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Puti Tipene Watene

Puti Tipene "Steve" Watene was a New Zealand rugby league footballer and politician. He was the first Māori to captain the New Zealand league side and he is the only person to both represent the New Zealand national rugby league team and become a Member of Parliament.

Early years and personal life
Watene was born in Thames in 1910. He attended Thames High School, Opotiki District High School and then the Māori Agriculture College in Hawkes Bay before he moved to Auckland where he worked as a labourer and a clerk. He was a strong member of the Mormon faith, and a member of the Ngāti Maru and Te Arawa tribes. He is the great-grandfather of rugby league player Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. ==Rugby league==
Rugby league
In Auckland Watene joined the City rugby league club in the Auckland Rugby League competition in 1929 after switching from the Manukau rugby club during the season and represented and captained Auckland. He debuted for Auckland in a 22–19 win over Northland at Carlaw Park. == Politics ==
Politics
Watene was politically active and during the 1951 waterfront dispute he toured the districts on behalf of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, urging Māori not to work as strike breakers. As a Mormon, Watene's election broke the Rātana stranglehold on the Māori seats. He was re-elected in 1966, but on 14 June 1967 suffered a heart attack and died in Parliament Buildings during a Maori Affairs Committee meeting. ==Legacy==
Legacy
In 1969, the Watene whānau donated the Steve Watene Trophy to the New Zealand Rugby League, who awarded the trophy annually to the best New Zealand rugby league player until 1992. Since 2012, the NZRL have presented the Steve Watene Medal to the Kiwi Player of the Year. ==References==
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