Sophie Devine

Sophie Frances Monique Devine was born on September 1, 1989, in Porirua, New Zealand. She developed an early interest in sports, playing both cricket and field hockey from the age of four. Devine attended Greenacres School and Tawa College in Wellington, where she excelled in both sports, often playing in boys’ teams. A notable achievement during her school years at Tawa College was receiving the ‘wicket’ award for the most wickets in a season, a recognition previously held by Black Caps player Mark Gillespie. At 14, Devine made her first-class cricket debut, setting an early precedent for her professional trajectory. In late 2006, her family relocated to Christchurch, and she completed her final high school year at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in sociology at the University of Canterbury.

Devine’s career saw her debut for the New Zealand national women’s cricket team, the White Ferns, at 17, making her one of the youngest members of the squad. In 2009, she was part of the New Zealand teams that were runners-up in both the Women’s Cricket World Cup and the Women’s World Twenty20. Her performance continued to gain recognition, leading to a central contract from New Zealand Cricket in August 2018 following tours of Ireland and England. In October 2018, she was selected for New Zealand’s squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20, where she was identified as a key player. Her leadership qualities were formally recognized in July 2020 when she was appointed the full-time captain of the New Zealand women’s cricket team. Devine has achieved significant milestones, including becoming the first cricketer (male or female) to record five consecutive scores of fifty or more in T20Is in February 2020.

Throughout her career, Devine has played for various domestic teams globally. She represented Wellington Blaze from 2003/04–2006/07 and again from 2008/09–present, and Canterbury Magicians in 2007/08. Internationally, her domestic career includes stints with the Adelaide Strikers (2015/16–2019/20), Perth Scorchers (2020/21–present), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2023–present). She also holds records such as the fastest Twenty20 International half-century (18 balls) and the fastest women’s T20 century (36 balls). In 2022, she captained the New Zealand team to a bronze medal in cricket at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Most recently, in September 2024, she led the New Zealand squad to victory in the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, marking a significant achievement in her captaincy role. In the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, Devine was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to cricket.