Manaia Nuku joined the Black Ferns Sevens squad in 2021 in her first year out of high school. An impressive 2020 saw Nuku make her Farah Palmer Cup debut for Waikato and captain the New Zealand Condor Schools sevens team. She was also a standout performer at the Red Bull Ignite7 tournament. Nuku was a member of the gold medal winning Black Ferns Sevens at the Paris Olympics.

A composed and intelligent playmaker, Nuku brings strong distribution, tactical awareness and defensive organisation to the side. Her ability to control momentum and consistently perform in high-pressure matches has made her a key figure within the programme.