Sponsor steps up for Magpies' Battle of the Bays cyclone fundraiser

The annual Battle of the Bays will have extra punch this year. Photo / NZME

One New Zealand has stepped up to support the Battle of the Bays 2023 match, committing to help the region raise much-needed funds to assist with Cyclone relief, act as Match Day sponsor of the event and bring the community together to boost morale following the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year continues to take its toll on the local communities with many families still without homes, farmers’ livestock and crops destroyed, and infrastructure no closer to being repaired than it was three months ago. In short, the funds aren’t always reaching the impacted communities fast enough.

“Anyone who has been to the Hawkes Bay in the past few weeks will tell you that there is still a tonne of work to be done to get the community back on its feet, never mind back to pre-Gabrielle days. There is a generation’s worth of infrastructure that needs to be rebuilt just to get us fully functional again and for people affected to move forward with their lives,” says Dan Somerville, commercial manager, Hawkes Bay Rugby Union (HBRU).

“Our community needs more than financial support – it needs a morale boost and we are delighted to help provide this opportunity to bring our community together and celebrate how amazing Hawkes’ Bay people are.”

For these reasons, when One NZ received a call for help from the HBRU, the team replied with a resounding vote of support.

“We’re committed to helping the people of Hawkes Bay, so when we received the call for help from the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union, it was an easy decision for us to get involved,” says Joe Goddard, Experience & Commercial Director at One NZ.

“We’re excited to be the match day sponsor for this event and to be playing our part in bringing the community together.”

One NZ is dedicating $100,000 through its digital giving platform, One Good Kiwi to Hawkes Bay for the month of September. Ten local groups, charities or crews of volunteers will be celebrated on the app, and each will receive a share of the $100,000 One NZ is giving away. One Good Kiwi users will be able to view a short video on each of the selected group local heroes, learning more about them and vote for their favourite by ‘flicking’ their digital tokens to the local hero they want to support.

The Battle of the Bays rugby match between traditional rivals the Hawkes Bay Magpies and Bay of Plenty Steamers, which this year will be played at McLean Park on September 9, is the biggest rugby event on the local calendar, attracting thousands of passionate supporters each year and bragging rights of being called ‘The Bay’ for the winner.

To get involved download the One Good Kiwi app from the app store.