Despite only having a population of around 4.4 million, New Zealand Rugby teams are often among the best in the world.
Rugby is the third biggest game in the world; and yet despite our small population (just 4.4 million people), New Zealand is the best in the world – both in the male and female leagues. This is especially important as NZ has a friendly rivalry with Australia, whose team, the Wallabies, are national leaders. Thus, games between them and the All Blacks receive a huge amount of attention.
Here is a list of indigenous New Zealander athletes and sportspeople who have influenced the NZ sports culture while Māori have been involved in many sports
1)Michael Campbell:
Māori have made their mark on the world sporting scene, ranging from a US Golf Open champion to an Olympic Games champion to a European football trophy winner. When he won the US Open in 2005, Michael Campbell joined Sir Bob Charles as New Zealand’s only men’s major golf tournament winner, winning the great Tiger Woods by four strokes.
Campbell, from Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru, backed up in 2005 by winning the $1.8 million World Match Play Championships title to cap a golden year of golf.
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2) Kayaker Lisa Carrington:
Lisa Carrington is a three-time Olympic medallist who won gold in London 2012 in the K1 200 m, retaining her title four years later with gold in Rio in the same race and adding a bronze medal at the same games in the K1 500 m.
In 2016 she was named Sportswoman of the Year at the World Paddle Awards. (15 Mar 2016)In 2015 a street was named after her in Ohope Beach in Whakatane, New Zealand.
3) Wynton Rufer:
Wynton Rufer was born in Wellington in December 1962, the son of a Swiss father and Maori mother. His incredible performances had seen him share the top goalscorer award with Ronald Koeman, but it was clear that he was a player coming in the twilight of his career.
He played for the All Whites in the 1982 World Cup finals, was voted Oceania’s player of the century.
4) Simon Wi Rutene:
Alongside Rory Fallon (Ngāti Porou), Jeremy Christie, who hails from Te Tai Tokerau, and Leo Bertos, a Wellingtonian with a Greek dad and a Māori wife, Reid was one of four Māori in the All Whites team.
In most codes, gifted Māori players abounded-remember double New Zealand rugby union and George Nepia international rugby league-and Bill Kini, heavyweight boxing king of the Commonwealth Games in 1966.
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5) Paul Henare:
Ever since his early days growing up in Hawke’s Bay, Paul Henare has made an incredible contribution to basketball in New Zealand. Until receiving his first Tall Blacks call up in 1999, he represented New Zealand via different age-group squads. He went on to make 129 Black Singlet appearances.
He played at the domestic level for the Hawks and Auckland Stars, winning NBL championships in 1999 and 2000. He won the Dave Taylor Trophy, given to the season’s assists champion, on five occasions.
SOME TOP MĀORI SPORTS ACHIEVERS:
Brothers Dick and Billy Wynard were part of the first New Zealand rugby league touring team – 1907-08 All Golds.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO NZ CULTURE?
It is a source of pride for our nation, and from young age children – both boys and girls – are introduced to it and play it. The All Blacks are national heroes and everyone knows and recognizes them. Every year there are competitions between the different cities teams, such as the Crusaders (Canterbury), the Blues (Auckland), and the Hurricanes (Wellington).
Ultimately, the reason it is so important to us is that, as a nation, we are born to be amazing players – and for those not quite as skilled in the sport (like me) we still love it!
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