Incoming Netball New Zealand president Tina Karaitiana is "thrilled" to take on the role.
Hailing from Te Tai Rāwhiti, Karaitiana has dedicated nearly 50 years of service to netball in Aotearoa, including serving as a board member of Netball NZ from 1997 to 2005.
"It's great to be back. And to be honest, it's lovely," she says.
Karaitiana takes over from Carole Maddix who has completed her four-year term. She brings years of administration, umpiring and coaching experience with her. She hopes her passion for the sport and her ao Māori can once again have Netball NZ lead the world.
"One of the things I learned through the international space was they looked at New Zealand netball as the front runner of netball across the world because we had so much media coverage, the whole nine yards. And I recall talking to my colleagues across the ditch, they were so envious of it. But now the rest of the world has caught up and we just have to lift our game.
The value of indigeneity
"I'd like to think that if we're going to look at new strategies to take our sport and retain our position that I would have influence in that area, that Netball NZ will be bold and brave enough, and I know it is, to see the value that the indigeneity and indigenous people bring, and in our case, Māori and our Polynesian whānau."
Karaitiana also has extensive experience on numerous boards and trusts at local, national and international level. These include Oceania delegate to World Netball, Sport & Recreation NZ (SPARC) Board, Community Lotteries, Lottery Community Facilities and Lottery Significant Projects. Local organisations she has been involved with include the NZCT, Gisborne RAC, Chelsea Hospital trustee and being a Māori Women's Welfare League member.
Karaitiana knows that the biggest challenge for netball in Aotearoa isn't necessarily coming from its international rivals.
"Now we're competing against women's rugby, women's cricket, and women's football, so we have to find another position that we can take our netball, so we've still got it as the No. 1 sport for women and teenagers rangatahi in Aotearoa."
She has completed a PhD, focusing on indigenous businesswomen being agents for change in social reform. It is another skill set she hopes will help her influence change within Netball NZ during her term.
