An inaugural Māori Women’s National Tournament is set to be held in Hastings this year.

Following the success of the Māori Men’s National Tournament earlier this year, the women’s tournament will be held at Cornwall Park, Hastings, from October 13-15, featuring five teams from across the motu, each playing four T20 games.

The introduction of the National Tournament represents a new opportunity for wāhine Māori to express their talent on a national stage and connect with other talented players from across Aotearoa.

Additionally, the tournament will extend the pathway established by the Māori Secondary Schoolgirls programme, which has gone from strength-to-strength since its inception during the 2018/19 summer.

Māori Secondary Schoolgirl graduates; Marama Downes (Northern Districts) and Ocean Bartlett (Central Hinds), have both gone on to play domestically for their respective associations after strong performances in the MSS XI.

Central Hinds all-rounder, KerRY Tomlinson, and former Otago Spark, Tanya Morrison, have coached the Maori Secondary Schoolgirls side – and are now included in NZC’s Coaching Pathway.

NZC Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Andrew Tara, said there were important drivers behind the initiative.

“This inaugural tournament provides a unique opportunity for our talented wāhine Māori cricketers to showcase their skills against some of the best players in the country, create a lasting legacy for wāhine Māori cricketers, and increase visibility of cricket,” said Tara.

Stay tuned for more tournament details in the coming months.