“I’dtriedbeinga vegetarian
becauseI liketopractiseallthe
fadsandhonestlythoughtI
feltillbecauseI wasn’teating
meat,”laughsCat,whofound
outshewaspregnantwhile
Jim,31,wasalsoinScotland
withhisItalianteamZebre
RugbyfortheSixNations.
“I startedcryingandJim
jumpedupanddown,thenI
thought,‘OhmyGod,it’sgoing
tohurt!’”
Whenherflankerhubby
returnedtoItaly,Cathadonly
herteammatesforcompany
andkeptthepregnancyto
herself.It’dbeenthreemonths
sincesheshiftedfromNew
Zealandtojointheteamand
beclosertoJim.
“ButI wasthrowingupall
dayandnightuntiltherewas
nothing,”recallstheformer
NorthernMysticsplayer,who
madethegut-wrenching
decisiontoendherseason
withtheSirensinMarch.
“I wastryingtowaitforit
topassandjuststayedhome
asmuchasI could,butit kept
gettingworseandworse.”
Atthetimeshewas
injectingherselfwithblood
thinners,aftersurgeryin 2017
foraninjuredkneecaused
bloodclots.“I ranoutof
medicationbychanceand
couldn’tgeta repeatuntil
I sawa doctor.Hedidtests
that showed everything wasreallylow,”shetells.“I hadto
gostraighttohospitaltobe
replenishedandgivenanti-
nauseamedication,which
mademefeela bitbetter.”
Buttherewasstilltheguilt
oflettingherteamdown.When
sheeventuallytoldhercoach
anddecidedtosurrender,the
teamwassupportive,andCat
phonedJimtosayshewas
leavingScotland.Hebooked
a flighttohelpherpackand
movetoItaly.
“Itwasthefirsttimein
fouryearswe’dlivedtogether,
andI thoughtweweregoing
tokilleachotherfora bit!”
admitsCat,whocannolonger
flywhileshe’spregnantin
caseofanotherbloodclot.
It wasinItalythecouple
foundoutthey’rehavinga boy- despiteCatbeingconvinced
otherwise!“I thoughtI was
havinga girlI coulddressup
inglitteryclothes,andfeltlike
a badmumwhenI cried,”
laughsthehormonalathlete,
whowillgivebirthinAuckland,
whileJimhastobeinJapan
fortheRugbyWorldCup.
Theexciteddadsayshe’s
lookingforwardtohaving
a mini-merunaround.“All
babiesareblessingsandI’ve
alwayslookedforwardto
becominga father,”hesays.
“It’shardnotbeingthereto
helpCatthroughappointments
and everyday tasks like tying
TheformerSilver
Fernmarriedherhigh-
schoolsweetheartJim
in 2016 (aboveright).TEXT: CLOE WILLETTS. PICTURES: GETTY IMAGES, ZARA JAY PHOTOGRAPHY.shoelaces,butI knowshe’llbe
OKandownit.She’sa strong
womanwithsupportfrom
bothfamilies.”
Catwipesawaytearsas
shetalksaboutherbestfriend
notbeingtheretoenjoythe
littlethings,likehergradually
expandingbelly.
“It’shard,butI’mwilling
togiveupJimbeingatthe
birthofourfirstbornbecause
everythingwe’vedone– the
fouryearslivingapart– would
seemlikea wasteotherwise,”
shesays.“It’snoteasyfor
himeitherandsometimes
whenwetalkhetriesnotto
getupsetbecauseI am.”
Jimsaysit’shishigh-school
sweetheart’sselflessnessand
independencehelovesmost.
Shecallsit stubbornness.
“Cat’sbeenamazingand
verysupportiveofnotonly
myjob,buteverythingwe
do,” he says. “It’s a qualityI’vealwaysbeenattractedto.”
Hopingfora naturalbirth,
withsupportfromhersisters
andmum,Catplanstoreturn
to Italyaftertheirson’ssix-week
injections.Inthemeantime,
Jim’sdecoratingthenursery.
“I’mnervousbutexcited
towatchourbabygrowand
toseeJimbea dad,”shares
Cat,dabbinghereyesagain.
“AllI needtodois getthrough
thesetearsandthehardpart
ofnothavinghimaround,
soI canhavethebabysafely
andpeacefully.”
Jim’sexcitedlyholdingon
tohisdreamofcominghome
aftera toughdayofworkand
havinghiswifeandsonthere
togreethim.
“It’ssomethingI’vealways
wanted,myownlittlefamily,”
hesays.“Thedaywesawthe
doublelinesonthepregnancy
testwasoneofthehappiest
momentsofmylife.” #OING IT WITHOUT JIM!
Cat’s pregn ant & alone
CATONTHESILVERFERNS’
WORLDCUPWIN:
“Iwasathomewatchingthemost
excitinggameofnetballeveron
myphone,andI’veneverhadso
muchfaithina team.I waslucky
enoughtointervieweachofthem
beforetheyheadedoffandthere
wasthislookintheireyes,like
ferocioussurety.Acalmness
amongstsomuchcontroversy.
They’veshowntenacity,passion
andprideandI’msograteful
to be aKiwirightnow.”EcstaticSilver
FernsLaura
Langman(left)
andPhoenix
Karaka. Woman’s Day 33