July update

Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu.

Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.

Kia ora te whānau

As we transition into the heart of winter, it’s all go on the sports front and we’ve got new athletes, international competition and a wonderful new sponsor to introduce.

Read on and get to know Dormay Laufiso, an inspiring young athlete who is joining the Tātai Whetū Waitaha family. Dormay, Head Girl at Te Aratai College, has already made significant achievements in rugby league. Her dedication and leadership are truly inspiring, and we can’t wait to see her grow with our support. Each month, we'll profile some of our new athletes so you can get to know them better.

We are thrilled to announce Cyclone Computers as a new sponsor of Tātai Whetū Waitaha. Their generous financial support will help us provide crucial resources to athletes in sports that often don't receive traditional support, such as lawn bowls, trampolining, mountain biking, and squash. This partnership will undoubtedly enhance our ability to nurture and develop young talent across Canterbury.

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming hui on 25 August, where our whole community will come together to meet, share kai, and learn valuable information. This event embodies the whānau spirit of Tātai Whetū and is a fantastic opportunity for us to support one another. Please read more about this below and RSVP via the link below or on our website. It’s the first event of its kind and promises to be a memorable gathering.

Overseas, Charlie Murray and Maria Laurie are competing at the UCI MTB World Championships. Their hard work and dedication have brought them to this prestigious event, and we wish them all the best as they compete on the world stage. Read on for more details of Maria’s achievemetns and for an update on Cooper Moore’s golfing prowess.

Our athletes continue to set high standards, and we look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Let's keep celebrating our successes, supporting one another, and striving for excellence together.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ged, Tayla, and Poppie

Welcome Cyclone Computers

We are excited to announce a new partnership with Cyclone Computers, a homegrown New Zealand IT company, which has joined Tātai Whetū Waitaha as a financial sponsor. Cyclone Computers, known for their bespoke technology solutions and dedicated IT support services, is now committed to supporting the growth and development of young athletes in Canterbury.

Tātai Whetū Waitaha is dedicated to providing targeted development opportunities for young, talented athletes across a diverse range of sports that often don’t receive traditional support. Our programme assists athletes in sports such as lawn bowls, trampolining, mountain biking, squash, and many more, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to excel and represent New Zealand on the world stage.

This financial sponsorship from Cyclone Computers will significantly bolster our efforts to support these athletes. It will allow us to provide essential resources, training opportunities, and access to competitions that are crucial for their development and success. By removing financial barriers, we can help these athletes focus on their sports and become active role models in their communities.

Ged Robinson, Programme Lead, expressed his gratitude: “Cyclone Computers’ financial support is a game-changer for our programme. Their commitment allows us to extend our reach and provide robust support to athletes in sports that often get overlooked. This partnership means we can ensure these young athletes have every opportunity to succeed and inspire others in their communities.”

We are immensely grateful for Cyclone Computers’ sponsorship and look forward to achieving great things together. Welcome to the Tātai Whetū Waitaha family, Cyclone Computers!

New athlete spotlight

Dormay Laufiso

We are thrilled to welcome Dormay Laufiso, an exceptional young athlete, to the Tātai Whetū Waitaha programme. Dormay, a standout in rugby league, has a remarkable track record and a bright future ahead.

Dormay, who is currently the Head Girl at Te Aratai College, has already achieved impressive feats in her sporting career. "I was the Captain of the Canterbury U18 girls 9s that won the National District 9s tournament and also the South Island tournament," she shares. "I was named MVP for both the South Island and national 9s tournaments. Early this year I represented Samoa at the PYC Cup, which we won."

Her hard work and dedication have earned her a spot in the U18s Canterbury representative team for the 13-a-side league, where she will play against Southland and Otago next month. She is one of the athletes selected by Canterbury Rugby League (CRL) to join the Tātai Whetū Waitaha programme. "I want to be part of it because I want to develop my talent to the best it can be," says Dormay. "I feel that working with Tātai Whetū would help me so much and help me get to the next level."

Dormay's passion for rugby league is matched by her desire for proper training and development. "The biggest challenge I face is not knowing the proper training that fits me," she explains. "I believe Tātai Whetū can help me to become more self-aware, resilient, and capable by getting me to work with the right people and getting me the help that I need."

As an athlete, Dormay is driven not only by personal success but also by the impact she can have on her whānau, friends, and community. "The impact that I would like to have as an athlete on my whānau, friends, and community is the spirit of not giving up, resilience, and hard work," she says. "I believe that in order for this to happen, I would have to start with myself."

Dormay's advice to others is heartfelt and wise: "Follow your heart and surround yourself with the right people. As we navigate life, we come across different people. Some are positive, and some are negative. If we choose to listen to those who are negative, it can affect our self-belief and decisions. But if we listen to ourselves and the people we believe are meant to be on our boat, we can get to our destination."

Looking ahead, Dormay is excited about the discipline and proper training that Tātai Whetū can offer. "I have been doing it on my own, but I think the discipline is not there," she admits. "I think if Tātai Whetū offer that, it will make a huge difference not only physically, but also mentally."

Dormay also aspires to give back to her community by volunteering to coach young kids. "I would encourage young wahine to play footy and inspire our tamariki by being a role model. For example, choose the right thing and lead by example."

