Pasifika Schoolboys bowler, 2023 Rangatahi Festival Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
The inaugural Rangatahi Cricket Festival wrapped up in Auckland on Thursday after three days of competition.
It featured three T20 tests between New Zealand Pasifika and Māori secondary school boy and girl teams.
Both the Māori girls and boys teams' dominated the competition, bowling out their Pasifika opponents before they could complete overs.
Despite the result, Pasifika secondary schools girls cricket coach, Carol Fili, said she was impressed with her team.
"The purpose of this event is to give these girls the opportunity to play a bit more cricket but also to show more of their Pasifika side," said Fili.
From left: Pasifika Schoolgirls vice-captain Nina Woollaston and Pasifika Schoolgirls Head Coach Carol Fili, Orakei Domain, Rangatahi Festival 2023. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Finau Fonua
"It's fun and exciting, and provides a lot of experience for the players as well as the coaches such as myself."
"There's a lot of hidden talent and they're really good. They've really impressed me, not only myself, but everyone else who's attended this event."
Cricket is not the traditional sport of choice for Pasifika and Maori. According to New Zealand Cricket, in 2021, Pasifika and Māori comprised just 6.7 percent of the grassroots cricket population in New Zealand despite Pasifika and Māori making up nearly 25 percent of New Zealand's population.
However, participation in the sport is increasing. According to New Zealand Cricket, the number of Pasifika and Māori cricket players in grassroots competitions had increased by over five percent since 2018.
"Yeah... I guess it's not that popular but hopefully this event will encourage Pasifika boys and girls to take up the sport and learn to love the sport," said vice-captain of the Pasifika Schoolgirls team, Nina Woollaston, who is of Indo-Fijian descent.
"It's been really fun to get to meet all the girls with Pacific heritage and the Māori girls as well."
"It's been really fun and interesting, and the competition has been a great challenge," Woollaston said.
Pasifika Schoolgirls Cricket team Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
