WATCH: In part two of the Pure As series, NZ men's captain Kruze Tangira reveals how netball saved his life.
There were many times as a kid that Kruze Tangira wanted to walk away from netball, the only sport he truly loved. And even today, as captain of the New Zealand men's team, he admits there are times he still feels he "isn't good enough".
Growing up in the Taranaki town of Waitara, Tangira was fascinated by netball, and started playing at six. But as a boy playing in girls' teams, he struggled with the "snarky remarks" from parents on the sideline, and found he had no-one to talk to.
There were many times he felt like giving up, he says in the latest episode of the Netball NZ doco series Pure As, but he's grateful he stuck with it through his primary school years. At intermediate school, though, he was devastated when told he couldn't play anymore.
It wasn't until he was 16 and discovered men's netball that his passion for the game was rekindled.
"I found an environment where I could be fully myself, without any negative comments, without being shamed for being a male netballer," he says. "It saved my life in some respects, because it gave me a sense of purpose and a community that would have my back when no-one else would."
When Tangira first made the NZ men's team, the "heartache, pain, sorrow and struggle" he went through in his early netball years made it all worth it, he says.
Tangira, one of seven children, breaks down as he reveals the courage needed to tell his loving, religious family that he was gay.
The 2021 edition of Netball NZ’s highly successful Pure As series takes fans on a new journey, with five episodes showing the incredible stories of individuals from across netball's wider high performance system.
Last year’s inaugural series was an instant hit with fans, with more than 1.5 million organic video views and a global reach of four million.
You can watch the first episode, with Cat Tuivaiti, here.
All episodes will be launched with an exclusive first watch through www.silverfans.co.nz, and shown on LockerRoom every Tuesday and Saturday.
