Sporting royalty produces another

SO PROUD: Dane Lett flanked by parents Karen and Bernard

Dane Lett was always likely to be a star on the sporting scene.

One of six new caps named in the Black Sticks men's hockey team to play Japan next week, the now 24-year-old was, as they say in horse racing circles, bred to succeed.

His father Bernard was a tenacious halfback who made 116 first-class appearances for Wairarapa-Bush in rugby, including the golden era of the 1980s when they won promotion to what was then called the national first division competition, while mother Karen was a standout on the netball courts. She was in the Wairarapa senior squad while a year 13 student at Kuranui, repped for Wellington under-21 while doing teacher training and was a non-travelling reserve for New Zealand under-21s. She then returned to Wairarapa and again appeared for the senior rep side on numerous occasions, many of them as captain.

And then, of course, there is John Lett, Bernard's father, who was an outstanding rugby player, regularly repping for Wairarapa through the 1950s and earning an All Blacks trial in the process.

Dane, and his younger brother Trent, 22, initially looked like they would make their mark in rugby too, showing promise in the oval ball code right up to their attendance at Wairarapa College where, for reasons Bernard can't recall, they eventually turned their attention to hockey, and enjoyed it so much they have stayed with it ever since.

It was a decision which never fazed their parents, who were simply keen to see their boys involved in some sporting pursuit, no matter what it was.

"All it meant really was that we started going along to hockey more than we did rugby or netball. It wasn't any big deal to us," Bernard Lett said yesterday. "As long as they were playing something we were happy."

The two Lett boys took very little time to stamp their mark on hockey fields here and further afield. They quickly became regular features in Wairarapa age group sides and had their initial taste of Wellington premier division play as members of the Dalefield club. Moving to Wellington they became associated with the University club, made the Capital senior men's national league side and been included in national age group teams - Dane the Junior Black Sticks and the New Zealand development squad and Trent the Junior Black Sticks.

With a background like that the chances of Dane being promoted to the Black Sticks for the series against Japan, which will involve four tests spread between Wellington and Kapiti, the first of them next Tuesday, had to be good, especially with coach Colin Batch making no secret of his keenness to try out new combinations.

But with their own sporting backgrounds making them well aware that nothing is ever guaranteed in the selection process, Bernard and Karen Lett were "rapt to bits" when news broke that the defensive midfielder had been given the nod.

"He's always been prepared to put in the hard yards and it's nice to see him getting the rewards," Bernard Lett said of his son.

Joining Dane Lett as new caps are Canterbury striker Richard Bain, Auckland defender Dwayne Rowsell, Midlands midfielder Nic Woods and goalkeepers George Enerson (Canterbury) and Richard Joyce (North Harbour).