Junior forward Gabi Rennie grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, where rugby, netball and soccer were the three main sports that everyone played. After trying each sport and seeing her older brother play soccer, picking up the sport became a no-brainer.
"Soccer was the most fun for me and I got to be the most competitive version of myself," said Rennie, who is majoring in interdisciplinary studies. "I also found my group of best friends playing soccer, which kept me in the sport."
Rennie began her soccer career playing for Waimakariri United F.C., a soccer club based in Rangiora, New Zealand, from 2006 to 2018. Her career took off when she was invited to join the New Zealand U17 national team and compete in the 2018 FIFA U17 World Cup.
The U17 squad made history at the 2018 FIFA U17 World Cup earning the bronze medal and in the process becoming the first New Zealand team to win a medal in a FIFA tournament.
"We blew everyone's expectations away since most people did not expect us to even win a game in our group, let alone win the bronze medal final," Rennie said. "I realized how much of an impact it had on women's football in New Zealand in general when we returned home and it was amazing to be a part of that."
Rennie was promoted to the U20 New Zealand squad, where she was named captain. Three years later she was able to complete one of her lifelong goals.
"I got a call to come to the pre-Olympic camp for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics," Rennie said. "I thought I was going to just help in training and be an extra body in the camp. I trained well and was called into a meeting with a head coach who told me I made the 18-woman roster and would go to Tokyo."
The trip to Tokyo did not disappoint. Rennie made her national team debut at the end of a qualifying game against Australia. In extra time, a cross found its way to Rennie, who scored with her first-ever touch as a member of the squad.
In 2020, Rennie made another career-defining decision to move to the U.S. to play collegiate soccer. She decided to take her talents to the University of Indiana where she played 20 matches in two years with the program. She struggled to find her form with the team, only managing one assist.
"Indiana was a massive personal growth stage for me," Rennie said. "At times I questioned if I still wanted to play, my abilities, and conference. My time with Indiana helped me know my value and how to get the best out of myself."
After two seasons with the Hoosiers, Rennie decided it was not the right fit and entered the transfer portal for the 2022-23 season.
Two factors contributed to Rennie's decision to join the Sun Devils, the main one being junior defender Tahlia Herman-Watt.
Herman-Watt and Rennie grew up about 30 minutes away from each other in New Zealand and met playing soccer for the same club team at 10 years old. Rennie was below Herman-Watt's age group, so they didn't play together until they got to high school where they were teammates for five years.
"I introduced Rennie to the idea to come here when I heard she was in the transfer portal," Herman-Watt said. "We had a phone call and I gave Rennie my honest opinion about the University, coaches and team."
The other factor that helped Rennie choose ASU was that head coach Graham Winkworth had tried to recruit her in 2020.
"Gabi came on our radar while she was still in New Zealand when she was being recruited the first time around," Winkworth said. "She was heavily recruited and we did not have any resources available at the time. When she came back on the transfer portal I think that gave us an advantage over other teams because we had already established that relationship the first time recruiting her."
Now at ASU, she has fit into the team with ease.
"Rennie is a leader and people person who can talk to anyone," Herman-Watt said. "There was an immediate bond with the team, and since the girls already knew a New Zealand girl, they were used to her accent and the friendliness that comes with New Zealand's culture."
So far in nine games with the Sun Devils, Rennie has started in two, has one assist and has six shots on the goal. Her success so far is due in part to her speed which Herman-Watt and Winkworth said was one of the stronger parts of her game.
It still baffles Rennie and Herman-Watt that they ended up on the same team again.
"I see her every day and we both cannot believe that we have played together since we were so little and it is nice to feel a little bit of home with her," Herman-Watt said. "I talk to her about everything and we were talking today about how crazy it is we ended up on the same path right now."
Edited by Kathryn Field, Piper Hansen and Greta Forslund.
Reach the reporter at bsilvyn@asu.edu and follow @BSilvyn on Twitter.
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Bennett Silvyn is a reporter for the sports desk at The State Press. He has previously worked for Walter Cronkite Sports Network and FC Tucson.
