Jerry Collins’ Daughter Pays Tribute to Dad After Captaining England

The teenager, whose father earned 48 caps for New Zealand before his tragic death in 2015, has progressed rapidly through England’s age-grade pathway and recently stepped up from the Under-18 programme to the Under-21 squad.

Collins was playing club rugby in France for Narbonne when he and his partner were killed in a car accident nearly 11 years ago. Kerslake, who grew up in North Devon, says his legacy has remained central to her rugby journey.

“His inspiration has been one of my biggest driving factors to play rugby,” she said.

“My family in New Zealand still tell stories of everything that he brought to his community, on and off the pitch.”

The 18-year-old has also credited her mother for helping her overcome the lack of girls’ rugby opportunities in her area during her early years in the sport.

“My mum has been my biggest driver and has helped me get into different rugby environments, especially because of the lack of women’s teams in my area,” Kerslake explained.

“She comes to every game she can.”

Kerslake previously captained England at Under-18 level and earned promotion to the Under-21 setup following the Six Nations Festival earlier this year.

“It was really positive - all the girls wanted to learn and grow in the short space of time we had together,” she said.

“For this tournament, my biggest aim is to get on the pitch.”

Despite representing England, Kerslake admits her family’s loyalty still leans towards the All Blacks because of her father’s legacy.

“I had the black jersey on that day,” she joked while recalling the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup final between England and New Zealand.