New sports uniforms for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Koutu basketball, tau (Year) 9 and 10. Photo / Supplied

There is excitement at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu over new sports uniforms that the tamariki will wear with pride.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu has received a New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) grant of $25,390 to buy new sports uniforms for the school.

The kura cares for 245 students, of which 168 currently participate in sports, and 145 play multiple sports, including badminton, basketball, hockey, kī-o-rahi, netball, rugby, rugby league, table tennis, tennis, touch rugby, and waka ama.

Spokeswoman Zara Morisson commented, "To encourage and promote participation in sports and recreational activities for our tamariki, we need to provide them with new sports uniforms.

"We are extremely appreciative of the huge contribution from NZCT towards our new sports uniforms for our kura.

"We are excited to have sports uniforms with a united look amongst all sports codes that will clearly identify our tamariki in the community as representing Te Kura o Te Koutu.

"We can't wait to see them wear the sports uniform with confidence and pride.

"The sports uniforms will support our kura's aim to encourage and promote students participating in sports for not only physical wellbeing, but more importantly - especially during the Covid-19 pandemic - for the benefits in the children's mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.

"The new sports uniform will help bring kotahitanga to our kura, local community, and our wider Rotorua community.

"The sports uniforms will provide opportunities for Te Koutu children and their whānau to come together for sports events and continue the important values of the kura, such as being able to use and promote te reo Māori freely and to enhance mātauranga Māori in new environments.

"Thanks to NZCT's support, we are looking forward to helping our children pursue their goals of sports participation, fun, and even greater success."

Morrison said, "Sport is also an important vehicle and environment to use and promote te reo Māori.

"This is an important expectation of our parents and our kura community. This year we collaborated with two other Kura Kaupapa Māori and one Kura-ā-iwi to form a boys and a girls rugby team.

"In the past students from Te Koutu have played rugby for Western Heights High School. However, this year we wanted to provide the opportunity for our students to play in a rugby team that maintained our kaupapa Māori character and championed te reo Māori."