Hikitia Te Tai Tokerau

15/06/2026

What does a mokopuna-centred rugby league space look like?

At the recent Te Wiki Tuawāhine kaupapa, the Off the Fence team captured some of the kōrero happening on the sidelines. Celebrating mana wāhine, recognising the role of tāne, and noticing the small things that create positive environments for everyone.

We love hearing these reflections and seeing community voices lead the conversation. Mokopuna ora starts in the everyday moments. Thanks Off The Back Fence for sharing this kaupapa.



Sport Northland

14/06/2026

Mānawatia a Matariki! Paikeikehia a Puanga!

Across Whangaroa, people have come together to create opportunities to reflect, create, move, remember, learn and celebrate the Māori New Year. From wānanga and toi, to movement, maramataka, hautapu and whānau-friendly activities, there's something for everyone to be part of.

We hope you'll find an event that speaks to you, bring your whānau, and join in as we celebrate together.

Nau mai, piki mai, haere mai. 🌿

12/06/2026

Ngāti Ruamahue invite the whānau, hapū and wider Whangaroa rohe to come together for Puanga mā Matariki - herenga waka. Details below

✨ Manawatia a Matariki, Pāikeikehia a Puanga!

Ngāti Ruamahue invites our whānau, hapū, iwi and wider Whangaroa rohe to come together for Puanga Matariki – herenga waka

📍Ki Hea: Piapia, Wainui
🗓 Hei Āhea: Friday 10 July
⏰4.30am

Join us as we acknowledge the rising of the stars, honour those who have passed, and set our intentions for the year ahead 🙏✨

Bring your waiata and kōrero to share — let our voices carry the kaupapa of remembrance and renewal

🔥 Karakia
🎤 Kōrero
🎶 Waiata
🍽 Kai (hāngī provided)

🚌 Bus transport and hāngī available, please register here:
bit.ly/4gdisTq

Nau piki mai, nau kake mai - remembering together our loved ones and embracing the promise of the tau hou 💫

📸 Rawhitiroa Photography

28/05/2026

Kōrero tuku iho ki Whangaroa 🌿

As part of our hīkoi alongside our hoamahi at Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, we spent time reflecting on the stories of wāhine tūpuna of Whangaroa.

These kōrero carry knowledge about protection, leadership, responsibility, peace and care for others and they continue to hold meaning for our communities today.

For us, this is part of prevention too. Learning and carrying forward these kōrero helps shape how we build safe, connected and thriving communities.

28/05/2026

We recently spent time with the Sport Northland team learning more about their Positive Vibes Only kaupapa and the whakaaro behind creating positive sporting environments.

Across communities, there’s a growing recognition that sidelines matter. We saw that recently with Waikato Rugby League's Be a Koha not a Hoha kaupapa shared by our friends at Off the Fence.

Different places. Shared values.

What young people hear, see and experience through sport helps shape what feels normal when handling pressure, conflict, or mistakes. It shapes what encouragement and respect for others looks like too.

Strong, positive sporting environments can help tamariki feel: safe, connected, encouraged and excited to participate.

Big mihi to everyone championing kaupapa that strengthen our communities that support mokopuna wellbeing ❤️

24/05/2026

Love seeing kaupapa like this being led from within the rugby league community!
What stands out to us, is that this is about the shaping the environments our tamariki and rangatahi grow up in, and the behaviours they come to see as normal. Prevention starts long before harm occurs. It lives in the everyday moments:

how adults handle pressure and disappointment
how we speak to referees, coaches and each other
how we encourage rather than shame
how we model respect, regulation and mana-enhancing behaviour

Sport can be a powerful space for belonging, identity, confidence and connection. When whānau, coaches and communities create safe and respectful environments around our tamariki, that becomes part of prevention too.

Big mihi to the Waikato Rugby League community, and our own community mobiliser Andrew Wharton for raising this kaupapa and helping shift the culture from the sidelines.👏

⁉️Be a Koha, Not a Hōhā⁉️

We thought this grassroots kaupapa was awesome by WAIKATO RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY 👊🏽💥

When we interviewed Andrew Wharton Doodles, he mentioned this kaupapa that he thought would help normalise ‘positive and supportive behaviour’s’ in all rugby league spaces ❤️🩵

What do you think? Is this a strategy that TRL should implement at ‘Senior’ games, especially as we are building our Junior Grades - NZ Rugby League use ‘sandwich boards’ even if there were boards up at each entry into venues? 🤷🏽‍♂️

We have a few videos to add, that Doodles sent through from our NZ Maori Wahine might be a good time to promote ‘sideline behaviour’. 👆🏽

❤️
🙏🏽
fans

10/05/2026

As we reflect on Mother's day yesterday, we’re reminded that prevention begins early, in the everyday moments of connection, love, nurturing and belonging that help tamariki thrive.

We were honoured to support Whāea Deb Rewiri and Brainwave Trust in bringing together mātauranga Māori and neuroscience for whānau in Te Kerikeri. This kaupapa reminds us that the early years matter. Strong attachment, identity and connection create the conditions for safe, respectful relationships, laying the groundwork for mokopuna ora and violence-free whānau and communities.