The Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Union’s Game Development Officer, Southern Rose Tangaere, recently marked her one-year anniversary with the team and expressed gratitude for the amazing experiences she has had so far.

One of the highlights for Tangaere has been engaging with local schools, where she discovered remarkable talent along the 35. She emphasized the joy of spending time in kura and helping run a referee course at Te Puka last year.

She says, “The end of last year, which was cool got a good little turnout from our Waima and Toko whānau, just giving them a bit of info on what it means to be a ref and the thing you bring to the game.”

A similar course will be held at The Union this Thursday, for those interested in staying involved in the game without playing, providing insights into refereeing and the contributions they can make to the sport.

In the upcoming year, the Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Union is gearing up for the second year of the RIPA block for JAB players, scheduled to start on March 2nd.

For players who are less comfortable with contact rugby, the Ripper rugby format is a great way for them to play with friends and learn new skills.

Excitingly, with the growth in women’s rugby, the union has introduced an under-16 girls’ representative team this year, alongside the existing under-15s and under-18s teams.

She says, “Bringing in that under 16 team just gives our girls, um, that little bit extra game time.”

With this addition, young female players will have more opportunities to play, and this will encourage their growth as players.