BROUGHTON Gayle

General
TOUGH BEGINNINGS
She says getting into rugby was a turning point in her life after she was expelled from school as a teenager. "If it wasn't for rugby I'd probably be in jail right now or six feet under. My nan, who raised my brothers and I, would drive me every morning at 06:00 to training. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't actually be playing rugby. She's just always seen something in me that I haven't seen. At age 16, I wasn't really good at waking up early and I wasn't really good at handling responsibility well. I had terrible communication skills. I was just like, 'If I never get to actually play for this sevens team, I don't really care'. If I was looking in from the outside now, I would be like, 'This little Maori kid just doesn't take anything seriously'." She later moved away from home to live with then sevens national coach Sean Horan near the team's base in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. "For the first three months I absolutely hated it. I was totally out of my comfort zone. I was used to having my nan around, I couldn't cook and I didn't know how to pay bills. I contemplated leaving [but] I'm so happy and proud that I stuck it out. When I really look back and reflect on everything, it could have been so different for me." (stuff.co.nz, 22 Nov 2018, 17 Jul 2016)

STUDIES
In March 2020 she qualified as a personal trainer after graduating from the New Zealand Institute of Health and Fitness. "For me, it's a great accomplishment that I passed. The last time I studied was when I was 15 and by then I had already been kicked out of high school. I didn't have the greatest record at school." (allblacks.com, 03 Jul 2016, 17 Mar 2020)