Jazmin Felix-Hotham is a New Zealand rugby sevens player. She plays for the Black Ferns Sevens and represents Waikato provincially. Hotham was a member of the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Another high school star, Jazmin Hotham, made her international debut in the victory at the Sydney Sevens in 2020.
COVID lockdowns meant it was almost two years before she got another taste of World Series Sevens, and she has gone on to become a regular in the Black Ferns Sevens. Hotham has impressed on the sevens field since starting in Year 10, and in 2017 helped guide her Hamilton Girls’ seven team to a National title before starring in the New Zealand Under 17 team that won the World School Sevens.
Hotham was still attending Hamilton Girls’ High School when she was given a development contract with the Black Ferns Sevens team. In 2017, she helped her school win the National Condors title and also scored the winning try in the World Schools Sevens final.
Hotham was initially chosen to captain the New Zealand girls’ sevens team to the 2018 Youth Olympics, but was ruled out due to a shoulder injury she received while playing representative rugby.
Hotham made her international debut for the Black Ferns sevens in the semi-final against France at the 2020 Sydney Women’s Sevens. She was named as a travelling reserve for the 2021 Olympics squad in Tokyo. Hotham was named in the Black Ferns squad for the 2022 Sevens Series. She made the Black Ferns Sevens squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She won a bronze medal at the event. She later won a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
On 20th June 2024, it was announced that she had been selected as a member of the New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens team for the Paris Olympics. Hotham scored four tries over the course of the Olympic sevens competition and won a gold medal after the New Zealand team triumphed against Canada in the final, 19-12.
Medal record representing New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Team competition
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Silver medal – second place 2022 Cape Town Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team competition
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Jazmin Felix-Hotham, an exceptionally talented New Zealand rugby sevens player. Here she talks about her fitness regime and her story of success.
Namita Nayyar:
You were born in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand. As a high school star, you made your international debut in the victory at the Sydney Sevens in 2020. This later propelled your career to the height where you have been at the top of the world as a women rugby player. Tell us more about your professional journey of exceptional hard work, tenacity, and endurance.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
I was born in Auckland but grew up in Hamilton. I have four siblings, including one sister and three brothers. Both my parents have represented New Zealand in Touch Rugby, so naturally myself my siblings and I grew up loving and playing all various sports. I tried a lot of sports, but my main ones are athletics, swimming, touch rugby, and football. My whole family played together in a mixed Touch team, and having three brothers, I played lots of rugby in the backyard with them. There was never much opportunity for girls to play rugby. In primary school, I was the only girl on the team, but I played because I just wanted to hang out with all of my mates, who at the time were boys.
It was later, when I reached high school, that I was asked to try out for the school rugby sevens team that was traveling to Japan, that I started to properly learn how to play. I really enjoyed it and loved that it provided me with the opportunity to travel to another country. I first watched the Black Ferns Sevens on TV when they competed at the Rio 2016 Olympics. I was 16, and at the time, my math teacher, Shakira Baker was actually a player on the team along with a few ex Hamilton Girls High students I had played touch with. I think watching them that year ignited this flame inside me that I wanted to one day wear a black jersey and represent my country for rugby sevens at an Olympic Games.
In 2017, after playing for my province at a national tournament, the Black Ferns coach rang me asking if I would like to have a year’s training contract with the team. At the time, I still had another year of high school, so I told the coach I had to ring my parents first and ask if I was allowed. My parents’ only condition was that I was never allowed to fall behind in my school work. Through my last year of high school, I would attend week-long training camps in Mount Maunganui, then go back to Hamilton and attend school. I was the school’s deputy head girl prefect, Sports captain prefect and a part of the senior touch, Rugby 1st XV, and Rugby Sevens teams. I definitely learnt time management and balance that year. In September of 2018, I dislocated my shoulder and needed to have shoulder reconstruction surgery.
A few days after surgery, I had a call from Allan Bunting, the coach asking if I’d like to be a full-time Black Ferns Sevens contracted player, and I probably almost redislocated my shoulder jumping up super happy celebrating. In 2019, I moved to Mount Maunganui to be a full-time professional Rugby Sevens player.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of womenfitness.net, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or in full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2025 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
It is a dream for a rugby player to play in the Olympic Games and win. You won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Tell us more about this spectacular achievement of yours.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
It definitely has been a dream of mine for sure. In 2018, two weeks out from the Youth Olympics, I dislocated my shoulder, so I was heartbroken to miss that. And then in 2020, I was selected as a traveling reserve player for the Tokyo Olympics. It was a very different experience since it was COVID at the time. I wasn’t allowed to stay in the village and had to stay isolated in a Tokyo hotel room, still preparing to play just in case I needed to be called into the playing team for injury cover. It was super special watching the girls through the TV screen win their gold medal, but I also really wanted to be within the team achieving it alongside them. It was a lot of fuel to ensure the next Olympic opportunity, I was putting on the jersey, playing with my team.
