Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu are hoping to inspire a new wave of Māori cricketers, with the World Cup on home soil the perfect opportunity for the Kai Tahu descendants.
"Any time you get to play in a World Cup is pretty special but to have it at home while you're playing is massive, not everyone gets to do that so it'll be a really special occasion," Tahuhu said.
Bates said: "And for some of us who have are pushing past 30 this has been on the calendar for a long time."
Also slow to take hold is the prospect of more Māori cricketers regularly competing in international cricket.
Adam Parore was the first Māori New Zealand international, debuting in 1990.
"Just to be Māori and have other girls looking up to you and see that you can play cricket with Māori heritage and background is really important. I think it's really special for us to be out there and be seen by those people," Tahuhu said.
Bates said: "You can see what you don't see so for us growing up we saw a lot of men's cricket on TV so to see White Ferns and Māori White Ferns makes young girls, have those role models out there."
Reconnecting with their Kai Tahu heritage has also been something important to both of their families.
"A few of us in the White Ferns have enrolled in a te reo Māori course, it's something were trying to expand and learn more about," Tahuhu said.
Bates said: "My dad has been really interested in where he's come from and his roost, whānau is really important. Sophie Devine has done a great job in bringing in Māori culture, we've got a waiata that we're getting better at so it's nice to bring those parts into the White Ferns which we haven't done in the past."
The focus now on the future with Tahuhu hoping to pass on the language to her daughter.
"That was one of the real driving factors in me enrolling in the course, my wife Amy has enrolled in it as well and so it's something we will be trying use a little bit more and as Gracie's vocabulary keeps increasing we will make sure we get Māori in there as well," Tahuhu said.
More te reo in camp and hopefully more Māori cricketers, inspired by some hometown heroics.
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