Kaiyah Ratu New Zealand softball catcher Oklahoma City; headed to Florida State University

Kaiyah Ratu: New Zealand rising star carrying family and Māori heritage onto the world stage

For Kaiyah Ratu, pulling on the New Zealand uniform carries a meaning that extends well beyond softball.

The 20-year-old catcher represents a country, a culture and a family with its own history in the sport. Her father Stephen Ratu played for the New Zealand Black Sox, her mother Carley McFarlane represented the White Sox, and now Ratu is writing the next chapter of that family story on the international stage.

“Representing New Zealand is a huge honour,” Ratu said during the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Oklahoma City 2026. “I’m not only representing myself, but I’m representing my family and the whole nation.”

Her Māori heritage is an important part of that identity.

“We’re a very cultural country and our culture plays a big part,” she said. “Being a native Māori, it means a lot to get to perform the haka and get to wear our colours and play against the best in the world.”

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Ratu describes the haka as both an expression of that heritage and a declaration of intent before competition.

“Back in the day, it was used as a war cry, but basically it’s us laying the foundation against our opponents,” she explained. “It’s kind of like, we’re here, we’re ready to play, and we can’t wait.”

Softball has surrounded Ratu for as long as she can remember.

She grew up watching her father compete for the Black Sox including attending World Cups during his career. More than simply inspiring her to represent New Zealand, he has played a direct role in developing her as a catcher.

Ratu senior is the current first base coach for the New Zealand White Sox,

“I was fortunate enough to watch my dad play his entire career and attend a bunch of World Cups,” she said. “Getting to witness that, I really just wanted to be in that same environment.”

Her father was also a catcher - winning two silver medals at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cups in 2009 and 2015 - making him a particularly valuable source of advice.

“Although he’s my dad, he’s more like a coach,” Ratu said. “He was also a catcher, so he has a lot of tips and pointers. He does get a little mad when I do a few things, but honestly, it’s made me the better player and made me the player that I am today.”

Her mother has been just as influential. She represented the New Zealand White Sox before injuries curtailed her international career and later coached her daughter as she developed in the game.

“She’s had a big part in my career and how I play the game today,” Ratu said.

From New Zealand to Florida State

Ratu’s development has now taken her thousands of kilometres from home.

She moved to the USA in 2025 to attend Temple College, helping the team reach the national championship game in her first junior college season.

The experience became a stepping stone to one of the leading programmes in NCAA Division I softball. Ratu is now set to continue her collegiate career at Florida State University.

“I truly think working with the coaches at Florida State is going to make me a much more confident and better all-round player,” she said. “Along with my catching and just getting to play at a higher level.”

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For Ratu, moving into Division I represents the natural next challenge after accumulating international experience from a young age.

“I’ve played international for a lot of my life, so the junior college stuff was good, but Division I, it’s the next step and I truly can’t wait.”

There is another New Zealand connection waiting for her in Tallahassee. Former Black Sox player Travis Wilson, who played alongside Ratu’s father, is part of the Florida State programme.

“I was lucky enough that he did play with my father and they were good friends, so we did have that connection,” Ratu said. “He watched me play my NJCAA season and I guess they were impressed and then they selected me.

“I’m very, very happy and so grateful for the opportunity.”

Softball was not Ratu’s only sporting pathway.

She also played field hockey in New Zealand, although moving to the USA means she can no longer combine the two sports as she once did. Balancing them was difficult, particularly when international softball commitments in the northern hemisphere coincided with the hockey season at home.

But the second sport helped shape the athlete she has become.

“For hockey, the fitness definitely. It’s a lot of running,” Ratu said. “Also, just my quick hands in softball.”

There is also a less tangible connection between the two.

“In hockey, your eyes are always up,” she said. “So just having fitness, quick hands and good knowledge.”

Ratu’s move to the USA also reflects a broader development pathway she believes can help New Zealand close the gap with the world’s leading softball nations.

More New Zealand players are pursuing opportunities in the USA, gaining access to facilities, coaching and competition before bringing that experience back into the national programme.

“A lot of girls are coming to America and getting to use the resources that a lot of the Americans have,” Ratu said. “And bringing their knowledge and ideas back home, which is very helpful and beneficial.”

But resources are only one part of the equation. For Ratu, New Zealand’s strength also comes from its collective identity.

“I think we all just need to work collectively and have our moments together rather than individually,” she said. “Our culture and our team is amazing. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

That culture remains present in the team’s daily routine.

Ratu has worn pounamu, the traditional Māori greenstone, since she was born. She also explained how the New Zealand team begins each day with a karakia.

“It’s kind of like a prayer,” she said. “Just to bless us and hope that we have a good day ahead.”

Those traditions accompany a generation of New Zealand players pursuing a distinctly modern objective: earning their way to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Ratu understands the scale of the challenge. New Zealand’s geographical isolation makes regular international competition expensive, while qualifying means competing against some of the strongest teams in the world.

“We are very far away, so it’s costly to travel overseas and compete against all these international countries,” she said. “But I truly think that just our hard work and effort, and working together as a team, is really going to help us push us to the next level.”

The ambition is also deeply personal.

Ratu grew up competing in both sports that could have provided an Olympic pathway. Now, softball offers that opportunity.

“For me personally, I would love to go to the Olympics,” she said. “It’s always been a dream of mine whether that was softball or field hockey.”

For a player whose journey has been shaped by family, culture and the generations before her, reaching Los Angeles would add another chapter.

“I have full faith and trust in the girls and our coaching staff, and all the supportive crew back home that are going to push us to the next level.

“I can’t wait to see what happens.”

Categories: Home page , Oceania home page , WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Oklahoma City 2026 , Women’s Softball , Women’s Softball World Cup

The New Zealand catcher is following in the footsteps of her parents while building her own path through college softball in the USA, with the Olympic Games firmly in her sights.