Code Hopping with Paris Lokotui

I don't remember how I became friends with Paris Lokotui. My sister in law would no doubt like to claim credit but it could just as easily be the women's sport overlap of our city. If I had to guess though, it was probably when she started playing for the Tokomanawa Queens. That's my team in the Tauihi Basketball league.

The competition windows were aligned in 2023 to allow the flow of court sport athletes. Just like we have previously seen between Super Rugby Aupiki and NRWL. Paris, a former age grade New Zealand basketball rep, took the off season opportunity from the ANZ Premiership Netball with both hands.

Paris was a fierce defender, relishing the physicality basketball encourages. My partner and I would often remark to each other that she would make a good rugby player. Turns out we weren't the only ones who thought so.

“When I was at Tactix for the last three- four seasons, Whit (Whitney Hansen) would come in every once in a while.” explains Paris.

Whitney Hansen would visit her neighbouring netball franchise for inspiration on training techniques for Matatū. These visits would always come with a little dig from the Black Ferns head coach.

“It was always a joke, like, ‘mate, you'll be pretty good at rugby’. I'd say, 'Oh yeah? I don't want to get hit'.

"Wasn't until the end of last year where she came up again and asked have you thought about it? That I said, 'Actually, yeah, I have'.”

Paris' thinking had shifted as the ground had for netball in New Zealand. Much of last year overshadowed by an off court dispute between figureheads. While this year brought a 20% pay cut in the Premiership and an exodus of talent to the Australian league.

“Last year, with all the Netball changes, things were really uncertain. A lot of players were leaving. So I thought, 'yeah, why not? I'll be one of those players that left as well'.

“I'm really proud of that decision because I don't think I would have made that decision earlier.”

That's because Paris had unfinished business with the national game. A mentorship with the iconic Irene van Dyke and a breakthrough debut season resulted in Paris being awarded Aspiring Silver Fern in 2021. Only for the women's sport curse to hit the following season when Paris ruptured her ACL. The comeback took time but she reclaimed her form and a place in the national team.

But the ambitious athlete soon realised she had reached the limit of what she could achieve in this code.

“I was in and around the environment for a while, especially at the top level. I found that for myself, whatever I did to try and be better and improve, I just wasn't getting there. And that's honestly okay.” 

The what ifs now answered, she was ready to return to the sport she first played as a teenager at Queen Margaret College, Wellington.

“My dad was our sevens coach. We only put in a sevens team to get out of school and ended up making Condors.”

Paris' dad, Tukulua Lokotui, a handy ring in having played at two World Cups for Tonga. On the field, she joined another famous rugby whānau who she credits for their success.

“We had the Sopoagas, Te Araroa and Nas (Naomi) so they literally just took the reins and then all I had to do was just stand on the wing and score tries.”

She's following their lead again. Announced this week that she's signed alongside Naomi for Matatū this season. The pair reunited for the first time since they played together at the Tokomanawa Queens.

All of this code hopping has always been the norm in women's sports. Check the profile of many of our best athletes and you will see a list of codes in which they excelled. This is reflective, in part, of the shorter seasons as well as ambition out sizing the programmes on offer to young women in sport.

It's carried over into the professional era, with women creating their own full time professional careers before their sports do. Code hopping between domestic leagues to find the right fit and live to their athletic potential.

“It's more common than people think. When people have asked me what I'm doing this year and I say I'm playing rugby they're like, ‘Wow. How are you finding it? I'm quite shocked’.”

They shouldn't be though as Paris is just the latest netball convert. Black Ferns legends Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Rawinia Everitt, Kayla Ahki (nee McAlister) and Louisa Wall all spent time in high performance netball. Grace Kukutai played Premiership before Aupiki and eventually the NRLW. World Rugby Hall of Famer, Anna Richards, famously made her way to her first rugby training after being dropped from her netball team.

Now that Paris is back in rugby, her dad wanted his daughter to return to her spot in the back line. Instead she's decided that she wants to make like her basketball career and become a forward.

“I like tackling. I like doing all the hard stuff. I'll just leave the fancy stuff to the people that want the ball.”

Some of the hard stuff has been finding herself in a lot more space.

“When I first transitioned, I was finding it hard to run 100 meters, because I only ran 20 meters my whole career.”

And some of it has been her teammates shoulders.

“When you have someone like Lucy Jenkins tackling you— oh my gosh, sore ribs, sore shoulder, sore head, everything is sore.

“Recovery has been big. I haven't been to the pool as much as I have within the last three months, over the course of my whole netball career.”

Her teammates have been a big support though too. Helping her to make this transition as smooth as possible. That warmth and willingness to share knowledge something Paris has really enjoyed.

"In rugby, people want you to be better." explains Paris, "Especially when the Black Ferns girls are in, they want to train at a certain standard. If you're not hitting that, then they're thinking what's a way that we can get you there or how can we help you?”

Paris welcomes the challenge as knows she will have tougher one ahead for game time this season. Capped Black Ferns Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Lucy Jenkins will return for Matatū. The southern franchise also picking up Black Ferns XV reps Fiaali’i Solomona and Elinor-Plum King.

With all that in mind, what does success look like for rugby's latest convert?

“Right now I just want to be the best teammate, the best athlete, the best 678, the best at working hard, and even things like being the best at disconnecting myself from rugby.

It's what I want to portray myself as. Not just being an athlete, but it's bigger than rugby. It's bigger than sport. At the end of the day, if I can walk home and still greet my grandma with open arms and talk to my kids (nephews and nieces) as if they don't know anything about my day, then I'm happy.”

Can't say that I'm happy that my fellow Wellingtonian is headed south to make her rugby debut. But seeing your mate continue to chase their sporting dreams? Just another reason to smile when Aupiki kicks off in June.

With you,
Alice

PS. The Black Ferns have named their team for the first test of the year against the USA. It's strong starting line up with the potential debutants all named on the bench. So I expect to see the experienced team build up a strong lead to let the newcomers defend.

Who am I looking forward to seeing in action? Honestly, they are all coming off the bench. Tanya Kalounivale is looking STRONG I can't wait to see that form in action. Maama Vaipulu will have a point to prove in this recall and finally Tara Turner has an opportunity to make a claim on the halfback jersey. Game kicks off 11am Sunday, don't miss it!