Cherry Blyde

{{Short description|New Zealand rugby union administrator and player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Cherry Blyde

| birth_name = Cheryth Dianne Sutton

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|12|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hāwera, New Zealand

| height = 1.67 m

| weight = 60 kg

| ru_position = Midfield back

| ru_provinceyears1 =

| ru_province1 = Taranaki

| ru_provinceapps1 =

| ru_provincepoints1 =0

| repyears1 = 1992

| repteam1 = New Zealand

| repcaps1 = 1

| reppoints1 = 0

| relatives = {{ubl|Michaela Blyde (daughter)|Liam Blyde (son)|{{nowrap|Michael Brake (son-in-law)}}}}

}}

Cheryth Dianne Blyde (née Sutton; born 14 December 1966) is a New Zealand rugby union administrator and former player.

Rugby career

Blyde grew up in Normanby in south Taranaki.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Mum's the Word |url=https://rugbynews.co.nz/mums-the-word/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Rugby News |language=en-NZ}} She converted to rugby after missing out on Taranaki's netball team in 1989.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Andy |date=2024-06-18 |title=Local Focus: Cherry smashes rugby's glass ceiling |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/local-focus-taranaki-rugby-president-cherry-blyde/RHBWPY65BH7DZVBBZRGVMACDG4/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-02 |title=Taranaki Rugby celebrate 30 years of women's rugby |url=https://www.trfu.co.nz/trfu |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=www.trfu.co.nz}}

Blyde made only one appearance for the Black Ferns on 30 August 1992, it was against an Auckland XV's side at Auckland.{{Cite web |last=Johannsen |first=Dana |date=2022-03-06 |title=Generation game: The wildly different experiences of mother-daughter Black Ferns Cherry and Michaela Blyde |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/127839794/generation-game-the-wildly-different-experiences-of-motherdaughter-black-ferns-cherry-and-michaela-blyde |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}} It was the first official women's game organised, sanctioned and paid for by the then, NZRFU.

Blyde transitioned into coaching to assist her twin boys.{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Will |date=2022-05-26 |title=Cherry Blyde becomes first female president of Taranaki Rugby in its 136-year history |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/300596933/cherry-blyde-becomes-first-female-president-of-taranaki-rugby-in-its-136year-history |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}} She had a stint as a Secondary Schools liaison officer for Taranaki Rugby between 2013 and 2016.

In 2022, she became Taranaki's first female president in its 136-year history, she previously served as vice-president for the union.

She is the mother of Black Ferns sevens star, Michaela Blyde.{{Cite web |last=Binner |first=Andrew |date=27 January 2023 |title=New Zealand rugby sevens star Michaela Blyde: "Nearly every visualisation that I've put in my head has happened" |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/rugby-sevens-michaela-blyde-exclusive-visualisation |access-date=18 June 2024 |website=Olympics.com}}{{Cite web |last=Shepard |first=Kit |date=2022-06-20 |title=Michaela Blyde: Ten things to know about the New Zealand Sevens back |url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/players/who-is-michaela-blyde-ten-things-you-should-know-about-the-new-zealand-sevens-back-141253 |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Rugby World |language=en-US}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}