, on and off the field.

“I just strive to be the best person and player I can be.”

That sense of identity has been reinforced by time spent playing and visiting family in New Zealand. Last summer she turned out for Northern United in Porirua, where Collins’ sister Brenda was part of the coaching group.

“I love visiting New Zealand and the support that I get from the community when I visit my family is immense.

“That’s the first time my grandfather watched me play because my grandma and my auntie came to watch me in under-18 Six Nations last year, so that was really special for me as well and just for them to get to see me play, I think it means a lot for them too.”

On the ground that bears her father’s name

During that stint, some of the most powerful moments came at Jerry Collins Stadium, where family, community and elite rugby intersected.

Umaga, now part of the All Blacks’ coaching set-up, was in the stands to watch her play on the field named in honour of her father.

“Seeing her follow in her father’s steps, very proud. On the ground of her father in front of her New Zealand family,” he said.

Kerslake also spent time with her sister Ayla in New Zealand. Ayla was just 10 weeks old when she survived the car crash in France in 2015 that killed their parents, Jerry Collins and Alana Madill.

“It’s just been great to get to know my family and things over that side.”

For Kerslake, those trips have added emotional depth to what might otherwise be a straightforward professional journey.

She finds it “really special” to hear new stories about her father from people who played with him, coached him or simply watched him from the terraces.

“No matter where I am, there’ll always be a connection back to him.”

Early career, long horizon

In the short term, Kerslake’s progression will be measured less in headlines and more in incremental gains: training intensity, pre-season minutes, and her ability to adapt to the physical and tactical speed of the professional club game.

Her path through Exeter College, England’s age-grade structures and now Exeter Chiefs Women places her firmly within the systems that shape selection and long-term development in the women’s game. With her blend of physicality, analytical approach and multi-national heritage, she is emerging as one of a growing cohort of young forwards whose careers will unfold at the intersection of professionalisation, stricter player-safety laws and increasingly competitive international pathways.

For now, she remains focused on the basics: carry hard, tackle low, learn quickly – and build a career that honours a famous name without being defined solely by it.