One of New Zealand’s brightest young netball talents, Paris Lokotui has returned to the court 10 months after a knee reconstruction. Now she hopes her tough journey back paves a better way for other Māori and Pasifika players.
Paris Lokotui remembers the moment time stood still.
The 21-year-old was playing for the Central Pulse against the Southern Steel in the 2022 ANZ Premiership, when just minutes into the game, she suddenly went down in a heap.
“I caught the ball behind me,” Lokotui remembers. “I landed on my right foot, but my left foot didn’t land properly, and I felt my knee cave in.”
She heard the double-blow of the umpire’s whistle. She was immediately surrounded by her team-mates and knew the vision of her writhing in pain was live on Sky Sport.
“It was overwhelming in that moment. It was like someone had shot me in the leg and I was in a bad way. I could feel the concern all around me,” she says.
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Lokotui had heard a loud pop – she knew she’d ruptured the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in her left knee.
Pulse physio Ari Carroll did a quick knee test which confirmed their worst fears.
Lokotui had just been selected in the Silver Ferns development squad, and the previous season had made the Silver Ferns squad to play England and Aotearoa Men. She'd been crowned the 2021 Aspiring Silver Fern. Now, she was trying not to cry.
“A lot of emotions ran through my head,” says the midcourter. “I knew it was going to be a major setback. I had worries that I might not come back as the same player and get back to that level.
“But I had a load of people saying to me: ‘You’re only 21, you have a long career ahead of you’, so I tried to stay positive.”
Lokotui suffered the ligament tear on May 9 and had reconstructive surgery on May 26. Her long journey back - to return to the court for the 2023 season - had just begun.
Learning to walk again
Lying in her hospital bed at Boulcott Hospital, in Wellington, Lokotui’s first step was being able to straighten her leg and then try to walk.
She was nervous about putting weight on her knee.
“The surgeon encouraged me to get up and walk around three days after surgery. He wanted to make sure that I didn’t get a stiff knee and I kept progressing,” she says.
Sharon Kearney, Netball New Zealand’s lead physiotherapist and NetballSmart consultant, says Lokotui attacked her rehab head-on. She’s done everything the Pulse physio Carroll asked of her.
Erikana Pedersen, a netball colleague of Lokotui, sent Kearney a video, saying: “Look at Paris. She’s only one-week post-surgery, and she’s walking normally”.
“That spoke volumes,” says Kearney. “She was listening to her surgeon and physio and mentally taking every challenge on board and achieving well.
“Paris got on and did the hard work. And it is hard work – in fact it’s a slog at times.”
Kearney says there are milestones vital to reach in a player’s rehab and they need to progress through them systematically.
“Paris has been meticulous with relearning her jumping and landing, stopping and agility to support her return to play, her ability to transition back and her ability to minimise further injury,” says Kearney.
Everyday life was also draining for Lokotui. Getting around the house on her crutches was hard work and it was exhausting having a shower without getting her leg wet.
“It was character building stuff,” says Lokotui with a laugh. “It was nice having things brought to my lap and then taken away – I made the most of that, but I’m not sure my family enjoyed it.”
Lokotui was humbled by the number of players and coaches, both past and present, who encouraged her during her recovery.
“That meant a huge amount to me. I cannot thank Ari and Shaz [Sharon Kearney] enough. They were amazing,” she says.
The time away from netball allowed Lokotui to focus on her studies. She’s in her fourth year at Victoria University doing a bachelor of commerce, with a minor in te reo Māori.
Back on court
Lokotui now calls Christchurch home.
She has a fresh start with the Mainland side in the National Netball League and just over a week ago, she completed her long-awaited comeback.
“It was a big moment and a great achievement after all the hard work,” she says.
“I was a bit nervous but that was more about playing well, so I don’t let anyone down. But most of all I was just excited to be back and doing something that I love.”
Kearney says Lokotui has done an amazing job to be back on court 10 months after her injury.
“Now improving her netball will start,” she says. “By continuing to focus on improvement and her strong desire, I’m sure Paris can make her way back to New Zealand squad contention.”
Lokotui says watching the Silver Ferns’ bronze medal winning performance at last year’s Commonwealth Games only added to her motivation during her rehab.
“The thing I missed most was being around the team environment,” she says. “I’ve been involved in team sports my whole life, so it’s great to be back.”
Her injury has given her a new sense of perspective. Lokotui now does the NetballSmart warm-up every time she plays and trains.
“Before my injury I took my body for granted – I was like ‘Nah, I’ll be sweet’ when it came to warm-ups, but not anymore,” she says.
She hopes all younger players understand the importance of the NetballSmart warm-up – jumping, landing, and changing direction.
“Once you experience that personal cost of a serious injury, you know what you’re missing,” she says.
Kearney says the jump and landing resources NetballSmart provide, not only help the player to minimise injury and improve performance, they also help the injured player return to play.
Making a difference for Māori and Pasifika
Lokotui’s dad is Tongan. Her mum is Māori. Her family come from Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa and Ngāi Tahu.
She has a talented whānau. Her rugby-playing brother Cody, who she lives with in Christchurch, is in his second year at the Crusaders Academy. Their father, Lua Lokotui, played for Tonga in two Rugby World Cups.
Paris wants to tell her story to help others.
“I think someone like myself with a Māori background and a Polynesian background, sharing their story can have a big impact,” she says.
“I want to be that role model for the next generation of players and help them believe that if I can do it, when I came from the same area, the same culture, the same background, well, they can do it too.”
Paris Lokotui hopes to be back playing at ANZ Premiership level next season.
ACC research shows that Māori are almost twice as likely to experience a serious injury but almost 20 percent less likely to make a claim.
Māori make up a quarter of all traditional netball participation but according to the 2021 Voice of the Participant survey from Sport NZ, are less satisfied with their overall netball experience.
This is something that ACC and Netball NZ is working on to change and Lokotui wants to help.
“I want Māori and Pasifika players to know about injury prevention, and the support that is available for them if they do get injured,” she says.
“If by sharing my experience, it will help others to learn, I’m all for that.”
The cost of netball injuries
ACC invests in Netball NZ to help deliver the NetballSmart training programme.
Netball is the most popular sport for females in New Zealand, with over 136,000 players nationwide. But it's also causing a high rate of serious knee and ankle injuries in female players.
In 2022 ACC accepted around 21,146 netball-related injuries which costs $34m to help people recover.
Back in 2019, a 10-year nationwide review of primary ACL reconstruction showed the greatest increase was seen in females aged 15-19 years, with the incidence increasing by 120 percent in the last decade. Netball was one of the main sports contributing to the incidence of ACL injuries in this age group.
Research shows performing neuromuscular warm-ups two to three times a week before trainings and games can reduce the risk of ACL injuries.
“It’s exciting to see the positive impact of the NetballSmart programme supporting players to stay on the court and minimise time lost to injury,” says ACC injury prevention partner Nat Hardaker.
"We’re keen to grow the reach of NetballSmart and ensure more netball players benefit from the programme so they can enjoy more time on the court with their team-mates."
