Based in the Ngāti Porou East Coast region, Pokiha-Wanoa’s vision is to give kids and youth better opportunities to play rugby in a safe and nurturing environment.
“I’ve been involved in rugby all my life — not on the field of play but more so behind the scenes,” he said, “at first as a fan and volunteer at our local club Tokararangi and now as the administrator for Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby Union.”
The youth committee was created and endorsed by the New Zealand Rugby board.
The aim is to improve engagement and participation for youth around the country and provide an opportunity to make an impact on the game.
The team will work together for two years as volunteers, gaining experience and skills in governance, leadership and project management.
“I was approached by my former boss, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (ex-chief executive of the NPEC union) earlier this year with the details on the group.
“She eagerly pushed me to consider it. I thought ‘wow, being a voice at that table and level for our kids would be awesome’, so I applied.”
While his strengths didn’t lie on the field, he wanted to stay involved with the sport he loved.
Pokiha-Wanoa says youth are the next generation of the sport and empowering them is his passion.
“I thought providing that support would be fundamental to the overall success and outcome.
“I am also very passionate about advocating for our generation and finding potential ways and avenues through rugby to get them involved — whether it’s on the field or off it.
“I want to be a voice to shape further development for rangatahi within smaller areas like Ngāti Porou.
“Our communities are often scarce in resources and our isolation creates a barrier, but we always make use of what little we have.”
