Whangārei boxer Lani Daniels (Ngāti Hine/Ngāpuhi) took home the Supreme Award and the FIRECO Sportswoman of the Year.
Northland is home to many sportspeople who have become household names nationally and further abroad. That homegrown talent was recognised at the 2024 CDL Group Northland Sports Awards on Wednesday evening.
Whangārei boxer Lani Daniels (Ngāti Hine/Ngāpuhi) took home the Supreme Award and was named the FIRECO Sportswoman of the Year.
The world boxing champion stamped her mark on the international scene in winning the IBF World Light Heavyweight title in December 2023, beating opponent Desley Robinson.
She successfully defended the belt in September 2024 against Bolatito Oluwole, reinforcing her status as a world-class boxer.
Daniels had added the IBF World Light Heavyweight title to her IBF Heavyweight Champion status – making her the first Kiwi boxer to hold world championship belts in two weight classes at the same time.
FIRECO Sportswoman of the Year finalists were: Kendell Heremaia (basketball), Nicky Matthews (hockey), Diane Strawbridge (lawn bowls), Charmaine Smith (rugby), and Daniels.
Warriors co-captain and NRL star James Fisher-Harris (Ngāpuhi) won the FIRECO Sportsman of the Year award.
Fisher-Harris, raised in the Far North town of Kohukohu, was awarded the prestigious Golden Boot Award in December 2023 – cementing him as the world’s best international league player.
He captained the Kiwis to victory in the Pacific Championship in November 2023, and in October the following year, he played a key role in his side the Penrith Panthers’ path to victory in the NRL Grand Final.
Sportsman of the Year finalists were: Jeffery Cole (lawn bowls), Tim Southee (cricket), Brady Rush (rugby, sevens), Blair Tuke (sailing) and Fisher-Harris.
Alpine skier Alec Jackson claimed the Garry Frew Memorial Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award.
The Whangārei teen from Tūtūkākā was selected for the New Zealand National Ski C Team, and was ranked amid the top five alpine skiers nationwide.
Jackson holds the 2024 New Zealand National Slalom Championship title, and achieved a career-best international result with a sixth-place finish in Krvavec, Slovenia.
Garry Frew Junior Sportsperson of the Year finalists were: Luka Clark (hockey), Arlia McCarthy (rugby sevens), Wikitoria Rogers (rugby), Freddie Jameson (squash), Jovan Haunui-Tawhiao (volleyball), and Jackson.
Whangārei Swimming Club’s Liz Furey was recognised with the Brian Maunsell Memorial Service to Sport.
Furey first donated her time to the club more than 50 years ago in 1970, and she has not stopped since.
Her award acknowledges outstanding contribution to Northland sport and recognises the selfless dedication of individuals for the good of the sport.
Furey started as a swimmer but made her coaching debut when she was just 12 years old. She currently leads the performance/development and fitness squads.
Her strive to foster a strong and inclusive swimming community was noted by Sport Northland.
Furey has racked up numerous awards – including the Northland Service and Honours Awards, Swimming NZ Honours Award, and a life membership with her club.
Brian Maunsell Memorial Service to Sport finalists were: Oringa and Brian Barach (athletics), Marty Webb (lawn bowls), Glen Subritzky (rugby), Karen Dykzeul (squash) and Furey.
Kensington Women’s Champion Fours lawn bowls team consisting of Barbara Hopper, Diane Strawbridge, Dawn Owens and Janice Little won the CDL Group Team of the Year Award.
The women triumphed over 21 teams to win the Somerset Bowls NZ Champion of Champion Fours.
They successfully defended their national title from the 2022/23 season, where they claimed victory for the first time.
Additionally, they hold the Bowls Northland Placemakers Champion of Champion Fours title and have been named Bowls Northland Team of the Year for 2023/24.
Team of the Year finalists were: Northland Men’s 1st XI (cricket), Men’s Novice Coxed Four (rowing) and the Kensington Women’s Champion Fours.
Footballer Jeremy Christie and rugby league’s Jason Mackie were inducted into the Northland Legend of Sport.
Christie, the 38th inductee, was quick to showcase his exceptional talent as a youngster on Northland’s football fields. He made his senior debut at 14.
He captained the New Zealand Under-17 team to a historic victory at the 1999 Fifa U17 World Cup.
He is the only player to represent all three of New Zealand’s professional football teams.
Christie went global with his skills and has played professionally in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
He earned 27 senior caps internationally and played in the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Christie retired in 2013 and is now based in Orlando, Florida, where he co-founded FC Highland Football Club, which mentors young players and allows him to continue his positive impact on the sport.
Mackie (Ngāpuhi), the 39th inductee, holds a distinguished place in Northland’s rugby league history as he was the first player from the region to represent New Zealand at test level.
His upbringing in a household passionate about the sport led him to don the grassroots Takahiwai Warriors jersey and spearhead the side’s multiple championship wins.
Mackie moved up the ranks to captain Northland, who won three consecutive North Island Second Division titles in his time.
His standout performances earned him a place on the 1993 New Zealand tour of Great Britain and France, where he made history as the only second-division player picked.
Mackie crossed the try line in test victories against Wales and France. Coach Howie Tamati lauded him as the “find of the tour”.
In 1995 he signed with the Auckland Warriors and played five NRL matches before he was hampered by injury.
Mackie’s dedication to rugby league and his community was said to have inspired future generations.
Sail Northland Charitable Trust, Bay of Islands Gymnastics Club, Sports Gear Revived, and Music Minis and Gym Minis (Bay of Islands) won the Community Impact Award.
The Music Minis and Gym Minis initiatives are weekly playgroups designed for children under 5 in Ōpua. Sessions focus on music, movement, and gymnastics-based play to support early childhood development.
The playgroups, staffed by volunteers, significantly impacted the community by filling a crucial gap in early childhood support post-Covid.
They foster social connections and support networks among parents and caregivers, reducing isolation and promoting a sense of belonging.
Sports Gear Revived is a not-for-profit organisation run only by volunteer Ben Eitelberg.
The organisation collects and redistributes unwanted sports clothing and equipment to schools and groups in lower socio-economic and high-deprivation communities.
The goal is to enable more people to participate in sports, resulting in both health and social benefits, and promoting environmental awareness.
Since 2022, Sports Gear Revived has collaborated with Sport Northland to identify schools that would benefit most from donations. So far, seven schools and a sports club have received essential sports gear, warm clothing and shoes.
Bay of Islands Gymnastics Club, in Ōpua, has had a significant impact on the community since its 1993 establishment.
The club offers gymnastics programmes for over 90 athletes of various ages and skill levels, and keeps costs low to allow families from diverse financial backgrounds to take part.
Ty Evans, relationship manager at Gymnastics New Zealand, said the club has “consistently demonstrated a remarkable commitment to fostering a love for gymnastics among individuals of all ages and skill levels”.
Sail Northland Charitable Trust in Parua Bay, Whangārei Heads, was founded in 2016 to provide accessible sailing experiences for individuals of all abilities at minimal cost, addressing the lack of local sailing opportunities.
The trust operates with a small team of three staff members and 30 volunteers, who served 1232 participants and 27 schools in the 2023-24 period.
Sail Northland has made significant achievements, including hosting prestigious regattas like the North of the Bridge and the upcoming 2026 Secondary School NZ Team Sailing National Regatta.
Three people were on board the boat when it got into trouble off the Pātea coast.