Netball Star Wins Title, Then Switches Sports at Her Peak

Two weeks after helping her team win their first championship title in franchise history, Paris Lokotui made a decision that shocked the netball world: she was switching to rugby.

The 24-year-old defender had just completed 50 domestic matches for the Mainland Tactix and seemed destined for the Silver Ferns, New Zealand's national team. But Lokotui had already made peace with a different path.

"I had given everything that I could to the sport and I was okay with where I left netball," she said. "I was proud of the adversity it took to even stay in that Silver Ferns space."

Lokotui's timing seemed unusual to outsiders, but it made sense to her. She had been named Aspiring Silver Fern in 2021 and made her first development squad that year. After recovering from a torn ACL in 2022 ahead of schedule, she returned to earn a spot in the Silver Ferns squad in 2023, though she never debuted.

Her challenge wasn't talent. She faced once-in-a-generation competition at her position from established stars, making breaking through nearly impossible in the short term.

Rather than wait years for her moment, Lokotui chose to explore new possibilities. Rugby offered something netball couldn't: multiple pathways including sevens (an Olympic sport since 2016), international leagues in Australia, England, and Japan, and even the option to switch to rugby league.

Why This Inspires

Lokotui's story shows the power of knowing when to pivot. She didn't leave netball in defeat or frustration. She left from a place of pride, having achieved a championship and given her absolute best to the sport.

Her athletic background prepared her for this moment. Before focusing on netball, she had already represented New Zealand in basketball and water polo as a teenager. She comes from a rugby family too. Her father Tukulua played for Tonga in two Rugby World Cups, and her brother played professional rugby.

"To finally be in this position where I'm actually giving it a good crack and succeeding is really special to me," Lokotui said about her rugby journey.

She joins other successful netball-to-rugby converts, including Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who became one of rugby's greatest female players after leaving the netball championship league. Grace Kukutai made a similar switch and now plays in multiple rugby codes.

Lokotui hasn't ruled out returning to netball someday, but right now she's focused on seeing how far she can go in her new sport.

Her decision reminds us that success isn't always about staying the course, but sometimes about having the courage to chase new dreams while you're still at your peak.