13 February 2026 On The Conversation: The NRL Indigenous All Stars vs Māori match is much more than a novelty

On The Conversation, Lincoln University Lecturer in Sport Management and Sport Science Dr Hoani Smith discusses the significance of the rugby league clash between the Indigenous All Stars and the New Zealand Māori men’s and women’s sides, including the importance of culture to professional sport. 

This weekend’s National Rugby League clash between the Indigenous All Stars and the New Zealand Māori men’s and women’s sides marks a decade-and-a-half of recognising a unique aspect of the trans-Tasman game.

First staged in 2010, the season-opening fixture was not conceived as a marketing stunt but as a deliberate exercise in showcasing Indigenous excellence and its contribution to the competition.

The match centres Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, and their culture and leadership at the highest level of the game. The rationale was clear from the outset: Indigenous Australians were – and remain – significantly over-represented relative to their share of the national population.

In 2010, the NRL reported that more than 12% of its playing group identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, despite Indigenous Australians making up less than 3% of the population.

More recent estimates suggest that proportion has increased, now sitting closer to 15% across the men’s and women’s NRL games, while accounting for less than 4% of the general population.

But what began as recognition of that over-representation has since evolved into something more relational, collective and trans-Tasman. It now reflects broader Indigenous leadership traditions in elite sport that prioritise whakapapa (genealogy), collective responsibility and cultural authority.

Read the full article to learn more about the potential for including Māori and Indigenous Australian teams in an extended competition at The Conversation here >>

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