Kimiora Poi: Silver Ferns Midcourter and Steel Captain

Kimiora Poi is one of New Zealand's fastest and most tactically astute midcourters — a Silver Ferns playmaker, captain of the Southern Steel and a 2026 Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Standing 1.68 m (about 5 ft 6 in), she has built an elite career on speed, precise feeding and relentless conditioning rather than height. This guide follows her journey from the small East Coast town of Tikitiki to the top of the international game, covering her club career, her role with the national team, her playing style and her next move to Australia.

Early life and Ngāti Porou roots

Kimiora Poi was born on 1 November 1997 in Gisborne and affiliates to Ngāti Porou. She grew up in Tikitiki, a small settlement on the East Coast of the North Island, where netball was a family pursuit. Her family later moved to Napier, and she attended Napier Girls' High School, a well-known nursery for regional netball talent.

Off the court she pursued tertiary study, taking Criminology and Māori Studies at Victoria University of Wellington before continuing her studies at the University of Canterbury during her years based in Christchurch. That academic grounding sits alongside a career that has kept her connected to her heritage.

National league beginnings and the 2017 breakthrough

Poi first made her mark in New Zealand's second-tier competition, then known as the Beko Netball League and today the National Netball League. She represented Central Zone across the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and in 2017 earned a single top-flight appearance for the Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership.

Her standout moment that year came in the black dress of the New Zealand Under-21 side, which won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana. As one of the shortest players on court, she leaned on sharp spatial awareness and explosive movement to compete with taller midcourters — qualities that would define her senior career.

Seven seasons with the Mainland Tactix (2018–2024)

In 2018 Poi moved to Christchurch to join the Mainland Tactix, where she spent the bulk of her domestic career through to the end of 2024. Under coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek she developed into one of the league's most consistent playmakers, forming a productive midcourt combination with Erikana Pedersen and feeding shooters such as Te Pāea Selby-Rickit.

The Tactix reached back-to-back ANZ Premiership grand finals in 2020 and 2021, finishing runners-up both times. Poi passed 100 national-league matches during her Christchurch years. Notably, the Tactix went on to win their maiden ANZ Premiership title in 2025 — the season after Poi had departed — so a domestic championship remained one honour she did not collect with the franchise.

Becoming the first Māori captain of the Tactix

In December 2021 Poi was appointed Tactix captain, becoming the first Māori player to lead the franchise. She held the role for three seasons, guiding a squad through several rebuilding phases with a calm temperament and a strong work ethic.

Australian experience: Collingwood Magpies (2019)

In 2019 Poi gained her first taste of Australia's Suncorp Super Netball, joining the Collingwood Magpies as a temporary replacement for the injured Madi Browne. She ended up establishing herself in the starting wing-attack role and played seven games for the club, adapting her space-based New Zealand style to the more physical, one-on-one Australian game — experience that later benefited her international career.

Leading the Southern Steel (2025–2026)

After seven seasons in Christchurch, Poi signed with the Invercargill-based Southern Steel from 2025. In her first year she shared the captaincy with fellow Silver Fern Kate Heffernan under head coach Wendy Frew, with the Steel finishing fourth in the regular season. For the 2026 ANZ Premiership she was named captain of the side, bringing an experienced, composed presence to a young midcourt.

Silver Ferns and 2026 Commonwealth Games gold

Poi made her senior debut for the Silver Ferns on 13 January 2019 against England during the Netball Quad Series. Valued for her pace and her ability to change the tempo of a match, she became a useful tactical option for head coach Dame Noeline Taurua. She featured in squads that won the 2020 Nations Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Constellation Cup and the 2025 Taini Jamison Trophy series.

Her career highlight came in August 2026, when she was part of the Silver Ferns squad that won gold at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, beating Jamaica 56–48 in the final — New Zealand's first netball gold since 2010. The result was one of the standout New Zealand sporting moments of the year, as recorded on Wikipedia. By the time of that campaign she had earned 32 test caps for New Zealand.

A reputation built on fitness

Poi is consistently praised for her conditioning and durability, rarely missing matches through injury across her career. As a high-intensity midcourter who covers large distances each game, her aerobic capacity and repeat-sprint ability have long been among her defining assets.

Playing style: speed, feeding and vision

Tactically, Poi is a creator. She excels in transition, using her acceleration to beat defenders to the circle edge, and offsets her lack of height with strong spatial awareness and accurate feeding into the shooting circle. Defensively she uses her agility to pressure passing lanes and hunt for midcourt interceptions.

• Positions: Centre (C) and Wing Attack (WA), the engine roles of the midcourt.
• Speed: among the quickest players in the ANZ Premiership.
• Feeding: accurate ball placement to reduce turnovers at the circle edge.
• Defence: high-work-rate pressure through the centre third.

In the current domestic era she has also had to adapt to the two-point "Super Shot", timing her feeds so shooters can set up in the long-range zone late in each quarter. Her role has evolved from pure attacking flair towards a more disciplined, leadership-driven approach to possession. Readers new to these roles can learn more about each bib in a guide to netball positions.

Māori leadership and community role

As a proud Māori athlete, Poi represents a generation of leaders who bring cultural values into the high-performance environment. Her appointment as the first Māori captain of the Tactix was a significant milestone, and she has carried that leadership into her role with the Steel. She points to whanaungatanga — the building of relationships and connection — as central to her captaincy, and is a visible role model for young Māori and Pasifika netballers, particularly through her "Tikitiki to the top" story that Netball New Zealand often highlights in regional development.

Next chapter: Queensland Firebirds (2027)

In a significant career move, Poi signed with the Queensland Firebirds for the 2027 Suncorp Super Netball season — her second stint in Australia after Collingwood in 2019, and this time as an established international. Firebirds head coach Kiri Wills described her as a genuine game-changer through the middle of the court, citing her speed and fitness. The move takes one of New Zealand's most durable midcourters back into the world's most physical domestic competition at the peak of her powers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is Kimiora Poi?

She is a professional New Zealand netballer and Silver Ferns midcourter, born in Gisborne in 1997 with Ngāti Porou affiliations. She captained the Southern Steel in the 2026 ANZ Premiership and won Commonwealth Games gold with New Zealand that year.

What position does Kimiora Poi play?

She is a midcourt specialist who plays Centre (C) and Wing Attack (WA), roles that involve linking defence to attack and feeding the shooters.

Which teams has Kimiora Poi played for?

She has represented Central Zone, the Central Pulse (2017), the Mainland Tactix (2018–2024), the Collingwood Magpies in Australia (2019) and the Southern Steel (from 2025). She has signed with the Queensland Firebirds for the 2027 Suncorp Super Netball season.

Did Kimiora Poi win a Commonwealth Games gold medal?

Yes. She was part of the Silver Ferns squad that won gold at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, defeating Jamaica 56–48 in the final — New Zealand's first netball gold since 2010.

When did Kimiora Poi debut for the Silver Ferns?

She made her senior international debut on 13 January 2019 against England during the Netball Quad Series, and has since earned 32 test caps for New Zealand.