Category: Featured

The highly anticipated Tairāwhiti Sports Awards are back for 2025, promising an unforgettable evening of celebration and entertainment at The Vines on Friday 14 November. The night will be hosted by renowned broadcaster Jenny-May Clarkson as Master of Ceremony.

This year’s proud sponsor of the event in collaboration is The Real Estate Agents and Bronwyn Kay.

“We are thrilled to be the major sponsor of this year’s Sports Awards” said Bronwyn Kay.

“Our community is full of incredible people doing amazing things, and I feel so proud to stand behind them. Whether they’re striving for excellence or supporting others, they all deserve to be recognised. Encouragement and support are how we grow the next generation of leaders — and that’s something I’ll always show up for.”

Nominations are officially open for the 2025 Sports Awards.

The Awards shine a spotlight on sporting excellence and community contribution, and offer a powerful platform to recognise those who give their all – whether on the field, behind the scenes, or in support of others. With 17 diverse award categories, there are opportunities to acknowledge excellence across a wide spectrum of sport and active recreation.

“We’re excited to be hosting the Sports Award this year!” said Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Event and Talent Lead Debbie Hutchings.

“The Awards were last held in March 2022, following disruptions from COVID-19 and regional economic challenges. Community feedback highlighted the importance of celebrating sporting success in Tairāwhiti. While it’s not possible to cover the entire period since the last awards, we will aim to recognise key achievements from that time as best we can.”

The qualifying period for nominations is from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2025, capturing over a full year of sporting effort, impact, and success. Categories include Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman, Sportsman and Sportswoman, Whaikaha and Masters Sportsperson, as well as overall Sportsperson. Teams can be nominated for Junior Sports Team or Sports Team, and individuals may be recognised in coaching, officiating, or services to sport. There are also awards celebrating clubs, event excellence, and community impact.

Nominations can be submitted through the Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti website at whitiora.org/sport-event/sports-awards

Nominations close on Friday 8 August 2025.

A recently completed national evaluation of Health NZ’s Green Prescription (GRx) programme has highlighted the huge return on investment generated through the delivery of the programme across the country. 

Green Prescription is a community-based health and wellness programme that aims to increase physical activity and improve the nutrition of adults aged 18 years and over (GRx Adult) and children/young people (by working with their families through GRx Active Families). 

It was created to complement traditional health services in recognition of the need for a different approach to the prevention of obesity and physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their complications. Those diseases (also called chronic conditions or long-term conditions) include type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, three major sources of health system costs and loss of productivity in NZ. 

It was highlighted that Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs) are ideally placed to deliver the programme as they are well connected to their communities. 

Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti delivers GRx through their Kia Pakari te Ora programme for the region through partnerships with local providers, community events and co-designed plans focusing on nutrition and wellbeing needs. The aim of the programme is not only about increasing confidence and self-efficacy, people’s ability to manage their own health through physical activity and nutrition but providing a space for people to connect with others on similar journeys and sharing their stories. This programme stretches from Muriwai, across to Matawai, and as far as Wharekahika. 

“The impacts of the GRx programme are huge” said Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Chief Executive Stefan Pishief. 

“Seeing the quality of life of participants improving due to an increase in physical activity and seeing a reduction in the use of health services including inpatient hospitalisations“ 

The evaluation estimated benefits of $5,023 for each participating adult and $2,191 for each participating young person. This translates to $128 million and $675,191 for the Adult GRx and Active Families programmes, respectively. 

With Health NZ spending approximately $6.9 million for Regional Sport Trusts (RST) to deliver the programme, these estimates suggest a return on investment in the Adult GRx programme of at least $14 per dollar invested and nearly $8 per dollar invested in the Active Families programme. 

A total of approximately 25,523 adults; 308 children and young people and 286 families participate and engage in an RST GRx programme annually. 

Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti is proud to introduce the 2025 Tairāwhiti Rising Legends (TRL) squad, welcoming a new group of exceptional young athletes from across the region. 

TRL is a long-standing initiative dedicated to recognising and supporting the development of Te Tairāwhiti most promising sporting talent. This year’s squad features a diverse mix of athletes, representing a range of sports from traditional disciplines to emerging competitive arenas. 

“The high calibre of applications this year was impressive,” says Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti Events Lead Debbie Hutchings.  

“It’s inspiring to see such a breadth of talent, and we’re particularly excited by the inclusion of two new sports to the programme, Drifting and Futsal, that add to the 35 sports that have been represented across the 17 years the programme has been offered.” 

Returning for another year in the programme are Maxwell Kennedy (kayaking) and Ella Sutton (surf lifesaving). They are joined by an impressive group of new inductees: 

• Carlos Bramwell (rowing) 

• Corbyn Wilson (drifting) 

• Elliott Smith (futsal) 

• Else Pauwels (cycling) 

• Emily Petro (surf lifesaving) 

• Jacqueline Kennedy (kayaking) 

• Rio Sasamoto (swimming) 

• Taylor Newman (swimming/kayaking/surf lifesaving) 

Each athlete will receive a $1,000 scholarship and have access to a range of exclusive development opportunities. Throughout the year, they will participate in workshops covering key areas such as nutrition, mental skills, strength and conditioning, life skills, and media training. 

The TRL programme continues to play a vital role in nurturing young talent, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to excel in their sporting careers.