Tu Wyllie

Tutekawa Wyllie

Wyllie in 2013
Birth name	Tutekawa Wyllie
Date of birth	(1954-10-24) 24 October 1954
Place of birth	Manutuke, New Zealand
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
School	Gisborne Boys' High School
University	Victoria University of Wellington
Rugby union career
Position(s) First five-eighth Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1978–83 Wellington 86 (84) Correct as of 19 December 2023 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1980 New Zealand 1 (4) 1979–82 New Zealand Māori 13 (4)
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Te Tai Tonga
In office 1996–1999
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Mahara Okeroa
Majority	285
Personal details
Political party	New Zealand First

Tutekawa "Tu" Wyllie (born 24 October 1954) is a former New Zealand politician and rugby union player. A first five-eighth, Wyllie represented Wellington at a provincial level, and played one match for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1980. He was the New Zealand First Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga from 1996 to 1999.

Early life

Born in Manutuke, Wyllie affiliates to the Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Ruapani and Rongowhakaata iwi. He was educated at Gisborne Boys' High School where he played rugby for the 1st XV. He then went to Victoria University of Wellington, where he studied law. He worked as a bus driver, court clerk, teacher trainee and as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Education, Iwi Transition Agency and the Department of Health.

Rugby career

While at Victoria, Wyllie played rugby league for New Zealand Universities between 1975 and 1977. He then played representative rugby union for Wellington from 1978 to 1983 and New Zealand Māori from 1979 to 1982. In the off-seasons he played overseas, in Ireland, the United States, Germany and France. His sole appearance for the All Blacks came in 1980, when he played against the touring Fijian side, scoring a try. The game was not recognised as a full international.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1996–1999	45th	Te Tai Tonga	36		NZ First

Wyllie represented Te Tai Tonga as a member of Parliament from 1996 to 1999 for the New Zealand First Party.

He defeated 29-year parliamentary veteran Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan with a majority of 285 votes enabling New Zealand First to capture all five Māori electorates in the 1996 election (including Te Tai Tonga). When the Tight five led by Tau Henare splintered from New Zealand First and created the Mauri Pacific party, Wyllie chose to remain loyal to the party core. During the 1999 election he sought re-election as MP for Te Tai Tonga, but chose not to stand on the party list. He was defeated by Mahara Okeroa of the Labour Party by 4522 votes.

During his term in Parliament, Wyllie also played for the parliamentary rugby team.

Post Parliamentary career

Protest against the sale of Young Nicks head

Following his defeat in the 1999 election Wyllie returned to Gisborne in an effort to assist Ngai Tamanuhiri to prevent the sale of Young Nick's Head (Te Kuri), a place of historical, and spiritual significance to local Māori. Wyllie stated that "It is the absolute jewel in the crown because Young Nick’s Head, or Te Kuri as we know it, is our equivalent to Hikurangi for Ngati Porou and Aorangi or Aoraki for Ngāi Tahu. It is our mountain, it is what identifies us as an iwi and we have some real issues about what’s going to happen to it in the future.". Ngai Tamanuhri tribal members led by Wyllie conducted a protest march and pitched their tents on the grounds of New Zealand Parliament.

He later lost his mandate as iwi spokesperson after he filed a judicial application to overturn Michael Cullen's decision to approve the sale of the landmark. Young Nicks Head was consequently sold to American millionaire John Griffin.