I remember even having my coach’s selection meeting to find out if I had made the team. I was super nervous and cried as soon as they told me. The whole Olympic experience was crazy. From being in the village seeing absolute sporting icons like Simon Biles and Rafael Nadal to playing in front of a women’s rugby record-breaking 70,000 spectator crowd. One of the biggest highlights was having so many of my family members and best friends fly across to watch. We unfortunately don’t have a home tournament on the World Series, so they rarely ever get to see me play live.
My sister, who I didn’t think was coming, surprised me in the crowd after our quarter-final. I cried so many times just being able to hug them after each game. They’re the ones that have supported and guided me through my sporting journey from when I was a kid, so it meant the world having them there to watch me fulfill my dream. I also remember when the final whistle was blown and we kicked the ball out, I just straight away chucked my hands up and ran straight to the closest player next to me, crying and jumping on them.
Namita Nayyar:
You are the world-leading International Rugby Player and played for the New Zealand Rugby Sevens squad. In 2017, you helped guide Hamilton Girls’ seven team to a National title before starring in the New Zealand under-17 team that won the World School Sevens. Elaborate on this landmark in your Rugby playing career.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
It’s quite funny, so in 2017, I actually fractured my wrist a week before our High School Nationals, so I was put in a cast and told I wouldn’t be able to play. I still went with the team to help support the,m and then the night before the tournament started, I just had this burst of adrenaline with the girls and was like ‘Nah let’s cut the cast off. I want to play.” So I cut it off, and the next morning went to my coach and said I’m ready to go. The Physio wasn’t too happy and told me the risks of playing, but I was super stern in saying I was willing to take the risk and to strap it up. And yeah, we ended up winning.
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine? You may wish to share.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
Our team is centralized, so we all live and train full-time together Monday- Friday in Mount Maunganui. Fitness conditioning is incorporated into our daily training through various conditioning games, and output is calculated through a GPS unit that each of us wears. Some days are dedicated to speed, so we will test our speed through lights, or we will test our fitness by doing a bronco test. Sprinting and speed are a massive part of our game, so every day we spend time doing a series of sprint primers and drills.
In the gym, we will do various exercises depending on the area our strength and conditioning coach is trying to target for that day (E.g., acceleration, deceleration, strength, or power). Between field and gym sessions, we’ll quite often have a watt bike session that we need to complete.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you train your abs? One secret to your toned body.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
We sprint a lot in Rugby Sevens, so lots of our gym exercises are focused on strengthening our core.
Namita Nayyar:
Do you take a special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
While we are at home training, we have a guided itinerary of windows for when and how much protein and carbohydrates we should aim to get in. Our nutritionist provides us with lots of different recipes and snack ideas that are healthy. In tournaments, we burn so many calories because it’s such a high-intensity sport so we focus on trying to get enough carbs in so that we are fueled and able to play six games over the weekend.
We always make our protein shakes pre-game and put them in a chilly bin so they’re the first thing we each have directly after finishing. Most countries we play in are really hot destinations, so sometimes it can be hard to eat between games. Lots of our snack options during tournaments are snacks easy to eat, like smoothies, cream rice, yogurt, jelly, banana’s etc.
Namita Nayyar:
Five foods you absolutely love and five you keep to a minimum.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
Foods I love:
- Vermicelli noodles
- All seafood
- Ramen or Pho
- Kumara (Sweet Potato)
- Thai curry
I’m a massive foodie, so I can’t even think of foods I don’t like!
Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your haircare and skincare routine.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
I absolutely love Japanese and Korean skincare. I also get facials every month.
Morning:-
Serum- Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid
Essence- Hada Labo Melano CC Vitamin C
Sunblock- Biore UV Sunscreen
Moisturiser- Illiyoon Ceramide ato concentrate Cream
Evening:-
Oil cleanser- SOftymo Speedy Cleansing oil
Cream cleanser- Murad Clarifying cleanser
Essence- COSRX Advanced 96 Snail Power Mucin
Hairmask- Fino premium touch hair mask
Namita Nayyar:
Five athletic leisure brands you love to wear.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
Adidas is our team’s major head-to-toe sponsor, so you’ll always see us rocking that.
Namita Nayyar:
Five travel destinations on your wish list.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
For Rugby Sevens, we play on a World Series circuit which includes tournaments in countries all around the world, so we are very fortunate to have traveled to lots of different countries. Our last tournament is always based in a European country, so for the past three years I’ve stayed on to travel Europe.
