Te Arawa Maori Sports and Rangatahi Achievement Awards

 The aim of the Te Arawa Maori Sports Awards is to recognize, promote and acknowledge excellence in sport, celebrates successes and honours sporting achievements of Maori and Te Arawa through this prestigious annual event.

The awards are held to increase awareness regionally, nationally and internationally of our respective sports persons excelling in their chosen fields and highlights these achievements annually.

The sports awards section are also utilised as a “feeder” to the Aotearoa National Maori Sports Awards where local finalists may be considered as potential finalists in the National Awards.

Award Categories include:

• Senior Sportswoman of the year
• Senior Sportsman of the year
• Junior Sportswoman of the year
• Junior Sportsman of the year
• Coach of the year
• Team of the year
• Recognition of service to sport
• Sportsperson with a disability

Some of the past recipients have been Caleb Ralph (rugby), Michael Walker (jockey), Bradley Isles (golf), Wayne Ormond (rugby), Corrina Gage (waka ama), Tanerau Latimer (7s rugby), Ivor Thomas (wood chopping), Noeline Taurua (Netball) .

In conjunction with and complementary to the Te Arawa Māori Sports Awards, Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa facilitate the Te Arawa Rangatahi Achievement Awards.

The aim of the Te Arawa Rangatahi Achievement Awards is to identify and acknowledge the achievements of Te Arawa youth.  The Awards encourage and promotes participation, opportunities, leadership and interaction in a positive environment whilst providing youth with incentives to fulfil their potential and take pride in their talent and abilities.

Nominees are acknowledged in the following categories and age groups:

Award Categories

• Rangatahi Sportspersons
• Academic
• Culture & Kapa Haka
• Music, Dance and the Arts
• Service to Community, Whanau, Hapu or Iwi

Age Groups

• Primary School Student
• Intermediate School Student
• High School Student (15 and under)
• High School Student (16 and over)
• Under 20 Years
• Team/Group Section

Both awards (Sport and Rangatahi) are run simultaneously on the same evening and promote both youth and senior excellence in the mentioned categories.

We encourage nominations from multiple sources and nominations normally open in June and close in August.  The judge’s panel is made up of local experts within relevant sectors and Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa representation. TPTOTA utilise national Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards standards to select finalists and winners.

Awards are normally held annually within the month of October preceding the Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards.

Please note the next Te Arawa Maori Sports and Rangatahi Achievement Awards will be held October 2010

For more information please Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa or email: info@papatakaro.org.nz