Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti

20/09/2026

Applications for our Tū Manawa Fund close Tuesday at midnight!

Tū Manawa funding is back and there are some important changes! 🚨

Applications open on 1 September and close on 22 September. We've introduced a new funding model that simplifies the process, allows applications of up to $20,000, and easier planning with two funding rounds each year.

Got an idea that will help tamariki and rangatahi get active? Get in touch with our team and let's talk about how Tū Manawa could support your kaupapa.

Make sure you check out all the updated details over on our website: https://whitiora.org/sports/funding/tu-manawa-active-aotearoa/

17/09/2026

The search for the 2027 Tairāwhiti Rising Legends is underway!

If you're a dedicated young athlete with big goals and a passion for your sport, this could be your opportunity to receive funding, mentoring and support to take your development to the next level.

Could you be one of the next Tairāwhiti Rising Legends? Applications are now open for the 2027 Tairāwhiti Rising Legends squad!

Successful athletes receive:
✅ A $1,000 scholarship
✅ Exclusive mentoring opportunities
✅ Personal and sporting development support

To apply, athletes must:
🏅Be aged 14-17 years as at 1 January 2027
🏅 Submit a covering letter
🏅 Include supporting letters from their Coach and Club (school or regional/national sporting body letters are also accepted)

📅 Applications close Friday 30 October 2026.

Apply over on our website ➡ whitiora.org/sports/trl/

14/09/2026

Spring School Holiday Activities 🌸🐑⚽️

Gisborne Gymnastic Club
👦👧5 – 14 year olds
⏰Morning sessions: 9am – 12pm
⏰Afternoon sessions: 12 pm – 3pm
📅Monday 28 September – Thursday 1 October
📅Monday 5 October – Thursday 8 October
💰$25 per session

Parkour Challenge
📅Saturday 3 October
⏰10.30am - 11.30am
💰$10 entry fee

Register here ➡ https://gisbornegymnastics.com/holiday-program

Central Football- Tairāwhiti
📍Week One - Watson Park
📅 Tuesday 29 September – Thursday 1 October
⏰ 9am – 3pm
👦👧 Ages 5–13
💰 $100

📍Week Two – Watson Park
📅 Monday 5 – Tuesday 6 October
⏰ 9am – 3pm
👦👧 Ages 5–13
💰 $80

📍 Week Two – Wairoa AFC
📅 Thursday 8 – Friday 9 October
⏰ 9am – 3pm
👦👧 Ages 5–13
💰 $80

Register here ➡ https://tinyurl.com/4n3dzx8c

The Bush Kura
📅 Wednesday 7 – Friday 9 October 2026
🦎Level 2 – Tuatara Camp
👦🏽Ages 11+ OR completed Pūkeko Camp
💰$50 per rangatahi

Fill in an expression of interest here ➡ https://bushkura.co.nz/bush-kura.../course-registration/

Gisborne Netball Centre
🎫 $25 per session
🕘 9.30am - 2pm
📍GNC Courts
📅 Week 1 (Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October): Year 3 and 4
📅 Week 2 (Tuesday 6 October and Wednesday 7 October): Year 5 and 6

Sign up here ➡ https://www.sporty.co.nz/gisbornenc/futureferns/holiday-programmes

10/09/2026

Could you be one of the next Tairāwhiti Rising Legends? Applications are now open for the 2027 Tairāwhiti Rising Legends squad!

Successful athletes receive:
✅ A $1,000 scholarship
✅ Exclusive mentoring opportunities
✅ Personal and sporting development support

To apply, athletes must:
🏅Be aged 14-17 years as at 1 January 2027
🏅 Submit a covering letter
🏅 Include supporting letters from their Coach and Club (school or regional/national sporting body letters are also accepted)

📅 Applications close Friday 30 October 2026.

Apply over on our website ➡ whitiora.org/sports/trl/

09/09/2026

Have Your Say on the Future of Tairāwhiti 📣

The Gisborne District Council is seeking community feedback to help shape the next Long Term Plan.

This is an important opportunity to ensure the value of sport, recreation, play, and active community spaces is heard. These spaces and activities contribute to healthier, more connected communities and deserve strong support in future planning. Every voice helps shape the future of Tairāwhiti.

📅Feedback closes Sunday 13 September.
Have your say here ⬇

Help shape our 2027-2037 Long Term Plan. Tell us what matters to you and where we should invest. We're doing a quick vibe check on what's important to you.

03/09/2026

Play Week Fund is here! 🎈

Do you have an idea that could get our tamariki and rangatahi playing? We could help make it happen!

Our Play Week Fund is offering up to $500 per organisation to help bring fun play ideas shaped by our tamariki and rangatahi to life during Play Week, 19–25 October 2026.

Think giant bubble fun, loose-parts play boxes, chalk takeover or sideline play boxes or something completely different!

It doesn’t need to be big or complicated. Ask your tamariki and rangatahi what they’d love to do and tell us what a little funding could help make happen.

💰 Up to $500 per application
📅 Applications open: Friday 4 September
⏰ Applications close: Midnight, Monday 28 September
🎉 Play Week: 19–25 October 2026

Small idea. A little spark. More play.