But my five travel destinations on my wish list would have to be:
- Egypt
- Vietnam
- Peru- Machu Picchu
- Samoa
- Mexico
Namita Nayyar:
You must have a Coach who has been a catalyst who helped you pave the way to rise in your career with discipline and a never-stopping attitude. Elaborate about his/her influence on your professional life?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
Hollie Graham was my High School Touch Rugby coach and recognised that there is no career pathway in Touch Rugby. But in rugby sevens, there is the opportunity to make it a full-time career with the ability to attend Commonwealth and Olympic games. She encouraged me to utilize and transfer my touch rugby skill set to play rugby sevens. As well as my coach, she was also a teacher and mentor who supported and challenged me to be the best human with positive influencing values I could be outside of the sporting arena. Hollie has also coached five other Hamilton Girls High School Touch players who have gone on to become New Zealand Rugby Sevens players.
Namita Nayyar:
During the COVID pandemic. Tell us more about a routine to remain fit in those challenging times?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
It was tough going from just making my World Series debut in Sydney to having country lockdowns and not playing sevens for a long time. I decided to go back home to my family home in Hamilton and be with my parents and my four other siblings. I’m really lucky that my younger brother Noah is also a professional rugby player for the Crusaders and All Blacks. So we had each other to stay motivated and train together. We are very competitive siblings, so it definitely helped push me to be fitter and faster training against him. He taught me a lot of skills he’s learnt in his rugby environment, which kept things fresh and gave me lots of new learning’s.
Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and the message for its visitors?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
Whether you’re looking for some educational guidance on all things women health health-related or wanting to simply read entertaining and interesting content, it’s all available at your fingertips on this website.
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding Rugby Playing girls, who are all your fans and would like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of playing Rugby?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
I tell them they are 100% capable of turning their dreams into reality if they are willing and prepared to put in the work to get there. You have the power to shape your own reality. Before you’re a rugby player, you’re a human. Take the time to learn yourself, your values, and habits because those are the things that will drive and lead you through the highs and lows of your sports journey. Above everything, though love what you do and enjoy every opportunity!!!
Namita Nayyar:
You have an impressive Instagram following of 18K followers. A message for your ardent admirers.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
I see my Instagram as just a way to store cool bookmark moments of my life that I enjoy scrolling back on and reminisce. So, to my surprise, it’s cool to have a large number of people who enjoy following along my journey, navigating life with me. I really appreciate having such amazing people from New Zealand and across the world who constantly support our team and me through all the highs and lows of sport.
Namita Nayyar:
You were initially chosen to captain the New Zealand girls’ sevens team to the 2018 Youth Olympics, but was ruled out due to a shoulder injury you received while playing representative rugby. In sports like Rugby, how were you able to overcome any physical or sports injury setbacks, and what advice can you give to those in a similar situation?
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
I always refer to this as a “springboard” moment in my life. A time that in the moment was really tough, but getting through to the other side of it, I really bounced back better than before, learning a lot about myself, what it means to be a team member, and strengthening my resilience.
I know it’s always hard when you get injured to get out of the “poor me”, “why me?”, “This sucks” attitude. But when you’re a part of a team, I think it’s really important to recognize that there’s still always a way to add value to your team and your team’s success, even though you may not be on the field. But for me, when I was ruled out of playing in the youth Olympics, I still made sure I stayed connected to the girls and offered support, feedback, and guidance to players whenever I could. I was also lucky enough to still go to Argentina and be able to support the team from the sidelines which was really special watching them win Gold and still feel a part of that success even though I didn’t take the field.
Advice I’d give to those with physical sports injuries is to view your period of time as an opportunity to try to learn something new or strengthen something else about yourself. Although it’s a hard, slow period of time rehabbing, celebrate all the small wins and signs of improvement, which will help maintain a positive perspective that you are getting closer and closer to reaching your comeback.
Namita Nayyar:
Quote you live by.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
“Ultimately, the only real thing about your journey is the step you’re taking right now”- Eckhart Tolle.
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about a day in the life of ‘Jazmin Felix-Hotham’.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham:
- 7 am- Wake up, cold shower, breakfast
- 8:30 am- Bike across the field to the training center and do individual rehab, roll out, trigger point
- 9 am- Rugby team meeting
- 9:30 am- Team prep to train- sprint drills in gym
- 10- 12 pm- Field training
- 12 pm- Recovery – Cold pool plunge
- 12:30 pm- Lunch
- 1 pm- Education session (e.g., Nutrition, Rugby analysis, Psychology)
- 2:30- 4 pm- Gym
- 6 pm- Cook dinner
- 9 pm- Night stretch routine, read a book in bed
- 10 pm- Sleep.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham Social Media Presence
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazzhotham/
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or in full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2025 Women Fitness