Former Black Ferns Star Cheryl Waaka Battles Stage 4 Bowel Cancer, Highlights Screening Disparities
A former star of New Zealand’s Black Ferns rugby team, Cheryl Waaka, is facing a formidable challenge: stage 4 bowel cancer. The diagnosis, received in June, has deeply saddened the two-time World Cup champion, who continues to advocate for the game despite her illness.
Waaka, a proud Māori woman of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahungunu descent, described a sudden and devastating turn of events. “I was healthy, running around, doing my everyday job,” she recounted. “It was King’s birthday weekend. I was running the line…and three days later, I’m on the floor in excruciating pain.”
She remembers a frantic journey to receive a diagnosis. “I got my brother to get me to the GP… Ambulance to Kawakawa. Ambulance to Whangārei and then that night, broke the news that I have a tumour in my bowel and I need to have emergency surgery.” While surgeons successfully removed the initial tumor, the cancer had unfortunately spread to her liver.
The case underscores a growing debate surrounding bowel cancer screening ages in New Zealand. In March, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced the national screening age would be lowered from 60 to 58, projecting it would prevent 771 cancers and 566 deaths over the next 25 years. However, this decision redirected funding from a pilot program offering screening to Māori and Pacific peoples starting at age 50. Critics have labeled the move “institutionalised racism,” citing that half of all bowel cancers in Māori are diagnosed before age 60.
Waaka believes earlier screening could have drastically altered her outcome. “If it didn’t happen now, would [the tumor] have been still sitting there, and by the time I got to 58, if I got to 58, it might have been too late,” she said. “You look at me, strong, fit, healthy. It can happen to anyone. And I don’t want it to happen to anyone.”
The emotional toll extends to her family. Recalling the moment she told her two children, Waaka said, “I wouldn’t like to wish that on anybody… I was trying to hold myself to be strong, as we do as wāhine. So that was one of the hardest moments of my life. I wouldn’t wish that.”
Experts note a concerning trend of rising early-onset colorectal cancer. University of Otago researcher Dr. Oliver Waddell has reported a 26% increase per decade in these cases over the past 20 years. Researchers and Māori health practitioners are advocating for a screening age of 45, aligning with practices in many other countries.
Waaka emphasized the potential economic benefits of earlier detection. “If we had [earlier] screening, I most probably wouldn’t be costing the country money,” she stated. “If I was able to get screened at a younger age, you just imagine how much money this government will be saving in health costs.” The cost of bowel cancer treatment escalates with the stage of diagnosis, with stage 4 being the most expensive.
Currently, Waaka requires a non-funded drug to supplement her chemotherapy, carrying a price tag of $30,000. She has initiated fundraising efforts to afford the treatment, scheduled to begin on August 11. “Life is hard, people are struggling and for me, I feel like I’m taken from the whānau,” she acknowledged, expressing gratitude for the community support.
Despite her personal battle, Waaka remains focused on her legacy. “I’m never one to ask for help, but I’m always giving,” she said. “So for me, my legacy will be that I’ve given everything that I can, and hope I’ve just left something that will remind people of me.”
