KEY POINTS:
After the All Blacks and Dancing With the Stars, Frank Bunce's career has swung in a new direction with a one-year grant to work with young people in South Auckland.
Bunce, 45, is the most capped test centre in New Zealand rugby history, playing 55 tests between 1992 and 1997.
Last night, he was one of nine people awarded a year's salary by the Vodafone World of Difference programme to work with a youth-related cause of their choice.
He will use the money to connect youth programmes in Manukau with potential donors through the Manukau Community Foundation, where he has been a trustee for the past two years.
"I'll be finding out exactly who is out there doing what and what sort of funding needs they have," he said.
"I want to gather a whole lot of information that will enable me to put that in front of potential donors.
"The donors are individuals, companies, anyone really.
"If your interest is youth or the elderly or immigrants or whatever it might be, and you'd like your donation to go into certain areas, we do that."
A Manukau boy, Bunce attended Mangere College. Although of Niuean descent, he played for Western Samoa at the 1991 Rugby World Cup before being selected for the All Blacks.
In the last decade he has spent several years coaching rugby in Italy and later did some coaching for Auckland.
He took part in this year's Dancing With the Stars with dancing partner Krystal Stuart, but was eliminated in week four.
Manukau Community Foundation chief executive Janis McArdle said she suggested Bunce go for the Vodafone grant after seeing the way he operated since he joined as a trustee.
"I have observed him talking with young people and with people who have the capacity to become our donors. He has a wonderful way of relating to both groups of people. In this community people know him and know where he lives and he is very very passionately South Auckland."
She said the foundation had facilitated donations to community groups of $1.14 million since it was established by the Manukau City Council in 2000. It is now an independent foundation.
Other Vodafone awards went to:
* Nicole Robertson, Waitakere Abuse and Trauma Counselling Service, for physically or sexually abused adolescents.
* Shirley Allan, Youth Performance Trust, Auckland, for youth arts and sports.
* Annalise Myers, Auckland Women's Centre, for a teen parent project.
* Veronica Marwitz, Rape Prevention Education, Auckland, for the BodySafe school education programme.
* Swanie Nelson, Canopy Trust, Flat Bush, for Pacific youth performing arts.
* Louise Roebuck, Taranaki Youth Trust, for youth health and development.
* Fa'amatuainu Wayne Poutoa, Maraeroa Marae Health Clinic, Porirua, for youth health services.
* Billy Graham, Naenae Charitable Trust, Lower Hutt, for youth at risk.
www.manukaucommunityfoundation.org.nz
www.vodafonenzfoundation.org.nz/difference/
