Maiarangi said having the opportunity to wear the fern is something she'll never take for granted. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
Māoritanga and pride remains at the forefront as the haka makes its mark on the softball world stage.
The under-18 New Zealand Women's softball team, the Junior White Sox, are currently competing in the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup Group A, vying against five other nations for a spot in next year's finals.
This prestigious event is held at Estádio Municipal de Beisebol Mie Nishi in São Paulo, Brazil, and features teams such as World No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 9 Czechia, No. 13 Great Britain, No. 22 Brazil, No. 32 Colombia, and No. 33 New Zealand.
Maiarangi Waipara (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata), a formidable hitter and catcher for the side shared her thoughts on representing Aotearoa.
Maiarangi Waipara (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata) leading the Junior White Sox haka against Brazil. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
"Being able to have the opportunity to wear the fern is something I've never taken for granted."
With a deep Māori connection, Waipara also leads the haka performed before each match.
"As a mana wahine from Ngāti Porou I'm extremely honoured to experience my culture on the world stage," she said.
Kaiyah Ratu hopes to make her country and whānau proud. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
"It helps establish and reminds me of who I am being so far away from home, and I know that having a supportive whānau and friends behind me helps push me to become the best version of myself."
Waipara said, as she prepared to do the haka, she felt confident and ready for what was to come.
"I have no fear when I do it, as I'm not standing out there by myself," she said.
"My culture and whakapapa are two of the most important aspects of my day to day [life] and being able to lead the haka brings me a sense of pride and empowerment as I stand for my tīpuna, my whānau and my country."
"That feeling is something you can't get from anything else."
Maiarangi Waipara feels honoured to represent her country and her culture. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
The Juniors are guided by former White Sox representative Kiri Shaw, who competed in the 2000 Olympics, and Carley Ratu, a former White Sox catcher whose daughter is also on the team.
Softball New Zealand chief executive Jason Merrett said this only exemplified the strong whānau connections within the New Zealand softball community.
"A lot of sports in New Zealand say they're whānau based or a family sport, but from my experience, softball is the first one I've come across that really is."
Mckenzie Bailey-McDowell is following in her mother's footsteps. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
Whānau ties are strong amongst the Junior White Sox, with utility-pitcher McKenzie Bailey-McDowell (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Mutunga) enriched with a notable legacy; her mother, Jaye D Bailey, also represented New Zealand internationally, playing alongside Coach Shaw in the 2000 Olympics.
Jaye expressed immense pride in seeing her daughter use the same Olympic glove she wore over 20 years ago, highlighting the deep-rooted whānau connection to the sport.
She said, she was incredibly proud of McKenzie's efforts, and said it was a massive honour to see her playing with her old Olympic glove.
Captain Kaiyah Ratu (Ngāti Raukawa, Maniapoto), a powerful bat and daughter of World Champion Stephen Ratu and assistant coach Carley Ratu, underscores the importance of whānau within their game.
She expressed through a video posted to their whānau page gratitude for the support from home, and said the girls were excited to honour their whānau with their performance.
Maiarangi celebrates with her team following an automatic home-run against Czechia. Photo: Carla Nakajuni / Supplied / WSBC
After a narrow nail-biting game, going down 8-6 to a fierce home side Brazil on Friday, the Junior White Sox will take on Great Britain at 7am, and Colombia at 10am on Saturday.
All games can be watched through the GameTime.Sport website.
