The Northern Mystics with the invitational men's team before their inaugural game earlier this year. Photo/Supplied
The Northern Mystics with the invitational men's team before their inaugural game earlier this year. Photo/Supplied
When Wiremu Britton-Rua was asked to join his school's netball team, he had no idea it would soon become his favourite sport.
Britton-Rua (Te Rarawa/Ngāti Kahu), now 28, was about 10 when his Ahipara School teacher suggested he join the team.
Britton-Rua said he had no idea at the time that boys could play the traditionally "female" sport, but decided to give it a shot anyway.
He said the experience ignited a passion for netball and he is now an advocate for better pathways for men to get involved in the sport.
"It all just started with a conversation with my teacher and I had no idea about how to play, but I loved it and wanted to keep going," Britton-Rua said.
"I moved to Hamilton for college and that's where I was disappointed to find out I couldn't play at competition level any more."
According to Britton-Rua, that was because of international netball rules, which do not allow for men to play beyond 12 years of age.
The goal attack/goal shooter said it was while he was in Hamilton that he was introduced to indoor netball, and started playing in the mixed and men's community tournaments.
Britton-Rua said that was another big eye-opener and an opportunity he didn't know existed.
"When I finished fifth form, I started at polytech and that's when I really had time to give myself to netball," he said.
"It just grew from there and seemed to be the sport I excelled in most.
"I love the team aspect of netball and how I've made so many friends through the sport."
Britton-Rua returned home to the Far North about 10 years ago and with him, brought his passion for netball.
He said he quickly got involved with the Mangonui Netball Centre and started to umpire and coach weekly games.
Eventually, Britton-Rua was elected to become a part of the executive committee where he said it was his long-term vision to create a men's grade netball competition in Te Hiku.
"We introduced the idea here a couple of years ago and decided the best thing was to come up with an invitational men's team, where men from college upwards could join and play in the women's grade competition," he said.
"It was a whole new world for people up here who have never seen men playing netball in a local weekly competition."
Britton-Rua said the club was now seeing many males playing in the Junior Netball Saturday competition, as well as the Waipapakauri social twilight league.
But, despite the uptake in interest, official pathways for young men to pursue the sport seriously don't exist, with netball still viewed as only a social sport for men.
"Last year was our first time trialling this men's team and it was a big success, so moving forward, we're aiming to introduce an invitational boys team collegiate, which we'd like to see get across the line around the nation," Britton-Rua said.
"I think boys can play netball and can play it really well."
Wiremu Britton-Rua (standing fourth from left) at the Northern Mystics trials for the new men's invitational team in February. Photo / Supplied
This year Auckland's Northern Mystics decided to trial the idea of an invitational men's team, to test the waters and see what a men's franchise competition would look like.
The competition included two Auckland teams, the Northern Mystics Invitational Men's team and the Northern Stars Invitational Men's team.
Britton-Rua was selected to be a part of the Invitational Northern Mystic's Men's team and was due to play his first match a few weeks ago but came down with Covid-19.
He said while he missed out on that game, all things going well, he would play his first game on Sunday in Auckland against the Northern Stars Invitational Men's team.
Northern Mystics Men head coach Tia Winikerei said the trial for the invitational men's teams was largely about supporting and celebrating men's contribution to women's netball.
She said it was also about showcasing men's netball at the competition level and a platform for them to shine.
Winikerei said the trial had also been an opportunity to expose the men to high-performance training and the potential to explore the idea of a men's league.
"This all started out with an aspirational discussion between our Northern Mystics head coach and the Northern Mystics men's captain Kruze Tangira, who was our training partner from last season," Winikerei said.
"The first game was televised on national TV which was the first televised men's domestic netball match in history."
Wikikerei said the feedback from spectators had been really positive and from the players' perspective, had been a great opportunity for the men's teams to learn from the women.
The weekend's game in Auckland between the Northern Mystics Invitational Men and the Northern Star's Invitational Men will be the curtain-raiser for the match between the Northern Mystics and Northern Stars.
The match will be held at Pulman Arena on Sunday, May 22, at 12.05pm and will be televised live on Sky Sport.
The Mangonui Netball Centre competition runs at South Rd every Thursday evening from 5.15pm-8pm.
For more information or to learn how to get involved, contact Wiremu Britton-Rua on: 021 562 311.
