Four athletes whose careers took them from Wellington schools, clubs and communities to the highest levels of international sport have been inducted into the Sports Legends of Wellington.
Trish Hina, Jerry Collins, Rodney So’oialo and Irene van Dyk were recognised at the 2026 Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards, bringing together four remarkable careers across rugby league, rugby union, touch, softball, sevens and netball.
The Sports Legends of Wellington honour athletes with a strong connection to the region who have made an enduring contribution through their sporting achievements.
Trish Hina
Few New Zealand sporting careers have matched the range of Trish Hina’s.
Raised in the Hutt Valley and educated at Naenae College, Hina represented New Zealand in four sports: rugby league, rugby union, touch and softball.
Her greatest success came in rugby league.
Hina was a central figure in one of the most successful periods in Kiwi Ferns history, helping New Zealand win the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2008.
She was named player of the tournament at the inaugural World Cup in 2000 and again in 2008.
At the 2003 tournament in New Zealand, Hina scored 82 points and was selected in the team of the tournament.
Her career was built on strong Wellington foundations. She played for Te Aroha during a period in which the club won 11 consecutive Wellington titles and also represented Wellington at provincial level.
Hina later switched to rugby union and was part of the Black Ferns squad that won the 2010 Rugby World Cup in England.
Her standing within rugby league was recognised again in 2022 when she became one of the first Kiwi Ferns inducted into New Zealand Rugby League’s Legends of League.
Jerry Collins
Jerry Collins’ journey to the All Blacks began on the rugby fields of Porirua.
Born in Samoa and raised in Porirua, Collins came through Northern United before representing Wellington and the Hurricanes.
He made his Wellington debut as a teenager and went on to become one of the most recognisable loose forwards of his generation.
Collins played 85 matches for the Hurricanes and 48 Tests for the All Blacks.
His physical style, powerful running and fierce defence made him an imposing presence in international rugby, while his connection to Porirua remained a defining part of his career.
He captained the All Blacks three times, including twice during the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
For several seasons Collins played alongside fellow 2026 inductee Rodney So’oialo for Wellington, the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.
Collins died in a car crash in France in 2015, aged 34.
The following year, Porirua Park’s main stadium was renamed Jerry Collins Stadium in recognition of his contribution to rugby and the city that had helped shape him.
More than a decade after his death, he remains one of Porirua’s most celebrated sporting figures.
Rodney So’oialo
Rodney So’oialo’s career also grew from Wellington’s local rugby system.
Born in Samoa and raised in Wellington, So’oialo attended Mana College and played club rugby for Western Suburbs before making his Wellington provincial debut in 2000.
Before establishing himself in the All Blacks, he represented New Zealand in sevens, winning both a Rugby World Cup Sevens title and Commonwealth Games gold.
So’oialo went on to play 64 matches for Wellington and 101 for the Hurricanes.
He became one of the Hurricanes’ longest-serving players and captained the side during a period in which it was consistently among the leading teams in Super Rugby.
At international level, So’oialo played 62 Tests for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2009 and captained New Zealand five times.
For much of that period, he and Collins were regular members of the same loose-forward combinations for Wellington, the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.
After retiring as a player, So’oialo returned his experience to the Wellington game through coaching, including work with local clubs and the Wellington Lions.
Irene van Dyk
Irene van Dyk arrived in Wellington in 2000 as an established South African international. What followed was one of the most remarkable careers in New Zealand netball.
Van Dyk came to the region to play for the Capital Shakers and soon made New Zealand her home.
Within months she was playing for the Silver Ferns.
Across her international careers for South Africa and New Zealand, van Dyk accumulated 217 Test caps, including 145 appearances for the Silver Ferns.
She was part of the New Zealand team that won the 2003 Netball World Championship and later helped the Silver Ferns win Commonwealth Games gold in Melbourne in 2006 and Delhi in 2010.
Van Dyk was named New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year in 2003 and became one of the best-known figures in the country’s sporting landscape.
Her connection with Wellington stretched across her New Zealand career.
The region provided her first home in New Zealand netball, and after 11 seasons with Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic she returned to Wellington to play for the Central Pulse.
Her longevity, shooting accuracy and popularity made her one of the defining Silver Ferns of her era.
Hina, Collins, So’oialo and van Dyk were formally inducted during the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards at Wellington College on 20 August.
More than 100 nominations were received across 11 award categories, recognising athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, clubs and community leaders from across the greater Wellington region.
The four new inductees now join a roll of Wellington sporting legends that has been growing since the programme was established in 2003.
