Waimarama Taumaunu

Tu Tangata, Issue 23, 1 April 1985, Page 16

Waimarama Taumaunu

By Michael Romanos

Those flashing brown eyes of Waimarama Taumaunu help make her the intimidating player she is on the netball court and an imposing school teacher in the classroom.

This 22 year old young woman first represented the powerful Canterbury senior netball team as a 15 year old. Since then Taumaunu has become a first choice player for New Zealand. Last October she shifted to Wellington to be near her family, have a change of environment and take up job opportunities. Waimarama was born in Waipawa. Her father, Hone is of the Ngati Porou tribe with his marae at Whangara (17 miles outside Gisborne). Wai’s mother, Maire is of the South Island Kai Tahu tribe and has a little bit of Scottish blood trickling in her veins. Wai said she visits Whangara at least once a year and considers the locality her true “home” because, “that’s where my roots lie. My grandparents also lived there.” Hone who had taught at Te Aute College, moved to Christchurch with his wife, eight year old Wai and three younger sons to take up a post at Teachers Training College, lecturing in Maori Studies. Wai played netball at Avonhead Primary School and represented Christchurch Primaries as an 11 year old

goal-keep. In her first two years at Riccarton High School, she represented Canterbury in the third grade and under 17 sides at goal defence. The next year, Wai was swept into the provinces senior side and helped them win the national A-grade championship. With Wai in the team, Canterbury took out the top netball title a further five times from six attempts to 1984. Wai said she prefers playing goal defence but selectors have seen fit to play her as goal keep, “because of my size, I suppose.” She stands six feet tall and proportionally weighs around eleven stone. Of her entry into the New Zealand team in 1981, Wai in her usual modest appraisal said it was probably an advantage playing for a winning provincial team. The 1981 team was a brilliant assembly of netballers who beat the touring England side 3-0 in the test series and then tripped to Australia to play in the three-nations tournament, cleansweeping 6-0. The 18 year old Wai was on-court for the second test against England.

“It was awful for me,” she said. “I was one of those in the New Zealand team affected by a stomach bug and I played really badly. It was also the last time I played at wing attack.” In 1982 Wai played in one of the home tests against Australia and toured England with the national team. The following year she was in the New Zealand team which finished runner-up to the fast and aggressive Australians for the world crown in Singapore. But this time, Wai was first choice wing defence, only missing one of a dozen internationals. At the time of this interview she had already been named in the New Zealand team to compete in the Australian Games competition held last JanuaryFebruary. “I’m not sure why I’ve succeeded in netball,” she said. “I haven’t analysed how I’ve reached the level I have. I could be better at moving and intercepting. “I enjoy netball but I place it on par with my teaching career and my family. “It was my ambition to represent New Zealand and now I’ve made it I want to hold onto my position in the team for as long as I’m enjoying myself.” Cath Brown, the former long serving Canterbury representative netball coach who took her province to nine na-

tional A-grade titles to 1983, said Taumaunu is a splendid all-round player with an outlook that has always been mature. “Wai is able to read play exceptionally well and like many Maori girls, she has very good ball control,” she said. Brown who is of Ngai Tahu descent, said because there are so few Maoris in Canterbury, over the past 10 years only three have played at senior A club level Raylene Pahi, Geane Katae and Taumaunu yet the last two named have made the national team. Wai’s parents and sister, Ana, 10, moved to Stokes Valley last year with Hone appointed an education officer specialising in introducing a Maori syllabus aimed at catering for the new Kohanga Reo at both primary and secondary schools. Wai herself a student teacher, started full-time in February at Upper Hutt College, taking classes in history, physical education and Maori. Her brothers are scattered around the North Island. William, 21, is a PEP supervisor on the Hastings Waipatu Marae. Kara, 19, is in Auckland working for a publishing company, Hemi, 16, is a regular army cadet at Waiouru. Kara represented New Zealand on

several occasions at swimming, specialising in backstroke. He gained national senior titles and age-grade records. Wai intends to play netball for the Wellington club side Pacific Island Church not because she is a Pacific Island churchgoer but because they happen to be the top club team in Wellington. Under their respected coach, Dale O’Neill, Wellington shared the national A-grade title last season with Canterbury and Waikato but Wai said she is not looking forward to playing against her former team-mates next season because, “they are my friends and they know my play too well.” But there is absolutely no doubt, Wai is a substantial loss to Canterbury and a major gain for the capital. Wai said being a Maori in a fairly conservative place like Christchurch was not a difficulty for her but it can be a problem for other Maoris. “I was good at sports (Wai also played for Canterbury at age-grade level in water polo and softball) and I wasn’t generally what people expected of a Maori, so at school-level I was treated like everyone else. “I didn’t encounter any open racism but I did encounter racialist stereo-

types. “As long as I was associated with a marae I felt comfortable in Christchurch.”