Lil Natana: Joining Sky Sport New Zealand White Sox as Official Scorer for WBSC Women's World Cup Qualification Campaign in Italy

Lil Natana will travel to Italy next month with the Sky Sport New Zealand White Sox as the team’s official scorer. Natana will aid the team in their pursuit of qualifying for the upcoming WBSC Women's World Cup.

Holding the title of Softball NZ’s Chief Scorer since 2015, Natana has been a mainstay of the White Sox team scoring for them at the Canada Cup tournament 2018-19, the 2018 World Championships in Japan, the WBSC Olympic Games Asia-Oceania Qualifying tournament in Shanghai, China and two Asia Pacific Cup series in Sydney. 

In recent times Natana played a key role as an official at the U18 Boys World Cup in Palmerston North in 2020 and the Men’s World Cup in North Harbour last December. 

The WBSC World Cup qualifier will be hosted in Buttiro from 22- 26 July. Two stadiums will be used to conduct all 19 games in group C, Campo Comunale da Softball in Castions di Strada and Campo da Baseball-Softball G. Michelutti in Buttrio. See the schedule here.

All National Team Staff can be viewed on the Softball NZ website. 

Wiremu Tamaki: Reappointed as Umpire-In-Chief for Softball New Zealand, Elevating Umpiring Standards and Embodying Excellence

Wiremu Tamaki has been reappointed as the Umpire-In-Chief (UIC) for Softball New Zealand. Since 2016, Tamaki has diligently served the softball community, working with and alongside representatives of the National Umpiring Team in elevating the standards of umpiring and upholding its reputation.  As a Softball NZ and WBSC Hall of Famer, he will now embark on his fifth term as the leader of the National Umpiring Staff.  Notably, Tamaki remains actively involved as a field umpire and often assumes the role of as Tournament Chief Umpire at national tournaments. 

In addition to his national responsibilities, Wiremu continues to contribute to his local Wellington Association as both an umpire and an administrator, holding the positions of secretary and treasurer for the Wellington Umpires Softball Association. 

Last year, Tamaki expanded his involvement by taking on the role of a commentator for Whaakata Maori TV during the WBSC Softball World Cup. This added a new dimension to his already impressive repertoire.

Lil and Wiremu being recognised for their service to the game at the recent Softball NZ Annual Awards.  

A Salute to Coralie Davies  

Softball NZ would like to recognise Coralie Davies who has hung up her pen and retired from scoring after a remarkable contribution to the game.  

The Manawatu scorer dedicated over three decades to scoring and her retirement marks the end of an era.

Throughout her illustrious career, Coralie scored both at the national and international levels. From 2001 to 2013, she demonstrated her passion and commitment by providing scoring support to various national teams. Her extensive international record is a testament to her expertise and professionalism in the field.

In recognition of her outstanding service, Softball NZ formally honoured Coralie in 2017 with a Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious accolade highlights her exceptional contributions to our game.

Coralie's retirement leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, but her legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scorers. Softball NZ extends its heartfelt gratitude to Coralie Davies for her immeasurable contributions and wishes her a fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. 

Coralie receiving her DSA award in 2017. Coralie in game mode at the 2013 Men's World Championship.

Coralie's International Record: