The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games have come to an end, with Aotearoa bringing home 36 medals - 10 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze. Of those, around 12 were won by Māori athletes.
The Silver Ferns claimed Team New Zealand’s final medal of the Games, beating Jamaica 56-48 to win gold in the women’s netball final.
The victory ended the team’s 16-year Commonwealth Games gold medal drought, with their last title coming in 2010.
Three kaitākaro Māori helped lead the Ferns to victory: Mila Reuelu-Buchanan (Ngāti Porou) at wing defence (WD), Kelly Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu) at goal keeper (GK), and Kimiora Poi (Ngāti Porou), who had an impact at wing attack (WA) in the third quarter.
“I think I’ve been playing professional netball for eight or nine years, and I’ve played WD for five [or] seven games of my netball career,” Reuelu-Buchanan said to Sky Sport.
She added that she feels especially proud, after years of challenges.
“I’ve had people that have doubted or questioned me being part of this team, and I think I wanna acknowledge my family and my friends who have supported me from the start.”
Jackson also felt good being able to show people just how hard the Ferns could go.
“I think we’ve been underestimated by a lot of people.”
“We’ve got so much pride in this dress and to give some positivity to this sport that’s in a really tough place at the moment is really special.”
He mētara koura ki te kaieke pahikara o te Nōtā
Last week, para-cyclist Emma Foy (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) claimed two gold medals alongside her pilot, Jessie Hodges.
On Friday (NZT), the pair were involved in a collision during the opening stages of their race against Australia, delaying the event. Once racing resumed, the New Zealand duo powered through to take the win.
“It was what we were planning to do before the crash, and we practised these sorts of things at training, and we were able to pull it off,” Foy told RNZ.
On Sunday (NZT), Foy and Hodges secured their second gold medal, winning the 1000m time trial in 1 minute 6.367 seconds.
“We knew going into it there were really fast times, and so we had to do a really clean race, focusing on lines, me focusing on leaning in the corners, keeping it really smooth and just going from the start right to the end.
“And yeah, we pulled it off, so it was awesome,” Foy said.
The Glasgow Games marked Foy’s Commonwealth Games debut, making the double gold a historic achievement for both her and Hodges.
Ko te reo kia rere
There was also plenty happening away from the sporting arena, with haka, waiata and karakia becoming a regular part of Team New Zealand’s daily routine.
Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney was another athlete who embraced te reo Māori, using it to express her gratitude after winning gold in the women’s pole vault.
“Ahakoa e hia ngā wā kua tū māua aua hei kanohi mō Aotearoa, he taonga tonu tēnei wheako,” McCartney said during her mihi.
She does not have whakapapa Māori but began her te reo Māori journey several years ago. She does, however, have whakapapa to Scotland, making the win even more special as the Games were held in Glasgow.
“He whakapapa tōku ki tēnei whenua, nō reira he tino taonga ki a au.”
McCartney was the flag bearer for Team New Zealand at the closing ceremony.
Winning Māori athletes
Twenty-one Māori athletes competed at the Games, with nine returning home as Commonwealth medallists.
Gold
- Lewis Clareburt - Swimming (200m Butterfly – Men)
- Lewis Clareburt - Swimming (400m Individual Medley – Men)
- Zoe Hobbs — Athletics (100m – Women)
- Emma Foy (with Jessie Hodges) - Cycling – Track (Sprint Para-Sport B Tandem – Women)
- Emma Foy (with Jessie Hodges) - Cycling – Track (1000m Time Trial Para-Sport B Tandem – Women)
- Kelly Jackson, Kimiora Poi and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan - (Netball - Women)
Silver
- Erica Fairweather - Swimming (400m Freestyle – Women)
- Lewis Clareburt - Swimming (200m Individual Medley – Men)
- Erica Fairweather - Swimming (1500m Freestyle – Women)
- Erica Fairweather - Swimming (800m Freestyle – Women)
Bronze
- Erica Fairweather - Swimming (200m Freestyle – Women)
- Erica Fairweather - Swimming (4x200m Freestyle Relay – Women)
- Azure Anderson and Eva Langton - Basketball 3x3 (Women)
Find the full results of all athletes representing Aotearoa here.
