The Wheel Kiwis have made their Rugby League World Cup debut in Australia, with a mission to raise awareness and shine a light on the challenges facing tāngata whaikaha.
Vice-captain Kauri Murray (Ngāti Apa, Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi, Te Whānau a Apanui) says the team is representing more than just Aotearoa.
“We’re not only playing for the black jersey and playing for our whānau, but we’re also playing for the whole community of disability, of tāngata whaikaha,” he says.
Kauri was part of the inaugural Wheel Kiwis team in 2024, after transitioning from wheelchair basketball with the Roller Kiwis.
He says the team has made significant progress over the past two years, despite being new to the game.
“We’ve put two years of hard work into it and the competition itself, it’s grown so much.”
Kei te tipu, kei te whanake tonu
The Wheel Kiwis have lost all four of their World Cup matches so far, falling short in their most recent match against Wales - 64-36.
Kauri remains hopeful for the team as they grow in the game.
“It’s a bit of a learning curve for us, but at the same time, we’re adjusting as the games go by.”
Unlike physical disability rugby league (PDRL), wheelchair rugby league is open to players with and without disabilities.
“We’re a young team of talented and experienced individuals with and without a disability, and we’re bringing inclusivity to the sport.”
He matapihi ki te ao Māori
Away from the competition, Kauri plays another important role as the team’s haka leader.
“Being able to lead the haka for the boys, it’s a massive privilege, but also an honour for me. It gives me that space to kind of express our culture and to not only express our culture.”
He says leading the haka has also helped him strengthen his own connection to te ao Māori.
“I’m still navigating my way through te ao Maori through haka, and it’s been a really good journey for me so far. So to be able to have that and play the sport that I love is pretty awesome.”
The team also had the opportunity to honour Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, presenting her with a special Wheel Kiwis jersey and performing a haka.
“When we got the call-up to say, hey, we’re going to do a jersey presentation to Te Kuini, and we’re going to do a haka as well, I was pretty gobsmacked [but] I was looking forward to it.”
Me whai whakaaro ki ngā tāngata whaikaha
Kauri highlights some of the challenges and realities tāngata whaikaha face.
“The little things, just as simple as like getting themselves out there, getting out of the house.”
He hopes the sport can encourage them to get involved.
“Having that platform for us to showcase our sports through the wheelchair division and also PDRL, we want to bring more awareness into that whaikaha space and getting more people out there and just give anything and everything a go.”
In the wake of this year’s General Election, Kauri also hopes the new Government will do more to support tāngata whaikaha.
“A lot of us athletes that are not getting that much support in the sport section,” he says.
According to Sport New Zealand, $3.6 million was available through its Disability Inclusion Fund, despite 81 organisations applying for a combined $12.6 million.
“Right now with the rising cost of living, it’s our tāngata whaikaha that need the most help around those things.”
The race isn’t over for the Wheel Kiwis yet, as they face off for seventh place on 12 November.
In a social media post, the team told supporters last week,
“This one hurt. We are trying e te whānau, but we are also falling short and we are not hiding from that. We need to be better. We WILL be better. Its not over yet.”
