Old Boy and Tamai Sports co-founder Max Goodwin (14691) shares his passion for empowering tamariki across east Christchurch to play sport and thrive.
What inspired you to launch Tamai Sports? Sport has had a huge impact on my life, and it felt unfair that kids a stone’s throw away weren’t getting the same opportunity. Dodsy (Stephen Dods – Master-in-Charge of Rugby at Christ’s College) and I started talking about it in Year 13, plotting how we could direct some of the energy and resources within the College community to break down those barriers. We had more enthusiasm than a plan, but luckily, that was enough! What was the first year like? Hectic and a little disorganised, but life-changing. I was at university, organising taxis to bring 17 kids to College each week for training, followed by dinner in the Dining Hall with the boarders (one of the highlights for everyone). Old Boys and university mates helped me wrangle the kids and I’m grateful to all of them. It was a brilliant lesson in doing a lot with very little. Being small meant I was across everything, and the conversations I had with kids, their whānau, and teachers about the impact it was having made every chaotic moment worth it. How did you gain traction with supporters? Dodsy and College were amazing in getting this bootstrapped operation running. Early supporters like Stirling Sports organised the playing and training kit for free, and donations covered the taxis and Dining Hall meals. Fundraising isn’t my strong suit, but we have an amazing team now who runs great events, like our annual Tee off with Tamai Golf Day. How did you get communities involved? Dodsy and I went through a long process of meeting the Ministry of Education, Linwood College (now Te Aratai College), the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, rugby clubs in the area, and the Tamai schools themselves. What struck us was how quickly the momentum built. In every conversation, people were excited and validated the need. The standouts have been a small group of primary school teachers who see the benefits of Tamai firsthand and do an incredible job signing up kids, making sure they get on the bus to training, and then turning up on Saturdays to show support.
What outcomes were you seeking? To remove barriers for tamariki to experience the benefits of sport, and to give kids the foundations to go and do great things. Communities operate at their best when kids are placed at the centre, and sport is a great vehicle for that. How have you managed to stay involved alongside a busy career? Since leaving Christchurch, I’ve moved onto the board to stay involved. Getting involved with charities early is one of the best things you can do for your own growth. What does Tamai Sports look like now? A lot bigger and more organised! We now run summer and winter programmes across rugby, netball, football, rugby league, cricket, and touch rugby, with about 2,500 kids involved each year. It’s been such a good example of how much momentum can build with just a little bit of energy when you have a cause people believe in and an amazing team around you. To sum up the journey of Tamai Sports, it’s been incredibly uplifting to see the momentum and impact that can be built when great people get behind an awesome mission, and the experiences I’ve had along the way have been priceless. If that can inspire others to back a cause they believe in – whether by starting something or supporting what’s already out there – that would be awesome. Tamai Sports is always looking for businesses that want to drive their mission alongside them, and individuals willing to volunteer, whether that’s coaching, helping on game days, or lending a skill set they don’t have. If something here resonates, please reach out and email them at matt@tamaisports.co.nz.
COLLEGE 2026
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