We are excited to support Dormay Laufiso on her journey and look forward to seeing her grow and inspire others through her involvement with Tātai Whetū Waitaha. Welcome to the programme, Dormay!

Maria Laurie rides to success

In mid-June, Maria Laurie touched down in Europe, embarking on an exciting and challenging racing journey. Just a few days later, she participated in her first ever World Cup in the Swiss Alps. "The course was insanely muddy, technically very difficult, and at high altitude but mostly pretty fun," she said. Despite grappling with jet lag, Maria managed to advance from 67th to finish 51st, a commendable achievement given the circumstances.

Maria has been “guest riding” for the UK-based team Trinity Racing, which has provided her with extensive support, including accommodation, food, race support, a speedy bike, and a mechanic. She expressed her gratitude, saying, "It’s been unreal having them look after me and I’ve been able to focus on racing with so much being taken care of." As she gets to know the team and staff better, Maria hopes to secure a spot on the team for the next year.

Last weekend, Maria ventured out solo, taking numerous trains and her bike to compete in a Swiss Cup in Davos, Switzerland. There, she reunited with a fellow Kiwi friend who was also racing. Feeling more acclimated to the altitude, Maria had an outstanding performance, finishing 5th. "I was stoked about my performance," she said.

Maria has been with the Trinity team in Les Gets, France, preparing for another World Cup in early July. With many riders in peak form for the last race before the Olympics, her goal remains to advance through the field. "I am in my first year in the Under 23 category and don’t have too many UCI points so I start at the back half of the field, which makes it hard to catch the leaders," she explained. However, with no jet lag and better altitude acclimatisation, she is excited to see what she can achieve.

After this weekend, Maria will spend one more week in Europe before heading back to New Zealand, ready to dive straight into Semester 2 of university.

Cooper Moore drives for the green

Since returning from Japan in April, Cooper More has been diligently working on his game and fitness. Recently, he spent a week in Brisbane competing in the Queensland Junior Amateur Championship, where he achieved rounds of 71, 71, 71, and 73, securing a third-place finish and earning his first Golf Australia medal. Reflecting on his performance, he shared, "I'm pretty happy about it."

Cooper noticed a significant improvement in his drive distance compared to his last overseas tournament in April. However, he still found himself 20-30 meters behind some competitors, which occasionally put him at a disadvantage. Despite this, he was pleased with his putting, noting, "My speed control was great and my acceptance of situations when I didn't sink a putt was also really good." His father, who came to watch, remarked that it was the best he had seen Cooper handle difficult situations and missed shots. Cooper was particularly proud of his consistency, stating, "In all of my rounds I was really happy with the fight I showed to keep my rounds so consistent."

A key focus area for Cooper has been using the Decade system, advice given to him by his coach Jay from Japan. He feels he is improving steadily with this system. However, he acknowledges the need to work on technical aspects, particularly his iron play. He explained, "Sometimes my iron play wasn't as good as it should have been and my bad holes were often a result of me short-siding myself with my approach, which I may need to look at some of my shot selections."

This week, Cooper is heading to Cambridge for his first National Academy camp, where he will undergo various tests and learn what it means to be part of this elite level. Following this, on Thursday, July 11th, he will fly out to Scotland for the R & A Junior Open Championship.

Tātai Whetū Hui

Preparations are well underway for our inaugural hui set to take place on 25 August from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Burnside Bowls Club.

This will be an incredible day and a chance for athletes, parents, and coaches to get together. Our expert speakers include Ilia Lindsay, Conrad Goodhew, Jess Moulds, Anna Simsic, and Richard Smith, who will provide valuable insights on topics such as wellbeing, coaching, nutrition, and athlete life.

This hui is designed for all parents, coaches, and athletes, with attendance being compulsory for athletes. It is also a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and support one another. Please RSVP below to confirm your attendance. A detailed itinerary will be shared soon. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and support our athletes' journey to excellence.

*Athletes - let Ged know if there’s a valid reason that you can’t make it such as sport competition etc.

Find us on socials

Social media is a great way to promote athlete successes and share what it's like to be part of our crew. Our posts are all about celebrating wins, and shouting out the hard work behind the scenes. 

We’d love your help. When you're posting about your sports journey or the awesome support you get from us, give us a tag. It helps more people find out about the cool stuff we're doing together. And don't forget to encourage your mates to follow us too. 

The bigger our online whānau gets, the better our chances are of scoring more funding to keep doing what we love. Let's make some noise and spread the word about Tatai Whetu Waitaha – it's all about supporting each other and growing together.

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Athlete feedback

We’re continuing to gather some feedback on the programme from our athletes. This will help us to identify where we are doing well, where we can do better, and how we are making a difference. We really appreciate the time taken, and this makes a big difference to how many we can help in the future.

If you’re an athlete or a parent, please fill out this survey below. This is really helpful for our programme leaders and allows us to support more athletes and ensure what we deliver is really targeted. Every athlete needs to do this survey.

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

As always, we're immensely grateful for your support in our journey. Together, we're making a real difference in the lives of these exceptional athletes.

Nāku iti nei,

Tātai Whetū Waitaha

Thanks to our amazing sponsors.