Wallace Sititi and his 19-year-old sister Amarante will both represent New Zealand against South African opposition at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday — the first time in 28 years that siblings have worn All Black and Black Ferns jerseys on the same day. The pair join Annaleah and Xavier Rush, who achieved the feat in 1998.
Both siblings will wear the number 20 jersey in their respective matches, with Wallace lining up against the Springboks and Amarante facing the Springbok Women. Their father, Semo Sititi, who captained Manu Samoa, flies in from Samoa to watch from the stands.
"It's extremely special; it's special just being in this All Blacks team, and to have my little sister next to me is extra special," Wallace said at an Adidas and Atlas Foundation community event this week.
Amarante, who graduated from Auckland Girls' Grammar School in 2025 and plays for the Blues in Super Rugby Aupiki, made her Black Ferns debut last month against Australia in Auckland, scoring a try off the bench in a 62-19 win. Wallace recalls the moment two years ago when she declared her professional ambitions.
"In her last two years of school, she really took it seriously, and I remember vividly a conversation we had one day after I picked her up from school. She said she wants to do this professionally. She has worked pretty hard, and I'm just extremely proud of her."
Amarante was equally candid about her brother's influence. "I don't think I've told him yet, but he's a big inspiration for me, just like my dad."
For Wallace, Saturday also carries competitive significance. His last appearance against the Springboks was the 43-10 loss in Wellington earlier in 2025, and he is eager to deliver a different result on South African soil. "The way we play rugby, we have a chip on our shoulders, and we go out there and have some fun and try to have an impact on the game. Hopefully it will be a better night out than what we saw in Wellington."