Te Wānanga o Aotearoa backing our future stars
2023 Te Tamāhine-ā-Papatūānuku winner Erika Fairweather with board member Turi Ngatai
On Saturday, the 34th Trillian Trust Māori Sports Awards will be held at Mercury Baypark Arena in Mount Maunganui and for the sixth year, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is continuing its sponsorship of the Te Tamāhine-ā-Papatūānuku, the junior sportswoman award.
The awards are hosted by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Trust and trust executive director Dick Garratt says the black-tie event is the pinnacle of Māori sporting success.
With a host of world and Olympic champions vying for the overall Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year title, he says this year’s event “promises to be the most exciting since its inception in 1991”.
The star-studded event will see 10 Olympic gold medallists, 6 individual world champions, teams, coaches, administrators, para-athletes, umpires and referees all honoured for their contributions to their sports.
Te Tamāhine-ā-Papatūānuku finalists include world champion waka ama paddler Hinekahukura Brooking (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Black Ferns sevens and league star Maia Davis (Ngāti Hineuru, Taranaki) and Football Ferns striker Ruby Nathan (Te Aupouri).
New Zealand has a long and proud history of athletes succeeding on a national and international stage, and it’s a history Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is honoured to be associated with and continue to support.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Kaiwhakatere (chief executive) Nepia Winiata says sponsoring the Te Tamāhine-ā-Papatūānuku award recognises those athletes who will lead the way in the years ahead.
“We are a forward-looking organisation and while these athletes are achieving incredible success now, they also represent the future, and we congratulate them all.”
For those aspiring to follow in the footsteps of our champions or simply to help whānau live healthier lives, training as a professional fitness coach, instructor, or personal trainer through the Tākaro, Sport & Exercise programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is a great first step. You’ll learn valuable skills in a wānanga setting and be set for a career in the fitness industry.
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies
Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.
Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education
Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.
Learning tikanga to strengthen community work
After making the move to Aotearoa in 2014 from Germany, Almaz Bergz set out to gain a better understanding of the people, whenua, and culture that shape life here.
Thriving as a kaiako after He Korowai Ākonga
When Marlena Martin began her studies in He Korowai Ākonga – Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) in 2023, she never imagined where it would take her and how much she would grow as an individual.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new international reo Māori learning
iReo is a flexible, self-directed, online short course made up of 5 standalone modules, each running over 6 weeks. Learners can study at their own pace, weaving te reo Māori into everyday life alongside work, whānau, and other commitments.
Wānanga business programme helps launch The Dog Nanny
Ōtautahi local Jane Dungey turned her passion for animals into The Dog Nanny after completing the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Building confidence, careers, and culture through Māori performing arts
Discover how Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Certificate in Māori Performing Arts goes beyond kapa haka, empowering tauira with skills in drama, screen acting, and public speaking. Hear how graduates like Niquita Samuel are building confidence, careers, and cultural pride.
Making connections between media and Māoritanga
Lizzie Dunn created Te Arawhata to help people reconnect with te ao Māori through media, resources, and kōrero. Discover how her reo journey and passion for sharing knowledge are inspiring thousands to embrace Māoritanga and strengthen cultural connections.