Athlete Holly Rule is one of nine to receive a grant from Northland's Kauri Club.
Athlete Holly Rule is one of nine to receive a grant from Northland's Kauri Club.
Nine young Northland athletes have been given help with travel costs to take part in events outside the region.
The Kauri Club, set up to assist talented up-and-coming Northland athletes to help them achieve their sporting achievements, has handed out grants of up to $500 in its latest funding round.
The club said due to Covid-19, participating in sport over the past year has been an increasingly difficult task for athletes having to travel out of the region.
Athletes train with the uncertainty of their events going ahead, and when they do, they are faced with extra costs to travel to other parts of Aotearoa due to the Auckland border and no events being held in Auckland.
The latest round of Kauri Club grants reflected these uncertain times, with fewer applications than normal at this time of year.
Northland para athlete Jaden Kauwhata has received a grant from the Kauri Club.
Nine athletes from seven codes received grants to help them with travel to events outside the region.
Sport Northland system lead,Janine Moy said: "It's difficult with so many national events being cancelled and our athletes missing out on opportunities, however, it is also great to see in the applications we did receive, that many are still working hard towards an event and showing determination to get there despite uncertainty that Covid-19 presents."
Bella Earl, Athletics and Cross Country, Whangārei
Kyah Young, Mountain Biking, Whangārei
Jaden Kauwhata, Para Sports, Mid North
Destinee Mexted, Rugby, Touch, League, Whangārei
Maz Saunders, Squash, Whangārei
Alex Watson, Tennis, Whangārei
Paige Turner, Touch and Rugby, Whangārei
Funding for the Kauri Club was received from the family of the late Garry Frew - the legendary Northern Advocate sports editor - and the Brian Maunsell Memorial Trust fund.
The grants are aimed to assist talented emerging athletes to help them achieve their sporting achievements and further their sporting pathway.
Since its inception in July 2000, more than 600 athletes from across Northland have received a grant or scholarship - some of which include Northland sports icons such as Samantha Warriner and Blair Tuke.
Athlete Bella Earl is one of the talented young Northland sportspeople given grants by the Kauri Club.
Applications are assessed by the Northland Sports Talent Development Panel made up of representatives from the Far North, Kaipara and Whangārei districts and Sport Northland.
The Kauri Club recognises that Northland has a proud sporting history and that it needs to do all it can to carry this great tradition on. It is important that home-grown sporting talent either remains or returns to Northland to build on the history and take it to another level.
For more information on the club go to www.sportnorthland.co.nz/Helping-Sport-Happen-Whakatinana-Hkinakina/Kauri-Club-1
