Keanu Taumata, here making a break in a Heartland Championship game against Mid Canterbury, was named Heartland Player of the Year at the 2025 NZ Rugby Awards. Photo / Paul Rickard
Keanu Taumata, here making a break in a Heartland Championship game against Mid Canterbury, was named Heartland Player of the Year at the 2025 NZ Rugby Awards. Photo / Paul Rickard
A late-season injury cloud had a silver lining for Poverty Bay’s Keanu Taumata this week when he was named the Heartland Championship Player of the Year at the 2025 NZ Rugby Awards.
The Weka co-skipper, flanker and Tapaue club player was announced the winner of the coveted Ian KirkpatrickMedal at a ceremony screened live on Sky Sport 1 on Thursday night.
Taumata’s Heartland season with the Weka was an outstanding one until it was cut short by a back injury suffered in their final round-robin match against Wairarapa Bush.
The injury sidelined him for the Bay’s Lochore Cup semi-final clash with North Otago and meant he was unavailable for the NZ Heartland XV for their two-match tour to Samoa.
Taumata was one of three finalists for the award. The others were Mid Canterbury flanker Declan McCormack and Wairarapa Bush halfback Sam Walton-Sexton.
Under Taumata’s inspired co-leadership, the Weka lifted themselves from a winless 2024 Heartland season to seventh on the 12-team table in 2025 with four wins from eight matches, qualifying them for the Lochore Cup (fifth to eighth) playoffs.
Bay coach Paraorian Manuel-Harman said he was “stoked” with Taumata’s Player of the Year honour.
“I coached him both at club level and representative level, and he’s been someone who has stood up in the role of co-captain in the absence of Shayde Skudder, who was unavailable through injury,” Manuel-Harman said.
“I thought he did a great job right through the club and rep season. I know his family and the wider rugby community are very proud of him.”
Taumata made his Poverty Bay debut in 2021 and has played every season since, including making the Heartland XV in 2023.
Poverty Bay co-captain Keanu Taumata at the Poverty Bay RFU prizegiving after winning the Tūranganui-a-Kiwa Māori Player of the Year. He added to that success the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal for the Heartland Player of the Year.
Taumata told the Gisborne Herald he was thrilled to get such recognition for having a good season ... “for putting in a bit of good work and [getting] the fruits from it”.
He had yet to actually receive the medal, having watched the awards on TV, he said.
“I have received a gift box with champagne and other items in it.”
Taumata intends to wear the Poverty Bay jersey again in 2026.
“The back injury has healed now, and I’m back on light duties in my work as a builder in Gisborne,” Taumata said.
“I’m definitely looking forward to next year – to a good club season leading into a good representative season with the Bay.”
Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union and Tapaue Sports Club celebrated Taumata’s achievement on social media.
“Our guy Keanu getting the job done!!” PBRFU posted on its Facebook page.
“It is with immense pride that we congratulate our starting Number 7 – Keanu Taumata – on being awarded the prestigious medal.
“Keanu is the embodiment of courage, humility and leadership both on and off the field. Whether he’s making tackles, supporting his teammates, or representing our values in the community, he continues to lift those around him and set the standard for what true excellence looks like.
“This honour is not just a recognition of his outstanding performances, but a celebration of the heart, mahi and spirit he brings to the game every single day.
“We couldn’t be more proud! Mauri ora, Keanu.”
The Ian Kirkpatrick Medal, named after the All Black and Poverty Bay great, was first presented in 2022, with Ngāti Porou East Coast halfback Sam Parkes the inaugural winner.
