You've only been picked to play the guitar.

That's among the examples of alleged verbal abuse Black Fern Te Kura Ngata Aerengamate claims were levelled against her by the team's coaching staff.

The hooker's revealed on social media that the toll of alleged regular verbal barbs boiled over on the recent end-of-year tour when she had a mental breakdown.

Ngata Aerengamate alleges throughout her years in the team she was sworn at, and questioned about what her students thought of her.

New Zealand Rugby has been approached for comment.

"One week post tour and the emotions are real. The should I speak up or should I stay quiet runs through my mind a thousand times. Never would I have ever thought that I would become mentally ill in a sport that I loved so much," Ngata Aerengamate said on Instagram.

"I didn't perform the way I wanted to this tour. And the way I have been playing the last few years hasn't been my best.

Over the past 8 years that I have been in the Black Ferns, I have struggled mentally and finally let it all out on the most recent tour."

"Yes, I had a mental breakdown in front of everyone."

Ngata Aerengamate then listed alleged comments made to her by coaching staff,

"- That I had been selected but didn't deserve to be in the team
"- That he was embarrassed for me
"-I was told that he couldn't tell my worth in the Blackferns
"- I was told what would my students think of me?
"- I was sworn at for wearing my jacket around my hips, I was yelled at running to rucks, how I ran the ball, anything I did I felt I was doing wrong.
" - a recent comment that I was picked only to play the guitar," she posted.

"From these comments I ended up going crazy. I had to do anger management counselling, I had discovered anxiety & hyperventilating for the first time in my life, I could hear these comments in my mind as I threw the ball. My confidence and self-esteem was so low that it made me play like I was walking on egg shells and was constantly too scared to express myself. I invited self doubt and insecurities; some being unbearable to look myself in the mirror," she said.

"The reality is that I had been defeated and it was so dark that I could no longer see my WHY. I had forgotten about the 5year old girl who started playing rugby with her cousins 25 years ago.

"I let the words over the years get to me, the words became the flesh. Lesson is, never let anyone dim your light. Be proud of who you are. If you are treated unfairly, hit them up unapologetically because at the end of the day it's your mana on the line.

"I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm still a person and at the very least deserve to be treated with respect.

"Now I'm on a journey of healing. Stand up. Speak up. Know your worth".