Waikato Touch president recognised for efforts beyond the call of duty

Home Ground Heroes ambassador Peter Walters and winner Ani Nock. Photo / Supplied

The president of Waikato Touch, Ani Nock, is one of this year’s five winners of the Bunnings Home Ground Heroes awards.

She will receive $5000 to reinvest in the Waikato Touch community by covering the cost of membership fees, uniforms, team travel or other Touch gear.

The awards are an initiative of Bunnings and Touch New Zealand that recognises and celebrates the central figures in the Touch community who make a significant impact on the sport.

For the second year running, the initiative called on the Touch community to nominate a Home Ground Hero who goes above and beyond the call of duty in support of the game; those who help on the sidelines, behind-the-scenes or on the field, to make the game better for all involved.

Touch NZ chief executive, Joe Sprangers, said: “We were blown away by the nominations and while it’s never easy choosing just five winners, the response from the Touch community to shed light on all the work these heroes do, speaks volumes about the people and game we love.”

Ani has seen success in all aspects of the game; she has been a player, coach, referee, team manager, tournament organiser and for the past five years, Waikato Touch president.

As a player, she has lifted silverware at numerous tournaments around the country and represented Aotearoa on the 2015 Touch World Cup stage.

When one of her three children, Lenaiya, started playing touch at the age of 10, Ani embraced a new challenge in coaching. She has since coached a huge variety of teams, ensuring nobody misses out on the opportunity to play touch.

Through Ani’s leadership, Waikato Touch has launched “The Junior Tap Off Programme” which has attracted over 350 young players to give Touch a go. The programme helps young people to develop skills and build connections with fellow Touch players, not only bringing in new faces to the game but also helping with player retention.

Bunnings New Zealand country manager, Melissa Haines, said, “We are thrilled to be recognising the Home Ground Heroes for 2023 and the positive impact they are having in their local communities. We want to thank them for their incredible contribution to the sport and the Touch whanau.”

Home Ground Heroes Ambassador and Touch icon, Peter Walters, said: “Our 2023 Home Ground Heroes represent what I love about Touch – it’s a community sport made possible by the tremendous effort of passionate volunteers. These grants will mean so much to our heroes and their Touch whānau.”