New Zealand Golf chairman Michael Smith has been instrumental in the approach and New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy has been supporting the operational plans between the two.
In a press release, New Zealand Māori Golf acknowledged and thanked New Zealand Golf for predominantly resourcing and funding the inaugural wananga.
The New Zealand Golf high performance team of Jay Carter (national coach) and Gregg Thorpe (high performance manager) along with New Zealand Māori Golf general manager Mark Tito, national secretary Te Arani Barrett and vice president Crete Wana had worked together on the operational plans to make the wananga successful.
Over a six-month period, Wana and Carter canvassed eligible rangatahi candidates. The criteria was simple; the candidates were to be of Māori descent, aged between 13–20 years old, show high integrity, potential to develop, willing to learn and essentially were non-elite golfers.
Seventeen rangatahi were invited to attend and 13 were able to. They travelled to Whakatāne from Auckland, Huntly, Fielding, Ngaruawahia, Ōpōtiki, Tauranga, Taupō and Rotorua. The group was made of five girls and eight boys, and the group dynamic was a perfect fit. Each participant was eager, respectful, and keen to learn and connect with their taha Māori.
The key outcomes of the wananga were te reo me ona tikanga as a cornerstone, practice role modelling, show leadership, willing to develop educationally and personally and last but not least, to develop their golf.
From the parent and rangatahi feedback each and every outcome was clearly achieved, many positives were uncovered through the wananga weekend a resounding success, the press release said.
New Zealand Māori Golf's intention in partnership with New Zealand Golf is to improve this model, make it fully sustainable and implement it across Aotearoa/New Zealand.
The two organisations will continue to work closely together and look forward to expanding the reach of their joint initiatives in the future.
