An Ōtaki whānau will travel to the ends of New Zealand with an eye on both netball and rugby this weekend as they support their gifted mokopuna.
Former All Black lock Hud Rickit and his wife Mereana Selby fly to Dunedin tonight to see their son Manaaki, 23, make his Super Rugby debut for the Highlanders against the Rebels at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
They'll then come home to watch their daughters Te Huinga Reo and Te Paea play in a pre-season netball tournament at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki the next day, against the best in the country.
All six New Zealand teams in the ANZ Premiership - Tactix, Mystics, Steel, Magic, Pulse and Stars - begin three gruelling days of pre-season games held at Ngā Purapura at Ōtaki's Te Wananga o Raukawa today.
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit for Central Pulse in 2014.
Former Silver Fern Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit (30) was in her 17th season of premiership netball, having played every year since making her first-class debut with the Western Flyers as a 15-year-old.
During that time she had also played for Southern Sting, then Southern Steel and Central Pulse, before rejoining the Steel.
Younger sister Te Paea Selby-Rickit (28) was a current Silver Fern who made her debut for Southern Steel in 2010 and had now joined the Mainland Tactix.
The two sisters had played against each other often at the elite level and were often paired against each other on court.
As one was a defender and one was a shooter, they were always up against each other in the shooting circle.
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, 18, (left) and her sister Te Paea Selby-Rickit in 2007.
Selby said any sisterly aroha that existed with her daughters went out the window once the whistle blew.
"There is no aroha lost when they come up against each other," she said. Their other sister Miriama was a top netballer, too, having played many seasons for Western at NPC level.
"But it's nice for them to come home this weekend," she said. All five Selby-Rickit children were all raised in Te Kura Kaupapa and spoke Te Reo Māori as their first language.
The tournament is a treat for local netball fans, as it provided a rare opportunity to see the best players together in one spot.
The court itself is of the highest quality and the stadium was able to seat more than 500 people, and all the players stayed on campus so there was no travelling to and from the venue.
All teams were welcomed with a powhiri last night.
Meanwhile, Manaaki Selby-Rickit will start from the bench tonight when the Highlanders play The Rebels tonight, and was expected at some stage to get on the park for his Super Rugby debut.
Manaaki Selby-Rickit.
He was following in the footsteps of his father as a lock, as did his brother Ngarongo Selby-Rickit, who played for University of Canterbury and these days the Rahui club in the Horowhenua-Kāpiti competition.
Haydn "Hud" Rickit represented Auckland and Waikato at a provincial level and also played for Australian state side Queensland in 1974.
Tall - 2.0m - Rickit made the All Blacks in 1981, playing two test matches against Scotland.
Both his sons are now taller than him, at 2.02m and 2.03m.
Draw for the pre-season netball tournament at Te Wananga o Raukawa at Ōtaki. Friday: 11am - Pulse v Tactix. 1pm - Steel v Mystics. 4pm - Stars v Magic. 6pm - Pulse v Steel. Saturday: 11am - Pulse v Stars. 1pm - Steel v Magic. 4pm - Mystics v Tactix. 6pm - Pulse v Magic. Sunday: 9am - Steel v Stars. 11am - Tactix v Magic. 1pm Pulse v Mystics.
