A big year for sport and recreation in Northland – John Wansbone

Lani Daniels was this year’s Sportsperson of the Year Award winner. Photo / NZME

As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible people and achievements that have shaped sport and recreation throughout Northland this year.

To our dedicated volunteers, generous sponsors and partners, those working tirelessly behind the scenes and everyone who competes or simply takes part, thank you. Without your passion and commitment, sport and recreation in Northland wouldn’t exist.

This year there have been several notable achievements and milestones worth celebrating.

In February Whangārei and Kaikohe hosted the National Hockey Masters Tournament, welcoming 91 teams from throughout the country.

Over 1400 players competed in 251 fixtures during the week-long event. Congratulations to Northland Hockey and the organising committee for delivering such a fantastic festival of hockey.

In May, the Northland Football Hub officially opened at Tikipunga Sports Park, marking the culmination of eight years of planning and collaboration.

This modern multisport facility now serves as a central base, providing clubrooms and office space for Tikipunga Association Football Club, Northland Football Club and Northern Region Football.

The project was made possible through funding from the Northland Sporting Facilities Rate, collected via council rates.

The Northland Football Hub officially opened at Tikipunga Sports Park in May.

The Whangārei Aquatic Centre underwent a significant plant upgrade this year, delivering major improvements to water quality, air handling and accessibility.

Welcoming over 300,000 visitors annually, these enhancements have created a safer, healthier environment and a more comfortable experience for all users. A big thank you to Whangārei District Council for supporting these vital upgrades.

In October, Te Amo Pūtoro, the Far North’s first council-owned māra hūpara, a traditional Māori playground, was opened in Kerikeri.

Te Amo Pūtoro opened as Kerikeri's first public māra hūpara. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

This community-led project, driven by Healthy Families Far North and Ngāti Rēhia, created a unique natural play space featuring native plantings, carved timber and designs that inspire imagination and cultural connection.

At Sport Northland, we also had a standout year, exceeding targets and growing participation across many of our events, programmes and services.

Through the Sport NZ Tū Manawa fund, Sport Northland invested over $846,000 into 73 community projects, creating more opportunities for Northlanders to be active.

Projects ranged from a four-day sailing programme aboard the R. Tucker Thompson for youth with intellectual disabilities, to Samoan Siva, a culturally grounded initiative designed to activate and engage less-active tamariki and rangatahi through the traditional Samoan art of dance.

Projects included a four-day sailing programme aboard the R. Tucker Thompson for youth with intellectual disabilities.

Northland’s high-performance athletes continue to shine on the world stage with this year’s Sportsperson of the Year Award winner Lani Daniels competing again for the heavyweight title, while James Fisher-Harris continues to show why he is one of the best rugby league forwards in the world.

Both are not only exceptional athletes, but proud Northlanders who regularly come home to support their communities.

We’ve also supported our future talent and this year celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Kauri Club.

Established through the generosity of the late Garry Frew’s family and supported by Jackie and Alan Lints, the club helps fund travel and coaching costs for our up-and-coming high-performance athletes.

This year a further 11 athletes were selected, bringing the total number of recipients to 600 over the past 25 years, including icons like Blair Tuke, Samantha Warriner and Cameron Leslie.

Whangārei Boys' High School's title-winning U18 boys team at the Condor sevens in Tauranga. Photo / Supplied

Speaking of future talent, it was fantastic to watch Whangārei Boys’ High School win the Condor National Secondary School Rugby Sevens competition last weekend in Tauranga.

This is the first time a Northland school has won this tournament, beating the heavyweights of schoolboy rugby from across the country. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled that McKay Stadium in Whangārei will host the Davis Cup tennis tie between New Zealand and Bosnia and Herzegovina during Waitangi weekend (February 6-8).

John Wansbone

This marks the first international tennis fixture in Northland, with McKay Stadium being transformed into an indoor tennis and hospitality arena.

The Bosnian team features Damir Dzumhur, a former world No 23 who will be fresh from the Australian Open. Great work Tennis Northland, Tennis NZ, Whangārei District Council and McKay Stadium for securing this incredible event.

Finally, on behalf of the team at Sport Northland, I wish you a safe, active and enjoyable summer break. Here’s to an even more exciting year ahead!