New Zealand native Oceana has earned the well-deserved honour of Youth Unstoppable for being among an elite group that inspires young women in rugby to follow their dreams. With rugby in her bloodline, Oceana laced up her first pair of boots at the age of four, after her father, Ricky, took her to a rip tournament. She remembers feeling sceptical initially due to the cold weather, but she quickly "fell in love" with being on the pitch.

"My family's a big influence on me in terms of rugby because they did give me that wee little push forward," she reflects. "After my first game, the coach gave me Player of the Day because I scored a try, I made one rip, and I just loved the game from there."

Oceana also found family within her rugby teams, which compelled her to commit to playing the game at a high level for the next 14 years. "Every sport has its own culture," she says. "But amongst all the rugby teams I've been on, every single time it's been like a family. Rugby becomes [about] not just the game. Also, the friends you make are for-life friends, and rugby definitely builds a camaraderie that I feel other sports don't because you are literally putting your body on the line with the girls beside you."

Now 18, Oceana, who also plays basketball, volleyball, and touch, has proven herself both on the pitch and off. She's currently excelling on the sidelines as a coach for Otago Girls' High School where she also attends, all while she recovers from a broken foot that unfortunately has kept her off the pitch.

In addition to anchoring her high school team and the local U18 squad as a fly-half, Oceana made her Farah Palmer Cup debut at age 17 for Otago Spirit in July 2021 on the left wing, giving her the chance to compete against some of the world's best players. In just her second appearance, she scored a try and earned the Player of the Match award. Playing against elite level talent was an enlightening experience, as their knowledge and wisdom about the game was inspiring and "made me want, and see, my pathway more clearly," she says.

Earlier this year, Oceana and her parents received an unexpected surprise from a two time Rugby World Cup Winning Legend, announcing that she had been nominated as a Youth Unstoppable for being such a stellar ambassador for women in rugby. "I was like, 'Sorry?' A legend, one of the best players in the whole entire world, is just casually emailing me?" Oceana says, remembering the excitement.

As if that weren't enough, a few minutes later her phone vibrated with a notification. "It was crazy," she says, "and the next minute I see a follow request [from Cocksedge] on my Instagram and I almost passed out. I was like, 'I'm not prepared for this.' Emailing was all right, I was very excited, but once I got the Instagram follow, I was like oh no, this is next level!"

Oceana thrives in her leadership roles and has worked with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) as a secondary schools representative. These leadership qualities distinguish Oceana as a Youth Unstoppable, and she's dedicated to making an impact on the game. That's why her ultimate goal is to become CEO of NZR.

"[Becoming NZR CEO is] definitely a far-fetched dream," she says. But, serving on multiple rugby boards, Oceana has her foot in the door, and she plans to stay involved in the women's rugby scene long after her playing career ends.

This year, Oceana will begin studying for her degree in sports exercise science at Otago University, and she's overwhelmed with excitement for her home country to be hosting the Rugby World Cup. "Hosting [the Rugby World Cup] makes it huge for New Zealand, specifically the girls here, being able to see the international teams come play down here," she says. "I feel that the more exposure there is to rugby, the more girls are like, 'Oh, that's actually pretty cool." Oceana hopes to see more young women on the pitch for years to come.