Five regional Māori squads have been named for the inaugural Māori National Twenty20 Tournament.

Squads for this Easter weekend’s tournament include talent from the Hawke Cup and major federations of Province A and Māori Secondary age groups.

The teams are: Te Waipounamu Māori (South Island Māori), Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori (Wellington Māori), Central Districts Māori, McCaw Lewis Northern Districts Māori and Tāmaki Makaurau Māori (Auckland Māori).

The latter team have already played many games in the last two seasons, including last year against the Cook Islands and the Northern Māori. The squad is coached by Māori secondary school students Michael Tillet and Corey Todd, with Dusan Hakaraia and Jock McKenzie being sought for leadership within the squad.

Māori from the central districts are bringing their emerging talents to the tournament in the form of candidates Jerome Robinson and Samuel Payne, both of whom have played for Māori secondary school students this year. The team also has the experience of potentially bringing home a title with Taranaki’s Jarred Cunningham and Horowhenua-Kapiti’s Bailey Te Tomo on the team.

Other representatives of Māori secondary school students are in the Wellington Māori squad, including Lachlan Bailey and Marco Muollo. They also signed newly signed Wellington Firebirds Super Smash T20 player Jesse Tashkoff.

The North side have also played together over the past year, with veteran Charles Williams, who plays Bay of Plenty Club cricket, as part of their squad. The captain is Mikaere Leef.

The South Island Māori are led by Matiu Workman who says the tournament will allow players to present themselves as Māori.

“It’s so encouraging to have a space in a sport so traditionally British and colonial to not only explore our Māori identity, but to allow us to live and play as Māori.”

South Island squad members include East Shirley Cricket Club batter Timothy Hampton-Matehe, Southland’s Brendan Domigan and Otago A wicketkeeper batsman Oscar Wilson.

The teams will face off on Good Friday at 14:30, first with Tāmaki Makaurau Māori versus Northern Māori, followed by Central Māori versus Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Two games are on Saturday and Sunday.

A Māori National Women’s Tournament is planned for October.

FULL TEAMS

Tamaki Makaurau Māori (Auckland Māori): Fraser Campbell, Ben Brady, Jack Clough, Elias Falanitule, Flynn Goodley-Hollister, Dusan Hakaraia, William Martin, Jock McKenzie, Noah Scordino, Harry Sinclair, Ryan Smardon, Jack Windler.

McCaw Lewis Northern Districts Māori: Mikaere Leef (c), Depp Bollingford, Brock Cameron, Curtis Cherrington, Fraser Farrell, Joshua Hill, Harry Jones, Ryan Metcalfe, Leighton Parsons, Ethan Price, Cohen Stewart, Samuel Wilson, Charles Williams.

Central Māori Districts: Aiden Clark, Jarred Cunningham, Dustin Emms-Healey, Taine Halbert, Bayley Latter, Rian Lyver, Jamie Marshall, Angus McKnight, Charlie Pawson, Samuel Payne, Jerome Robinson, Bailey Te Tomo.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara: Jesse Tashkoff (c), Lachlan Bailey, Kaleb Gilhooly, Ryan Jackson, Drew MacDonald, Henry McIntyre, Marco Muollo, Max Petrie, Mitch Scott, Nik Swain, Alex Thompson, Patrick White.

Te Waipounamu Māori (South Island Māori): Jamal Al-sukhon, Shaun Berryman, Toby Clemett, Brendan Domigan, Timothy Hampton-Matehe, Charlie Robson, Rory Sloan, Kobe Stackhouse, Reuben Stoffers, Oscar Wilson, Jake Kura, Brayden Thomas.