MEDIA STATEMENT
Te Ururoa Flavell
Maori Party Sports Spokesperson
March 12, 2010

Maori Party praises wahine Maori sevens squad

The Maori Party is praising the decision by the Aotearoa Women‘s Rugby Sevens squad to accept a late invitation to the Hong Kong Sevens, despite being denied access to the tournament over the past two years.

"This squad is world class and they make us so proud," Maori Party sports spokesperson Te Ururoa Flavell said.

"I commend the tournament organisers for having a change of heart and allowing our women to play.

"This is about allowing our wahine to show the world how good they are and how much they deserve to be there - playing a game they love for the people they love."

The squad is unbeaten in Hong Kong having won the tournament for six consecutive years from 2002. However, since 2008 the tournament organisers have banned them from playing because they were not classed as a full "national team."

Mr Flavell said he will be making inquiries with various groups to see what can be done to assist the team with funding. The team's management said if the players had to, they would pull from their own pockets, to the tune of about $23,000, to pay for their airfares.

"These women make us so proud, they carry with them the mana of their people, their whänau, their iwi and the Maori nation."

Media contact: Renee Kiriona - 04 817 9851 - 021 917 796