Find out more here ➡ whitiora.org/play

For any questions, contact Anna Tolich at ➡ [email protected]

01/09/2026

Athletes from across Tairāwhiti have just completed campaigns at the 2026 IVF Waka Ama World Sprint Championships and 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

2026 IVF Waka Ama World Sprint Championships - Singapore 🌊
Horouta Waka Hoe & Ūawa Surf Life Saving Club's were represented with some incredible results achieved throughout the event. The first world championships attended by Ūawa Surf Lifesaving Club with their open women's Kirimamae and J16 Hinematioro crews reaching event finals.

Congratulations to all crews and individuals that competed. Special acknowledgement to our podium world championships teams and individuals.

Podium Results:
🥇Horouta Kaiarahi Toa - Open Women's V12 500m
🥇 Horouta Manawahine - J19 Women's V6 500m
🥇 Maia Campbell - Horouta - J19 Men's V1 500m

🥈Horouta Puhi Kaiariki - J16 Women's V12 500m
🥈Akayshia Williams - Horouta - V1 500m
🥈Hine Brooking - Horouta - V1 500m
🥈Horouta Manawahine J19 V6 1000m

🥉Horouta Kaiarahi Toa - Open Women's V6 1500m
🥉Horouta Puhi Kaiariki -J16 Women's V6 1000m
🥉Horouta 35 Mai Tawhiti - Masters 40 Women's V6 500m
🥉Horouta Te Toki - Awhiowhio - J16 Men's V12 500m

Horouta was also awarded top overall club 🥇

For a full list of results visit ➡ https://bit.ly/4wYEOgc

2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships - Poznan, Poland 🛶
Congratulations to Quaid Thompson and Jacqueline Kennedy, current TRL, from the Poverty Bay Kayak Club who competed successfully in their respective events. Jacqueline, off the back of a successful Junior Worlds campaign in June, earned selection to the open women's K4 500m team.

Results:
🏅Jacqueline Kennedy - Women's K4 500m, 4th B Final
🏅Quaid Thompson - Open Men's K1 5000m - 6th, Open Men's K1 1000m - 7th B Final

📸 Aotearoa Waka Ama Team

27/08/2026

An amazing day at the Gisborne A&P Showgrounds for the Primary Inter-School Cross Country. 366 tamariki took part from 21 schools/kura. A big mihi to Awapuni School for organising and hosting the event to ensure a great experience for participants and supporters. We also thank the students from EIT Sport, Recreation and Exercise programme that volunteered as course marshals and their tutor Kris Arnold for warming up the tamariki before each race.

Congratulations to all participants and those that finished in the top 3.

Results:
Year 3 Girls
🥇 Lucy Garrett - Mangapapa
🥈 Bianca Wakefield - Mangapapa
🥉 Belle Soloman - Makauri

Year 3 Boys
🥇 Jake Scott - Ormond
🥈 Lucah Smith - TKKM ō Ngā Uri ā Maui
🥉 Monty Burns - Awapuni

Year 4 Girls
🥇 Ruby Draffan - Makauri
🥈Maia Hopps - Mangapapa
🥉 Phoebe Beard - Wainui

Year 4 Boys
🥇 Arto Willis - Wainui
🥈 Monty McPhail - Makauri
🥉 Spencer Reeves - Wainui

Year 5 Girls
🥇Tahumanawa-Ora Hape - TKKM ō Ngā Uri ā Maui
🥈 Peyton Atuatika-Loyd - Mangapapa
🥉 Ciara Ng - Wainui

Year 5 Boys
🥇Noah Watson-Porres - Wainui
🥈 Asher Williams - Wainui
🥉 Jethro Atkins - Wainui

Year 6 Girls
🥇 Sophie Loffler - Wainui
🥈 Elleanor Rye - Central
🥉 Sarita Castano-Melville - Wainui

Year 6 Boys
🥇 Ralph Dibble - Wainui
🥈Jonte Sherratt - Rere
🥉 Presley French - Awapuni

Overall School Placings
🥇 Wainui Beach School
🥈 Mangapapa School
🥉 Makauri School
🏅 Central School
🎖️ Awapuni School
🎖️ Makaraka School
🎖️ TKKM ō Ngā Uri ā Maui
🎖️ Ormond School
🎖️ Rere School
🎖️ St Marys Primary School
🎖️ Matawai School
🎖️Sonrise Christian School
🎖️Gisborne Home School
🎖️Manutuke School
🎖️Te Wharau School

26/08/2026

Tū Manawa funding is back and there are some important changes! 🚨

Applications open on 1 September and close on 22 September. We've introduced a new funding model that simplifies the process, allows applications of up to $20,000, and easier planning with two funding rounds each year.

Got an idea that will help tamariki and rangatahi get active? Get in touch with our team and let's talk about how Tū Manawa could support your kaupapa.

Make sure you check out all the updated details over on our website: https://whitiora.org/sports/funding/tu-manawa-active-aotearoa/

24/08/2026

Calling all Tairāwhiti sport clubs! 📣

Help strengthen the future of community sport by taking part in the 2026 National Sport Club Survey.

Led by AUT’s Sport Performance Research Institute NZ and the NZ Amateur Sport Association, the survey helps build a better understanding of how our clubs are operating, the opportunities and pressures they face, and how they prepare for and respond to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

It takes around 20 minutes, and your club and individual responses remain anonymous.

Your experience matters - by sharing it, you’ll help build a stronger evidence base to support community sport across Aotearoa.

Complete the survey here ⬇
https://aut.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZAosCJdLj6E9qS