Surfing and pig hunting. It’s not your usual preparation for an international game of football but it’s the platform for Te Maire Martin’s long-awaited Test return. 

The utility was enjoying an end of season break when Kiwis coach Stacey Jones called with an urgent SOS, after injuries struck the New Zealand side. 

Martin was quick to answer the call and is now preparing to line up in his first Test since 2018 in Sunday’s showdown with Tonga at Eden Park.


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“When we finished up our [Warriors] interviews, Stacey said I’ll be in the wider squad and to keep training,” Martin told reporters in New Zealand. “So I was doing a bit of pig hunting and a bit of surfing. Surfing for me is training, it’s hard. 

“I was on holiday with the missus when he rang up to see if I could come in. I was keen to be in this environment and it gave me a week to get back into training. We were in Fiji but I’m always happy to come in, even if I wasn’t playing. It was always going to be a yes.”

Martin’s journey back to the New Zealand team has been a winding one.

The playmaker was a highly touted youngster who starred for the Junior Kiwis, nailing a game-winning field goal to sink Australia back in 2014.

Among his teammates on that day were current New Zealand stars Joe Tapine, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Zach Dockar-Clay. Tonga’s Addin Fonua-Blake also turned out for the Junior Kiwis in the clash. 

Martin’s Test debut followed in 2016, however his career came to a shuddering halt in 2019 when scans discovered a bleed on his brain.

The utility was forced to retire before later mounting a successful comeback bid in 2022. Since then, he has developed into a key figure at the Warriors and helped lead the side back to the finals this year.


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Martin recognises he has grown as both a person and player during the seven-year gap and is confident he’s ready to make the most of this opportunity to represent his country.

“It’s always an honour to be in this environment,” Martin said. “If you get called upon to play, you’re always ready to go. Once you’re out there the adrenaline takes over.

“The games I played for the Kiwis were a while ago. I remember them going so fast. They get you too excited and there’s so much adrenaline going through you.”

Martin’s recall came after New Zealand lost Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jeremy Marshall-King to injury in the win over Samoa in the opening week of the tournament.


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The victory put the Kiwis in the box seat to progress to next Sunday’s final at CommBank Stadium.

Samoa booked their place in the decider with last week’s 34-6 win over Tonga, meaning Tonga must beat New Zealand by 17 points to climb into second on the standings and knock the Kiwis out.

Martin has been named on the bench, with Seb Kris replacing Mulitalo on the wing, Phoenix Crossland moving to hooker and debutant Xavier Willison coming on to the interchange. 

The utility has been rooming with game-one hero Dylan Brown since joining the squad in camp, the five-eighth helping Martin get up to speed on the Kiwis playing style.


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Brown has been impressed with the way his new teammate has thrown himself into the New Zealand environment and backed him to make an impact with the game on the line on Sunday afternoon. 

“I’m rooming with Te Maire, so hopefully he brings the energy that he brings around camp into the game,” Brown said. “That is him, that’s his role. Bringing energy is what we want from our 14. 

“We want him coming on, running the ball and giving opportunities for the boys in the second half of the game when forwards start to get tired and we’ve just got to take the opportunities.”