Matariki Team 2023 - Hiwa-i te-rangi

Posted July 04, 2023
IHNZ News Matariki

Within the Matariki star cluster, Hiwa-i-te-rangi is connected to the promise of a prosperous season and is known as the wishing star.

It is to Hiwa that people would send their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the coming year in the hope that they would be realised. Similar to the notion of wishing upon a star, or making a new year resolution, this star encourages us to hold firm to our goals, and seek out opportunities to see them realised.

Shawn Craig leads the Hiwa-i-te-rangi team consisting of:

• Josh Lawrence
• Hamish Dullabh
• Hugo Roy
• Max Toa
• Toby Webb
• Maui Walker
• Kaleb Rock

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Shawn Craig is well known in both the Inline and Ice hockey communities and started playing inline in the 90s from a background of aggressive skating.

The Craig family helped create the Northland Stingrays and Shawn was the first for his age grade to make the New Zealand team aged just 18.

A regional and national representative on multiple occasions including winning the 2019 Masters title at the AAU tournament in Hawaii.

Fast forward 20 years and Shawn is still going competitively in the premier league and we quote, “I breath and bleed inline hockey”.

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Josh Lawrence has been playing Inline Hockey since 1998 after starting on Ice in 1996. He played both codes up until 2000 and then started playing in Auckland for the Sabres.

In 2005 Josh made his first NZ Oceania team and continued playing for NZ at Oceania’s for 6 years straight including two IIHF world championships in 2008 and again 2011.

In 2004 Josh joined the Sabres Premier men’s team and has played premier grade since for a range of clubs including Storm, Snipers, and the Orcas.

Currently Josh plays for the Lightning taking home second place at Nationals 2022. Josh says we hope to change that this year and take home the gold!

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Hamish Dullabh currently plays for the Penguins Senior A team. Hamish has come through the age grades at Penguins and now coaches the younger grades as well as referee’s for the club.

Hamish has represented Lower on a number of occasions and was part of the 18U New Zealand squad in 2022.

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Maui Walker has been playing hockey since 7yrs old. He has competed in 4 central region teams, and he was named in the U12 NZ team in 2019.

Maui says whilst in the U12 NZ team, I got the chance to travel to Hawaii to represent my country at the AAU Olympics which for me was an amazing achievement at such a young age. Since then I had a little break through the lockdown period, and now I’m lucky enough to be back playing alongside my team again.

Maui said he was stoked to have played in the very first Matariki tournament and again this year!

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Toby Webb has been playing hockey for 7 years and plays in the Ravens 16U team. Toby has played for Central Region and made the 14U Oceanias team. He is also playing in the KIHL.

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Kaleb Rock grew up playing Ice Hockey in Alberta, Canada starting when he was 4 years old and has been a goalie since he was 12. Kaleb moved to New Zealand 3 and years ago started playing Inline Hockey and referees and has represented the Central Region.

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Max Toa is 17 years old and plays for the 16U New Plymouth Ravens team.

Max has played regional level at U10, U12 and U14. He was selected in the New Zealand 12U team that competed at the Junior Olympics in Hawaii in 2019.

When not playing hockey Max competes for the East End Surf Lifesaving club in the IRB division.

Max played in the 2023 Matariki series and  loved it.

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Hugo Roy has been playing for 8 years for the Ravens, representing Central Region and New Plymouth Boys High School at the NZSSC.

As well as representing New Zealand in U12 and U14, Hugo also represented New Zealand 18U at NARCh 2023.

He is currently playing for the Recruits in the KIHL league and Ravens Seniors.