TALENT
Tamai Rugby opens up playing field
T hree years after Christ’s College established the Tamai Rugby team, the project has expanded from a squad of 19 to 80 and aims to grow to 250 boys and girls. Now, project co-founder, and former Head Prefect, Max Goodwin (14691), who has been involved throughout, is off to work in Auckland, where he plans to establish the same programme. “It’s my passion and the last three years have been incredible. First, setting up the Rugby project with (Master-in Charge of Rugby) Stephen Dods, and then watching it develop. I’m totally committed to it and inspired by what it’s doing for these young children,” Max says. The Tamai project was born when Max and Stephen approached the Tamai Community of Learning, five Decile 1 and 2 schools – Te Waka Unua, Bamford, Bromley, Linwood Avenue and Whītau – and the Ministry of Education, offering a pathway into sport for seven to 11-year-old boys and girls. These children may never otherwise get the opportunity
to be part of a team because of a lack of contacts or a pathway to a club. They may not have the advantage of coming from a sports-oriented family. “Coming from a disadvantaged background myself, I understood the hurdles that young people faced accessing team sport,” Stephen says. “My Dad was not around in my formative years, and this limited the amount of sport available to me, due to transport issues, costs and so on. But because of a community that supported and backed me, I was able to continue with my sport. Our goal now is to fill this gap for today’s young people.” He says through the support of Christ’s College Executive Principal Garth Wynne, and the College parent community, they have been able to get the Tamai project off the ground. “This project required substantial support to enable coaches, meals, transport, and resources to give it sustainability. It would never have happened without the support and funding from our community and Garth.
“We felt a need to offer young people an environment in which they would have training and gear provided
and learn about team sport in a nurturing environment where, through positive role modelling, we could help prevent them falling through the cracks.” Selected by their primary school teachers, the participants – all aged under 11 – were originally brought to Christ’s College once a week, given uniforms, boots, and a training session on Upper, fed an evening meal in the Dining Hall, and transported home. With growing skills, it was not long before they were competing in the Canterbury Rugby U11 grade on Saturday mornings, with parents and families cheering on the sidelines, and enjoying a sausage sizzle after the game. Coaching alongside Max were Old Boy Harry Hawkins (14695) and then Year 13 student Gus Coates (14812).
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PHILANTHROPY
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