Team denied entry to Maori basketball tourney

Team members Sharntae Hicks (left), 15, Carlee Reihana, 15, Jodi Stevens, 15, and Brooke Stevens, 15 with coach Andrew McKay. Photo / Stephen Parker

A Rotorua basketball coach says it is unfair that his team of girls were denied entry into this week's National Maori Basketball Tournament in Rotorua.

Andrew McKay coached a team which won the under-15 division at last year's tournament in Rotorua.

But his application in October to enter the same team in the under-17 grade for this week's competition, which starts today, was initially declined by the organisers because he was non-Maori.

A clause that all coaching and management personnel must whakapapa to an iwi was added to the online entry forms after he had applied, he said.

A second application for the team was made with the girls to be coached by Ngati Whakaue descendant Richard Wharerahi. It was declined a second time with an email stating organisers believed it was a front for the original applicant and Mr Wharerahi had no basketball coaching or management experience.

Tournament director Sue Pene and her husband, Rotorua Basketball Association president Darrell Pene both said that since that email, a meeting was held and an offer was made for the girls to enter, not as an individual team, but under Te Arawa.

They would be split up and trial like other players wanting to compete for Te Arawa.

Mrs Pene said non-Maori personnel were excluded because they wanted to encourage more Maori into coaching and refereeing positions.

Mr McKay said the team had met the criteria. "To me, it's all about 10 Maori kids playing basketball. I was happy to stand aside and just be a supporter and all the girls want to do is play basketball together ...

"Nowhere in the rules did it say they had to play under an iwi."

Mr Wharerahi said he had been helping Mr McKay at basketball tournaments with Kaitao Middle School for three or four years. He believed race shouldn't affect who can support and help the children.

Mrs Pene said they had more than 100 teams apply. But Dana Stevens said it was his girls and their teammates who were ultimately missing out. The father of 15-year-old twins, Jodie and Brooke, said his daughters had been looking forward to returning together in the tournament.

"Most of the girls have been playing in the team since Year 7, and three of them since Year 4. Andrew has always acted in their best interests and in the end I guess somebody is punishing the players," Mr Stevens said.

"The girls were invited to trial for the tournament but they didn't because the team wouldn't be with Andrew and they all wanted to be together as one."