Skip Content
Apply now
Ask a question Search

Be wise and sanitise at waka ama champs

Sanitiser 1
  • * Sani Squad members front and rear: Left to right, Ngawai, Siobhan and Te Ārita wear QR codes on the front and carry hand sanitiser on their backs.

Combatting the potential spread of COVID-19 has been front and centre at this week’s Te Wānanga o Aotearoa National Waka Ama Sprint Championships at Karāpiro.

A key feature of the anti-COVID arsenal has been a Government-sponsored “Sani Squad”.

The team of Ngawai, Siobhan and Te Ārita has QR codes for the event on the front of their uniforms, a tank full of hand sanitiser on their backs and a dispensing gun ready for action.

Siobhan says the paddlers have been engaging with them really well: “The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Waka Ama NZ chief executive Lara Collins says adhering to COVID-19 tikanga has made the regatta possible.

All competitors and supporters have to use the COVID-19 tracer app to sign in each day and everyone’s encouraged to adhere to the Alert Level 1 protocols.

Sanitiser 2

 Back to news & events

Published On: 20 January, 2021

Article By: Stephen Ward

Other Articles

  • read more

    21 January 2026

    From closed doors to open pathways

    After the closure of Grace Foundation Whanganui, Craig Kara used his Manaaki Tāngata studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to create Te Ara Kimihia, a kaupapa supporting tāne toward positive futures. His journey of healing, leadership, and transformation now inspires others to find their own pathway forward.

  • read more

    16 December 2025

    Governance grounded in te ao Māori for future generations

    Discover how Māori governance grounded in te ao Māori is shaping future generations. Learn about Manu Taiko – Toro Parirau, a unique programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that empowers whānau with tikanga-based leadership and decision-making skills.

  • read more

    11 December 2025

    Companion of Te Apārangi, Champion of Te Reo Māori

    Te Rita Papesch, musician, educator, and kapa haka stalwart, has been inducted as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Discover her inspiring journey of music, haka, and te reo Māori, and how her lifelong dedication to Māori culture shaped generations.

  • read more

    4 December 2025

    Keil Caskey – former tauira, now kaiako

    Keil Caskey’s journey from tauira to kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa shows the transformative power of toi Māori education. Discover how his passion for taonga pūoro and commitment to whānau and whakapapa inspired him to teach and give back to his community.