‘Feel like he needed the hug more than me,’ Black Fern says of King Charles interaction

Black Ferns winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga didn’t think something as simple as a hug would make headlines across the globe.
But the Black Ferns did just that, with footage of a group hug with King Charles during the side’s visit to Buckingham Palace yesterday going viral.
It was a rare scene; generally, the royals are greeted with a bow, curtsy or handshake. But when Leti-I’iga asked for a hug, the King obliged – a glowing smile, and perhaps a hint of surprise, on his face as it ended up being a group hug with four Black Ferns.
“At the time, I didn’t know that you’re not actually allowed to hug the King. Now I understand why it’s a big thing,” Leti-I’iga said.
“Anyone that knows me knows that that’s me normally. I think that’s just Kiwi behaviour – we say hi with hugs, not handshakes, so that was pretty normal.”
A later video published on the Black Ferns’ Instagram channel showed members of the team being shown the proper way of greeting the King – how to bow and curtsy correctly – and showed other interactions, including Ruby Tui saying “Cheers mate. Sup G? How are you” upon greeting him.
Head coach Allan Bunting also greeted the King with a hongi.
After the group hug, other members of the team were also permitted to hug the King.
“If anything, I feel like he needed the hug more than me,” Leti-I’iga said.
“I actually didn’t see his reaction until I saw the footage and it was wholesome. It was a great hug.”
Addressing the squad later in the day, the King said it was “very healing”.
The 75-year-old will be making his way to this side of the world next month, however he won’t be visiting New Zealand and shortened his stay in Australia following a cancer diagnosis earlier in the year.
The Mirror reported King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Oceania tour had been altered due to doctors’ fears he was doing too much following that diagnosis, with visits to Samoa and Australia remaining on the schedule – the latter cut by six days.
The Black Ferns now turn their attention to their standalone test against England at Twickenham on Sunday morning.
It’s their first meeting against the Red Roses since losing 33-12 at Mt Smart late last year, and the first of two tests the teams will play against each other in the coming weeks.
Both sides again qualified for the WXV 1 tournament in Canada, which sees the top three Six Nations teams clash with the top three Pacific Four teams over a three-week period, which begins later this month.
Leti-I’iga will make her first start of the year in this weekend’s test, completing her return from an ACL injury that has kept her on the sidelines all season.
“That was definitely a shock,” Leti-I’iga said of being named to start.
“My goal was actually just to make the 23. To get a starting position is a bonus. We have so much depth in our outside backs, we could have gone with whoever and I know they would have done the job as well.
“I’m pretty grateful that I’m in the position I am.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.