Media Statement
For immediate release
Attention: Chief Reporter
4 October 2004

Anna Rowberry joins the NZflag.com debate

Silver Fern Anna Rowberry has joined the long list of high profile New Zealanders who are openly encouraging fellow New Zealanders to debate New Zealand's flag.

In her endorsement Rowberry notes : "Since my selection into the Silver Ferns I have become very proud to see our Kiwi flag fly high at our test matches. The flag that always stands out for me because of its originality is the black flag with the fern on it. To play away from home in a foreign country and to see a crowd full of black ferns definitely makes you feel proud to be a Kiwi and really does identify you as being a New Zealander. As an athlete growing up in New Zealand, wearing the silver fern is something you aspire to. To one day see our fern placed on our nation's flag would, for me, make New Zealand feel like a nation with its own identity."

One of New Zealand's most capped Silver Ferns, Rowberry was captain of the Silver Ferns until a recent injury in the 3rd test against Australia in July 2004. Rowberry was born in Christchurch, but has played for the Auckland Diamonds since 2001. She was captain of the victorious Silver Ferns at the 2003 World Champs.

Over Sixty prominent kiwis across a range of disciplines including sports, the arts, education, religion and business are pushing for a referendum on a new national flag. The NZflag.com Trust has sought the support of such a broad range of New Zealand leaders to show, by their support and widely differing backgrounds, that the campaign has engagement with all sectors of New Zealand society.

Their names, photographs and endorsements appear on the www.nzflag.com website http://www.nzflag.com/endorsements.cfm and include Olympic gold medallist, Barbara Kendall; world champion squash player Susan Devoy; musician, Neil Finn; businessman Stephen Tindall; and Richard Taylor of Weta.

The www.NZflag.com Trust, established in April seeks to gather around 300,000 signatures early next year to hold a referendum asking New Zealanders to have their say on whether New Zealand should change its flag.

Ends.

www.nzflag.com Trust has been established to inspire and stimulate debate about whether New Zealand should change its flag.

The Trust believes in three guiding principles:

The debate must be apolitical.

Change can only happen if the majority of New Zealanders agree to change ie by a referendum.

The campaign must respect the current flag.

Over 60 high profile New Zealanders representing a broad cross section of New Zealand society have currently endorsed the debate to change the flag.

Richard Taylor, Weta Workshop: "New Zealand, Aotearoa, the land of inspiration, innovation and original thought. Our culture is special, our people unique. From our pacificana home we can proudly stamp our cultural reference and wave our uniquely New Zealand flag above the world stage. I endorse the concept of celebrating our land, our people with a national flag that respects and appreciates the wonderful country that we have become."

For endorsements from over 60 other high profile New Zealanders go to www.nzflag.com

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