Passion's the word for Reds

Whaka Reds captain Jaylene Tamati in action for her club.

The words Whakarewarewa netball and passion go hand in hand and club members Carol Holt and Jaylene Tamati epitomise the club's ethos.

Holt coaches Whaka Reds - the premier team of the club and Tamati is the captain.

Both women say the club has a long history of having strong women within the club - names like Marlene Haimona, Mirth Solomon, Manutai Schuster and Coral Palmer were just a few who had helped to make the club great, the pair said.

The last three years have been successful with Whaka Reds winning the banner round and the championship, culminating in the winning of the Kurangaituku Netball Tournament three weeks ago.

Holt said it's been two years since a Rotorua team had raised the trophy in victory. Holt remembers that day vividly because it was her team that lost to Ngongotaha in the final.

Both teams have a fierce rivalry, something that remains on the court Tamati said.

"The funny thing is we're good mates with them off the court too. Like we can have a bit of a laugh and banter with them ... but on the court we are all there for the same reason, to take the win."

Tamati's passion for her club is easy to see. The last couple of seasons she has contemplated retiring from the game but her coach keeps calling her back.

"[Holt] won't let me finish, that's why [I keep coming back]. I would just play social so I could do other things, but they just won't let me finish."

Holt is quick to defend her decision to keep calling her captain back.

"Jay Tamati is getting on, she does want to retire. For me personally I bring her back every year because she brings mana [strength] to the club.

"What I want is to have someone like her involved because she brings the mana and she is a stalwart to Whaka. Jay Tamati will never play [for] anyone else as long as she lives," Holt said.

It's easy to see why, because from an early age Tamati said Whaka was always the team she wanted to play for.

"For me it's about whanau and family, iwi, hapu. That's what it's all about for me and because I see that club being a huge part of our iwi and hapu.

"It is all the same families from the village [Whakarewarewa] that are associated with that club and I suppose that's who I feel I'm representing when [I'm on the court].

"Growing up at the village and stuff like that, being a part of the club was always going to be a part of my future."

The future of the club itself appears to be a bright one.

The club is looking to increase its teams and coaches for next season, said Holt. "The vision for the club is great, we are looking to get a coach for every team.

"That's our plan and we are one coach away from it. We had four teams this year."

Although there was no Baywide netball this season Holt said with the regions being divided up into zones, Rotorua would have a team competing in a national provincial type competition.

"Netball is going to get big now that its gone back to the regions, Rotorua will now field a NPC team. That's how its gone.

"So that is why for us as a club we are trying to be smart and get ahead of that ...

"That's what I want to show case our club.

"It's certainly about the netball but it's about the fact, I think we're a club with quite a bit of mana and that's come from [those who played for Whaka in the past]."

Holt said the club is looking to include a netball honours board at the clubrooms, which are situated at Puarenga Park. However it's still in its early stages.