'Epitomises what All Stars is about': The person behind the Trish Hina Medal

Long before the idea of women’s rugby league featuring on a stage as big as the NRL Harvey Norman All Stars could have even been dreamed of, Trish Hina was creating the type of one-field magic that her teammates and opponents still find it difficult to muster up words for.

A mercurial standoff and proud descendent of the Ngāti Porou iwi from New Zealand’s East Cape, Hina spearheaded the Kiwi Ferns through the 1990s and 2000s, during which time they won almost every game they played, while consistently stealing the show back home at annual Māori tournaments too. 

If she played today in the era of the NRLW and elevated female rep scene, the woman who the female All Stars player of the match medal is named after would be a highlight-leading face of the game according to Kiwi Ferns legend Honey Hireme.  

Holy heck, Trish was this freak of nature. She played like someone I had never seen before in the women’s game.

Honey Hireme

“She was my idol. Head and shoulders above everybody in terms of her vision and skillset and with a step like I have never seen a woman have.

“I couldn’t think of anybody more worthy to have the medal named after. I don’t see anybody in the history of rugby league that is more suited for that honour.

“She’s an exceptional human being, both on the field and off the field.”

2024 All Stars week is under way

Remarkably, in addition to her exploits in rugby league, Hina also represented her country in rugby union, touch football and softball.

She was rugby league's first female Māori superstar and sits among New Zealand's greatest ever sportswomen.  

A stage 4 kidney disease diagnosis in 2011 effectively stopped her high performance sports career in its tracks, but nearly 10 years later  

Despite being regularly terrorised by Hina during her own playing career with the Jillaroos, Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council Katrina Fanning said the three-time World Cup winner symbolises everything the All Stars concept is about.

“It was important for us to make sure the right people are honoured with these awards and Trish was the best player in the world in her time and a proud Māori woman,” Fanning said.

"She wore her cultural heritage with pride as a player and continues to do so in retirement. Trish epitomises what All Stars is about."

As the sixth instalment of the annual clash between the Māori and Indigenous approaches this Friday, the award has been evenly shared around between the two sides so far, with Gayle Broughton’s performance at last year’s event in Rotorua giving the Māori their third winner.

Broughton named player of the match

As the very first person to win the medal, following her last-ditch try to give her side victory in the inaugural game back in 2019, former Māori hooker Krystal Rota told pan66.com it’s among the greatest honours she received in her storied career.

Having shared the moment of having the medal draped around her neck with her dad Roger, who was one of the team’s training staff that day, Rota said the gong remains on display at his house and is a source of pride for her whānau (family).

“It was a pretty special moment and a highlight of my playing days,” she said.

“It has always been my goal to make my dad proud and I knew how much it would mean to him for me to do that in a Māori jersey.

“It was an emotional moment with lots of big hugs and tears and dad expressing how proud he was.”

Unreal All Stars: Rota steps up for the Maori Ferns

Hina meanwhile will this week make the trek from her home in Gisborne to Townsville to present the medal to the next recipient, with a contingent of whānau – including both her children – joining to be part of the celebrations.

“We always want to make it to all of the games to be part of it, because it’s special for my kids as well," Hina told pan66.com. 

“It’s very important to us and we want to be very involved in these cultural things with our babies.

“When I watch the players on the field I am very jealous that these young ladies get these opportunities.

"But to be there watching it live, and to be part of it, I’m very honoured and I’m really privileged; it’s an awesome kaupapa (initiative) to be involved with.”