PICS: Sports stars who turned to politics

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1/9 Louisa Wall: Not content with being the youngest member of the Silver Ferns, Wall went on to win the 1998 Women’s Rugby World Cup with the Black Ferns. She entered Parliament on the Labour list in 2008, campaigning for marriage equality and introducing the bill which would legalise gay marriage in 2013.
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2/9 Sir John Walker: Famously the first person to run a mile in under three minutes fifty – a record he held for four years. Sir John also won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games competing in the 1500m. He was elected to the Manukau City Council in 1998, and became an Auckland City councillor with the SuperCity merger in 2010.
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3/9 David Kirk: One of the most famous images in New Zealand rugby history is All Blacks captain lifting the 1987 World Cup trophy. Kirk retired from rugby soon after, becoming a successful businessman. He also held the position of chief policy adviser under Jim Bolger’s administration in the 90s. Kirk is also a Rhodes scholar.
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4/9 Winston Peters: Early in his career, Winston played for the University Rugby Club in Auckland and captained the Auckland Maori Rugby Team before entering Parliament in 1978. He later went on to become Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister whilst leader of New Zealand First.
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5/9 John Morrison: The moustachioed cricketer played 17 Tests and 18 ODIs for New Zealand in the 1970s, hitting his only Test century against Australia. He also played domestic cricket for Wellington before becoming a City Councillor there in 1998. In 2013, he unsuccessfully ran for mayor.
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6/9 Dame Susan Devoy: Before being appointed Race Relations Commissioner in 2013, Dame Susan completely dominated the sport of squash throughout the 1980s, winning four world titles. By the time she retired in 1992, she was squash champion in eight countries.
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7/9 Michael Woodhouse: After working for the National Bank in Dunedin, Woodhouse played rugby for Dunfermline and Broughton Park in Manchester in the late 80s. He was also a regular rugby referee. He entered Parliament in 2008 and rose to hold the Immigration and Police portfolios.
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8/9 Chris Laidlaw: The Otago native made his debut for the All Blacks during their tour of Britain and France in 1963. He played 57 matches for New Zealand, and captained the side three times. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972. He won a by-election with Labour in 1992, but was beaten in the 1993 General Election. He is currently the chair of the Wellington Regional Council.
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9/9 Dick Quax: Like Sir John Walker, Quax was a runner. He won the 1500m silver at the 1970 Commonwealth Games and silver again in the 5000m at the 1976 Olympics. He set a 5000m record in 1977. Quax stood as a list candidate for ACT in the 1999 and 2002 Elections. He lost a 2007 bid for the Auckland mayoralty, but became a councillor in 2011.
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