Whaitiri to don bib for Parly Ferns in Britain

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

From Manutuke School, YMP and provincial representatives sides to playing for the New Zealand Parliamentary team in London.

That is where netball has taken Labour’s Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri, who is in the Parly Ferns team to take on the British MPs and a team of Queensland state government MPs in Britain.

The team leave for London this week. They play both of their games in the forecourt of the British Parliament grounds before travelling to Liverpool to watch the Silver Ferns in their opening Netball World Cup match against Malawi.

Ms Whaitiri said her first club coach was Molly Pardoe, who was instrumental in establishing the YMP Netball Club that celebrated its 50th year during Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

A talented goal shooter, Whaitiri played for Hawke’s Bay, Wellington under-21s and seniors, and the star-studded Wellington club side Pacific Island Church, better known as PIC.

“PIC included Silver Ferns Waimarama Taumaunu, Margaret Matenga, Rita Fatialofa, Noeline Taurua (current coach of the Silver Ferns), Tanya Dearns, Gail Parata, Julie Carter, Debbie Matoe (Silver Ferns assistant coach) and the late Leilani Reid.

“Sandra Edge was another Silver Fern player in the Wellington senior rep side at the time.

“I captained the New Zealand Young Internationals and was a non-travelling reserve for the Silver Ferns.”

Ms Whaitiri has played for the Parly Ferns team since entering Parliament in 2013.

The team are made up of MPs, staff members and media representatives.

“We play local teams and other MPs from other countries.

“Our number one opposition is the Queensland state government MPs, who try annually to beat us, but so far we have been triumphant.”

The side are aiming to win in Britain and have been training weekly at 6.30am in the Banquet Hall in Parliament.

Other players travelling to London include former double international (Silver Ferns/Black Ferns) and Labour MP for Manurewa Louisa Wall, National list MP Maureen Pugh, National MP for Auckland Central Nikki Kaye and Labour list MP Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki.

“We are attending several events hosted by the British MP team in Parliament, as well as dinner with the Silver Ferns management team,’’ said Whaitiri.

“Sports and playing in a sports team is a healthy reprieve for New Zealand politicians.

“Putting aside our political differences and working together for a shared (victorious) outcome shows what we can achieve when we do that.

“It’s also fun.”

Whatiri said the costs for travel and accommodation were being met personally through fundraising and sponsorship.

“While there, I’m planning to get over to support the Allflex New Zealand shearing and woolhandling team competing at the world champs in Limoges in the south of France.”

The netballers are not the only MPs who will be playing sports in Britain during the upcoming three-week parliamentary recess.

East Coast-based Labour list MP Kiri Allan is in the New Zealand Parliament Cricket XI to compete at the Inter-Parliamentary Cricket World Cup.

The Indian team are rumoured to have in their ranks cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, who served as an MP from 2012 to 2018, while British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is in the United Kingdom side.