Cowboys’ Polynesian players share pronunciation of their names, with other NRL clubs to follow

A former NRL player and leading commentator have called for clubs to release correct pronunciations of player names ahead of today’s NRL All Stars clash – and the North Queensland Cowboys have answered the call.

With the Indigenous side set to clash with the New Zealand Maori side iRotorua International Stadium, Fox Sports commentator Warren Smith tweeted that clubs should share player videos so fans and commentators could say their names correctly.

‘Memo to all @NRL clubs: Now would be a really good time to add your videos with ALL players saying their names to your website. From First grade to SG Ball. It’s 2023, we can do this,’ he tweeted with the hashtags #pronunciationguide and #shouldbeeasy.

Many fans agreed, pointing to the ATP and WTA tennis websites that include audio bites of players saying their names correctly. 

‘I’ll second that! Even if it is not a video, a simple sound bite of the player saying his or her name just like the @atptour and @WTA websites do with each player on their profile/ranking pages would help everyone, not just commentators and broadcasters alike,’ one fan replied.

Michelle Taupau, wife of Brisbane Broncos forward Marty Taupau, said the Samoan team had made the first strides at the Rugby League World Cup. 

‘If you’re looking for any pronunciation of the Samoan players that participated in RLWC head to @RLSamoa Instagram or keep a look out on @IngoaProjec Michelle Taupau, she posted.

PR and Communications Manager at Melbourne Storm Paul Munnings said the process was underway at the Victorian club: ‘Being done tomorrow’ he replied to Smith.

Meanwhile the North Queensland Cowboys have already released a video of pronuciations, including fringe players and bit names like Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Tualagi and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown. 

‘Pronunciations are important – so here’s our players, saying their names the way we all should,’ the Cowboys social media account posted.

Former Warriors and Kiwis veteran Wairangi Koopu also called for more respect when it came to pronouncing names, especially during the All Stars match.  

‘Hey, it’s not hard, just get a consultant to get these names correct, and if you need a hand, I’m more than willing’,’ Koopu told CODE Sports.

‘It’s hard to get a response from outlets and broadcasters though, and that’s as far as it goes.’

‘You have a history of a last name, there’s a lineage,’ he said. 

Many players are named after their grandparents or an ancestor within their tribe.

‘It’s said a certain way your whole life, but then you’ll get to the NRL and it gets pronounced wrong, but because the world hears it that way, that’s how it sticks.

‘Then the lineage changes.

‘If you called my grandfather the way my name was pronounced a lot when I was playing, he wouldn’t have known who you were talking about.

‘I know they don’t mean to be disrespectful, but to bumble those names and not respect them properly, it’s really hard to listen to. It’s hard to ignore.’