Melodie Robinson’s family has a roster of former male rugby players. However, women were not encouraged to play when Melodie was young, and she didn’t think she could follow in their footsteps. When a women’s team was finally created, Melodie quickly became one of the more recognizable female faces in the world of New Zealand rugby, winning two World Cups with the Black Ferns, the women’s national team.

The ambition and drive gained from rugby helped Melodie transition into a successful career in journalism. She earned her first sports role with Sky Network Television, and, even though she is a respected voice in rugby, Melodie has still dealt with unfair criticism due to her gender. She wants to push for an exclusively women’s sports show geared towards celebrating the country’s rising number of female athletes, and she is constantly advocating for better coverage of women’s rugby competitions. Her prominent role covering women’s sports has led to an increase of features on women and a pathway for women to talk about sports. Melodie has launched several networking-based mentorship programs for young women in sports and aspiring female sports journalists in New Zealand.