As the international Ultimate community gets ready for the WFDF 2024 World Ultimate Championships next month, we are putting the spotlight on some of the teams that will be traveling to Australia for this premier event, and a chance to qualify for The World Games 2025. Join us, as we follow their Road to WUC.
New Zealand is known for its impressive Spirit of the Game, once sweeping the category in all three divisions at a WFDF World Championship event. At the last WFDF World Ultimate Championships, held in 2016 in London, three out of the five SOTG awards went to New Zealand teams.
But in 2023, the Kiwis showed they can top the podium by winning out the championship bracket when Mānuka, the Mixed team, earned their country’s first gold medal at the Asia Oceanic Ultimate & Guts Championships (AOUGC) in Manila.
With just days to go before the start of the WFDF 2024 World Ultimate Championships in Australia, Mānuka is looking to strike the right balance between showcasing their rich tradition of Spirit and also being a squad that can go toe to toe with the best teams on athleticism and talent.
“I think we’re known for having pretty good spirit internationally,” said Joe Penaia-Smith, the Offense Captain. “We want to maintain that reputation but also show that we can compete on the competitive level as well and potentially punch above our weight.”
Troy Stevenson, Mānuka’s Team Captain, said the team is looking forward to building on its prior success.
“I would love to take games that people think we shouldn’t,” Stevenson said. “Winning gold at AOUGC, we just put New Zealand up there with the best. Our first final, our first medal.”
When WUC 2024 kicks off in Gold Coast, Australia on Aug. 31, Mānuka will join Whaitiri, the Women’s squad, and Taniwha, the Open team, to form the New Zealand delegation. Players come from all over the small country to play for the national teams, often competing side by side with players they typically play against during the club season.
“We come together as Team New Zealand really well and show up for each other’s games,” Penaia-Smith said.
The team is not only geographically diverse but players also come to WUC from varied backgrounds. Stevenson, for example, will be competing in his 9th World Championship event for New Zealand but some players will be sporting the black jersey for the first time.
“It’s really cool and unique on this team that we have a mix of people that have represented New Zealand a couple times before and a few people that have not had the opportunity before,” said Zoe Risner, Defense Captain.
“We want to showcase not just New Zealand but also New Zealand Ultimate as a culture to the world and we are the face of that. That’s a really cool opportunity to have.”
Mānuka’s leadership team said they didn’t feel pressure to perform but instead welcomed the opportunity to show what they can do.
“We’re a smaller country but we can compete on the world stage and we can compete well,” said Holly Mace, Mānuka’s Spirit Captain. “We’re going to show that we’re going to give it everything and can fight through and show cases of grit and perseverance.”
For a team that typically travels long distances to attend international tourneys, Mānuka is looking forward to staying close to home – and playing one of their perennial rivals, Australia, during pool play.
“For it to be in Australia, the same hemisphere as us, is a big deal for us. All of our parents and friends and supporters can take a relatively short flight to come and support. It’s pretty huge,” Penaia-Smith said.
WUC starts this Saturday. Ultiworld will be broadcasting more games than ever before, including Mānuka versus Australia on Sunday. Check out the streaming schedule and how to watch.
WUC 2024 also offers the participating National teams a chance to qualify their countries for The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China. Learn more about how TWG qualifying works on the WFDF website.
Follow Mānuka, and other New Zealand teams, as they take on the world at WUC on Facebook and Instagram at @manuka_nzu. Follow the Women’s team at @nzuwhaitiri and the Open team at @nztaniwha.