Former Black Caps batter Lou Vincent. Photo / Photosport
Forgiveness, family and friends.
Those three Fs shape the foundation of who former Black Caps batter Lou Vincent is today as he embraces his new lease of life on the Karikari Peninsula in the Far North.
They are the pieces on the chessboard helping Vincent navigate the enigmas of life in this latest chapter built on redemption, reconnection and giving back.
His past has been well documented: from the euphoric highs of representing the Black Caps across all three formats to the tragic downfall of his involvement in match-fixing that had him receive 11 life bans in 2014.
Becoming the first New Zealand sportsperson to receive such a sanction broke him. It broke relationships. It broke trust, not only public trust, but trust in himself.
But life has a peculiar way of offering second chances and after some dark years, forgiveness saved him while family and friends rebuilt him.
Two years ago his ban was lifted, allowing him to be involved again at domestic and grassroots level. That shift has helped Vincent explore new opportunities and rediscover purpose in treasuring the small things.
The first major step in that forgiveness journey came in August 2024, when Vincent received his official New Zealand Cricket centurion cap – almost 17 years after he reached the milestone – presented by Sir Richard Hadlee. That was the first moment he felt acceptance.
This was my first interaction with Vincent. We met at The Pines Golf Club in Whangārei Heads, shortly after he helped set a world record for the furthest distance catching a golf ball hit off a tee, and it was evident from the outset that being accepted again had brought a huge lift, particularly for his mental wellbeing.
We sat at a picnic table looking over the 10th hole under the glorious sun, alongside Joey Yovich, a former New Zealand A teammate and icon of Northern Districts cricket, but more importantly, somebody who has stuck by Vincent during the triumphs and tribulations.
Speaking to the Herald, Vincent says the changes have helped him become a half-glass-full person these days rather than half-empty.
“The biggest positive confidence booster for me was forgiveness,” Vincent says.
“I saw it for the first time when I went out and played Black Clash in Christchurch last year, and being an Aucklander, being clapped on to the field by a whole bunch of Cantabs was like, ‘you’ve definitely done something right’, and it made me feel okay.
“I think I earned that respect because I didn’t hide behind all my excuses. We’ve all made mistakes. We’re all young and innocent and we don’t go looking for trouble, but unfortunately, as we get older, sometimes trouble comes our way.
“When people go, ‘Oh, welcome back, good on you’. I feel accepted now. We all make mistakes and I’ve had a lot of influential people say to me, ‘You’re a dickhead and an idiot, but you’ve got my respect’. That’s all we want in life, respect.”
The healing process is still at the early stages, but the core foundations, which start with family, have been laid.
The 47-year-old’s making the most of every opportunity, with his wife Jilly and their two kids, Vinnie and Lulu, who was born in mid-November, by treasuring the simple things in life that are common in many households around New Zealand.
Every time he talks about family, he has a beaming smile on his face, showing the importance of what they mean to him.
He still has a deep desire to reconnect with his two eldest daughters from a previous relationship and he hopes that by showing he has truly turned a corner, that relationship, too, can be rebuilt.
“I think anyone that’s gone through the rock bottom, there’s always going to be scars that are there,” Vincent says. “You do look at them every now and again and it reminds you of some pain.
“There’s a couple more chapters that need to play out to fulfil my happiness, including reconnecting with my daughters who are 19 and 16. It’s a delicate situation, but I think once whatever life brings to create that sort of connection again, then it’ll be 100% full.
“The universe will give that message out there and there’s always a roof over the head when they decide to find me one day.
“But now to meet a beautiful woman and to have a second chance at a family, it just lightens your heart. My son was on a boogie board catching a wave for the first time not long ago and it was a pretty special moment.”
As part of giving back, Vincent has become community oriented and generous with his time.
At events, he makes the effort to say hello and shake everyone’s hand. He is an ambassador for Northland-based ReSport, a charity that collects new and gently used sports gear to share with people in need in the community, along with being a patron of the Movember Sports Club.
Being back in the public eye was something he initially feared, but he now understands the importance of sharing his story, not just the dark past, but also the solace of overcoming the adversity.
Part of that involves speaking at conferences and meeting with community sports groups to discuss the dangers of match-fixing and the warning signs administrators should look for.
“To be able to give back to sport and share my story with and my experiences to hopefully warn future young athletes is massive,” Vincent says.
“I’m doing work with all sorts of different sporting associations and whenever there’s money, there’s temptation and unfortunately, we’re seeing grooming, we’re seeing all sorts of avenues that they use to try and sort of get players, who are literally puppets in the day to be corrupted.
“I like to think that I have an impact and that awareness and that’s our biggest weapon, education, because it’s never going to stop that corruption in any industry. Sport gives you a superficial ego because you’re out there and a lot of people want to know you because you’re playing for New Zealand.
“I quickly realised in my career after the match-fixing situation that it’s all fake. Like when the time comes to tough challenges, it’s only one or two people that really stick by you.”
One of those people is Yovich, who has been a soundboard for Vincent to lean on and everything has brought their bond closer.
“I’ve seen a guy that can’t hit more than rock bottom,” Yovich said. “To his credit, he put his hand up and owned it, and from there we’ve seen the personal growth of the man and what he’s gone through to what he’s achieved.
“Mental health is a big one for Lou and wherever he tells his story, it’s looking forward with a positive light.
“We’re pretty lucky to have a guy that can share and continue to give back in the way because that’s how we learn, right? If we hold on to things it’s no good to anyone. That’s been pretty special to see this guy’s development and growth and just making good choices.”
Yovich believes much of Vincent’s redemption has come from surrounding himself with good people.
“Lou’s not frightened to pick up the phone and have a conversation and we just talk through things and it works both ways, I pick his brains on various things as well.
“He’ll be the first one to say he’s going to have his ups and downs still, through the mental health side of things, but many people are dealing with this challenge.
“It’s cool to see what he’s achieved off the field with his family. It’s a theme that’s come through this conversation. He’s got three lovely daughters and a little boy, and who knows where it’s going to head. They’re pretty lucky to have a dad like him.”
Vincent doesn’t have much memorabilia on display other than his test debut jersey when he scored a century against Australia in Perth, but he’s content with that.
He’s excited for what the future holds.
In October he fronted a Victorian Police conference on the subject of protecting integrity in sport, and he will do the same in March at the New Zealand Sport integrity conference.
He also has one trip coming up he can’t wait for, when he heads overseas to help lay the foundations at Ibiza Cricket Club.
“I will be using my building skills to help develop the ground and do some coaching,” Vincent says.
“They want to get a lot more young players playing cricket in Ibiza of all places. I’ve got a fizz for helping cricket grow in a country I never thought I’d live in.”
But for now, Vincent wants to make the most of family and summer in the glistening Northland region.
“I always can’t wait to get home,” he says.
“I can’t wait to change another dirty nappy. I can’t wait to do dinner. I can’t wait to put the rubbish out. I can’t wait to get to bed at like 7.30 p.m. Just to catch up on some sleep.
“Simple stuff is the most important things that are rewarding. I think we can drain a lot of our time giving too much, so it’s just giving in a real, you know, real simplistic way.
“Every morning, I walk out with a coffee, put it on the bench, go for a swim, come back and then my son sits on my lap and wants to jump off and just do cartwheels down the sand dune. It’s a special way to start and finish the day.”
Vincent will feature again in the 2026 Black Clash taking place this month at Mount Maunganui.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.