The Star: February 16, 2023

Thursday February 16 2023 The Star 23
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SPORT 23
Paris comes to
the Mainland
for fresh start
• By Jaime Cunningham
PARIS LOKOTUI is regarded
as one of New Zealand’s most
promising players – and was on
the cusp of a Silver Ferns debut
before injury struck.
In May last year, the Central
Pulse mid-courter faced her
greatest obstacle yet, after she
ruptured her anterior-cruciate
ligament in her left knee against
the Southern Steel.
Now eight months after
surgery, the 21-year-old has
moved to Christchurch, and will
be playing for Mainland in the
National Netball League.
“I came down here in the last
week of January, and decided at
the start of February I wanted to
move, so [the decision] was quite
recent,” she said.
“[Netball Mainland] have a
really good support system down
here and I thought I would grow
as a person living in a new environment
as well.”
In Wellington, Lokotui made
her mark in the Queen Margaret
College senior A team, before
being selected in the Central
Manawa team during her last
two years of school in 2018 and
2019.
In September 2021, Lokotui
was selected in the Silver Ferns
squad to play the Taini Jamison
series against England but did
not get on the court. She looked
to be in contention for last year’s
Commonwealth Games squad
before injury struck.
CHANGE: Paris Lokotui has almost recovered from the injury she sustained playing for the Central Pulse and has now joined
the Mainland National Netball League side after moving from Wellington to Christchurch.
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
She is now in her fourth year
of a Bachelor of Commerce,
with a minor in te reo Māori, at
Victoria University and hopes
to study and work while playing
netball in Christchurch. But her
main focus is getting back on
the court. Mainland coach Tania
Hoffman said Lokotui’s move
was slightly unexpected, but she
is excited about what she’ll bring
to the young team this year.
“It was a lovely surprise. Being
able to call on someone with
her experience is great for all
the other players and, for Paris,
it’s a good way to return to
professional netball,” Hoffman
said.
Mainland will have several
opportunities to train with the
Tactix this season after last year’s
Covid restrictions prevented
them training together.
With just five Mainland
players returning to the side
from last year’s squad, Lokotui
will be a key leader within the
young and inexperienced team.
She said watching the
Silver Ferns’ success at the
Commonwealth Games was a
motivation to work harder as
she completes her final stages of
rehabilitation over the next few
weeks.
“It really fuelled the fire to get
back to where I was. I was so
close, and the good thing about
an injury is that it kind of fuels
that fire behind close doors.”
Although it’s a while away
yet, Lokotui said staying in
Christchurch next year and a
potential stint with the Tactix is
a possibility.
“There’s so many positives
about moving away from home.
I just want to enjoy myself
wherever I am and play some
good netball,” she said.
Another reason for Lokotui’s
move to Christchurch is to spend
time with her brother Cody
who is in his second year at the
Crusaders Academy.
“I came to visit him in the
middle of December, and I
realised how much I missed
him.”
Their father Lua Lokotui
played rugby for Tonga in two
World Cups. The family often
share lessons from their sporting
experiences to help each other
out. “Having someone so close
to me who’s been involved in
high-performance sport, it’s been
really good. I’m really grateful
for my dad’s support,” she said.
The humble but determined
Lokotui said her goals for the
year are simple: “To play a full
game and [make] sure I take
every opportunity as it comes.”
•Mainland’s first game in
the National Netball League
will be against the Marvels
and broadcast live on Sky
Sport from Christchurch
Arena at 2pm on March 12.
It will be the curtainraiser
to the Mainland Tactix v
Northern Mystics
Cashmere looks strong ahead of clash
• By Diane Keenan
CASHMERE WILL be looking
to avenge their first round loss
to Burnside Park when the two
rivals meet in the premier men’s
tennis interclub competition on
Saturday.
Burnside Park lies in second
place behind Elmwood in the
competition with Cashmere in
third.
Burnside Park was upset 1-5
by Bishopdale on their home
courts at the weekend, with
junior Jake Parsons the only
Burnside player to secure a win.
Cashmere is coming off the
bye and is expected to field a full
strength team. Their stalwarts
the Meredith brothers, Matt,
Tim and James, have been in
great form over the Christmas
break with all winning national
titles at the New Zealand
Masters Championships, along
with Burnside Park’s top player
and coach Remi Feneon who
did not play singles against
Bishopdale.
After last week’s win
Bishopdale captain Tom Paine
said his team goes into this
weekend’s clash against bottom
of the table Edgeware-Waimairi
full of confidence.
“We’ve got a great team which
has performed consistently over
the season. Some of our losses
have been very close and could
have gone either way. We will
definitely hoping to do well
again on Saturday,” Paine said.
Bishopdale’s Will
Schneideman is a strong No 1,
who is well supported by Taylor
Nelson and Thomas Hunter.
In the other clash, Te Kura
Hagley will play South Brighton
at Te Kura, while competition
leaders Elmwood have the bye.
The women’s competition
features competition leaders
Burnside Park Bishopdale and
third placed Te Kura Hagley on
Friday night.
Burnside Park Bishopdale
was tested by Elmwood last
week, before securing the win
on a games countback. Juliette
Ma and Rebecca Dellaway won
their singles for Burnside Park
and Louise Oxnevad and Emma
Mason scored singles wins for
Elmwood, with honours shared
in the doubles.
Te Kura Hagley was soundly
beaten by a full-strength
Cashmere Red, a win that
moved Cashmere into second on
the table.
Cashmere Red with its wealth
of young talent, including Ruby
Young, Lucia Gale, Nishitha
Maarka, along with captain
Jenny Blackburn, should be
too strong for bottom-placed
Waimairi this week.
Elmwood plays Cashmere
Black with an interesting clash
possible between the number
ones, Oxnevad and Tessa
McCann.
Men’s points
Elmwood 120,
Burnside Park
104, Cashmere 94,
Bishopdale 80, South
Brighton 51, Te Kura
Hagley 41, Edgeware
Waimairi 28.
Women’s points
Burnside Park
Bishopdale 98,
Cashmere Red 86,
Te Kura Hagley 77,
Elmwood 65, Cashmere
Black 37, Waimairi 35.