Maria Tutaia
Encyclopedia
Solonaima Maria Tuta'ia (born 18 February 1987 in Tokoroa
, New Zealand
) is a New Zealand international netball
player. She can play at goal attack and goal shooter, and stands at 1.88 m.
Tutaia played domestic netball for the Auckland Diamonds
during the National Bank Cup
from 2005–07. With the start of the ANZ Championship
in 2008, she signed with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, partnering Irene van Dyk
in the shooting circle. Tutaia played with the Magic for two years, before transferring back to Auckland to play with the Northern Mystics
, starting in 2010.
Tutaia was part of the winning NZ Under-21 team that brought home the 2005 World Youth Cup from Miami. That year, Tutaia was called into the Silver Ferns
team, making her on-court debut when the Ferns toured Jamaica. During her senior international career, she has won gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, 2006 Commonwealth Games
and the 2009 World Netball Series
, in addition to a silver medal at the 2007 Netball World Championships
.
In the 2010 ANZ Championship, Tutaia was the first and only player to be sent off during the match against the Swifts for persistent breaking. This send off happened in the last two minutes of the match and took no further part in that match. Tutaia is renowned for scoring the crucial goals, such as in the gold medal match against Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and during the 2011 ANZ Championship season when she scored the winning goal in the dying seconds against the Magic.
Tokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) is a New Zealand international netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
player. She can play at goal attack and goal shooter, and stands at 1.88 m.
Tutaia played domestic netball for the Auckland Diamonds
Auckland Diamonds
The Auckland Diamonds were a regional netball team which represented Auckland-Waitakere and Counties Manukau Netball in New Zealand's National Bank Cup...
during the National Bank Cup
National Bank Cup
The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...
from 2005–07. With the start of the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
in 2008, she signed with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, partnering Irene van Dyk
Irene van Dyk
Irene van Dyk, MNZM is one of the world's best-known netball players and the most capped player of all time....
in the shooting circle. Tutaia played with the Magic for two years, before transferring back to Auckland to play with the Northern Mystics
Northern Mystics
The Northern Mystics are a New Zealand netball team based in Auckland that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of two teams from the National Bank Cup – the Northern Force and the Auckland Diamonds – after the competition was...
, starting in 2010.
Tutaia was part of the winning NZ Under-21 team that brought home the 2005 World Youth Cup from Miami. That year, Tutaia was called into the Silver Ferns
Silver Ferns
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative...
team, making her on-court debut when the Ferns toured Jamaica. During her senior international career, she has won gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
and the 2009 World Netball Series
2009 World Netball Series
The 2009 World Netball Series was the inaugural tournament of the World Netball Series. The 2009 Series was held at MEN Arena in Manchester, England from 9–11 October, and was the first major trial of the new FastNet rules that were announced by the International Federation of Netball Associations ...
, in addition to a silver medal at the 2007 Netball World Championships
2007 Netball World Championships
The 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th staging of the World Netball Championships, a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963....
.
In the 2010 ANZ Championship, Tutaia was the first and only player to be sent off during the match against the Swifts for persistent breaking. This send off happened in the last two minutes of the match and took no further part in that match. Tutaia is renowned for scoring the crucial goals, such as in the gold medal match against Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and during the 2011 ANZ Championship season when she scored the winning goal in the dying seconds against the Magic.