January 23, 2013
Māori secret weapon in world cup campaign
The Māori dimension may be a secret weapon in the Kiwi’s quest to retain the Rugby League World Cup this year.
The New Zealand Rugby League squad gets together in Sydney this weekend to start its preparations for the year, which includes the cup tournament in England.
Team manager Tony Kemp says the heritage camp in Sydney will concentrate on mental skills and psychology for the tough road ahead on and off the field.
He says with a majority of the players and coaching staff being Māori, it’s an important element.
"It's very important right across the board. When you've got a Māori captain, a Māori coach and of course a high performance manager that's Māori, very proud of making sure that we call on that wairua to get through what is going to be hopefully an occasion to remember," Mr Kemp says.
He says the team’s senior Pacific players also have a big say in the team culture.
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