Muriwai sand dune victim Kane Watson’s children making sporting tribute to beloved father

Fourteen months on, his legacy is being kept alive by Z Team Motocross comprising Cooke’s eldest three children Zadyn and Siressa (both aged 11) and 10-year-old Zavier; kids Kane proudly brought up as his own.

Kane Watson lost his life in a sand dune tragedy at Muriwai Beach. Photo / NZ Herald composite

“Zavier said he wanted to go back to racing and he said he wanted to do it for Kane,” Cooke told the Herald.

“He wants to keep his memory alive.”

Z Team Motocross’ three intrepid racers will line up at a race event on Sunday near Pukekohe.

While Kane liked road bikes, he didn’t race dirt bikes.

But given the young children’s passion for them, he fully embraced the sport so they could follow their respective riding dreams.

Zadyn (left), Shaylah, Zire Kane, Zavier, Zayne and Siressa, who is holding Zaria, in their team racing hoodies.

“He really got into the dirt bike racing with the kids and learned everything he could about fixing their bikes,” Cooke said.

“He ran pretty much the whole track every single race, helping all the kids. He was definitely the best parent at race day.”

Given how much Kane did to help the kids, Cooke said their passion for dirt bikes vanished after his death.

That included Zavier not touching his bike for more than a year.

“They were not interested at all.”

Z Team Motocross – racing in honour of Kane Watson – have been selling made-to-order merchandise to help fundraise.

Cooke said that changed when family and friends gathered for a memorial at her house on the anniversary of Kane’s death.

It came after one of Kane’s friends did a burnout in the young dad’s memory.

“Xavier goes, ‘Mum, is it all right if I get out my motorbike?’” Cooke said.

“There was no way I could say no. It was just like something changed in him. Now he’s wanting to go back to motocross racing.”

Zavier works on his motocross bike ahead of the 2026-27 racing season.

The Z Team Motocross’ Facebook page says the team’s motto is: “A family that rides together, stays together”.

Cooke said the team offers a “rider of the day” award at each race meeting.

“Everyone gets chosen for different thing; either how they were, their improvement or their manners on the track … all different things,” she said.

Even non-riding Shayla had won an award earlier this season for looking after Cooke’s younger children on a race day.

Zire Kane Watson – aged 10 months – chills out in a small dirt-bike tyre.

Cooke said she was proud of her children for returning to the sport they had so much passion for, and shared so many good times with Kane at, before his death.

But she added after losing someone so dear to her heart so tragically, it also led to some nervous moments.

“After Kane dying, I have a new phobia,” she said.

“I always have a ‘what if’ something goes wrong, especially with racing.”

Racing was an expensive sport and just how often the team competed – and how far they were able to travel to compete – would be dependent on sponsorship.

Kane Watson – who died in a sand dune tragedy at Muriwai Beach – pictured with his partner Jasmine Cooke while she was pregnant with their first child who was born in 2024.

Race fees for the trio to compete in the same event were between $150-$200.

Other costs included fuel to get to events and for the race bikes, and maintaining safety equipment and their dirt bikes.

As well as chasing potential sponsors, Cooke said the team was also selling made-to-order caps and hoodies; with the hoodies featuring an artist’s impression of Kane sitting on his motorbike.

Cooke said she drew a lot of strength from her seven children.

“They are brilliant kids,” she said.

Baby Zire-Kane Watson was born on January 2, 2026, the day after what would have been the 29th birthday of his father Kane Watson (inset). Photo / NZ Herald composite

Cooke gave birth to Zire-Kane Watson on January 2; the day after what would have been Kane’s 29th birthday.

The couple’s blended family also features Zadyn, Siressa, Shaylah (all 11), Zavier, 10, Zayne, 7, and Zaria, 2.

Cooke and Kane legally fostered Siressa and Shaylah shortly before the Muriwai Beach tragedy.

Zire Kane was now 10 months old, with his mother describing him as a “very chill baby”.

“He is absolutely good,” she said.

Zavier on his race bike at a recent motocross race meeting.

“He’s moving around and just about fully standing by himself now.”

Motorcycling New Zealand media manager Derek Morrison said Z Team Motocross would be warmly welcomed wherever it lined up during the 2026-27 dirt bike racing season.

He said Zayden, Siressa and Zavier were at a “perfect” age to start to expand their riding skills around fellow like-minded motocross-racing youngsters.

Morrison – a former motocross racer himself – said his advice to the trio would be the same as to any other youngster involved in the sport: “Embrace the fun side of it”.

Zavier (left) and one of his motocross mates.

“Just remember how much you enjoy it,” he said.

“You should enjoy every single moment of it. That’s the key to really being able to be super successful and do it for a long time.

“Kids want to ride as much as they can. And the more you ride, the more you want to ride.”

He also said motocross was a sport that had provided a positive outlet for many young Kiwi kids doing it tough and battling trauma.

That included himself, when his family lost their family farm in the aftermath of the 1987 stock market crash.

Kane Watson’s legacy and memory will live on during the upcoming motocross season via the Z Team Motocross squad.
Photo / NZ Herald composite

Morrison said racing went on to become “my whole world”.

“I’ve seen it help kids through traumatic experiences … including me,” he said.

“We lost our family farm … it was kind of quite a dark time in my life and then motocross came along and set me up for the rest of my life, to be honest.

“It seems unusual probably that a sport can do that, but motocross gave me an incredible bunch of mates. We were competing against each other but supporting each other as well at the same time.

“You learn through that process.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about Z Team Motocross can contact them at: zteam.mx.merch@gmail.com

Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 34 years of newsroom experience.

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