Applications submitted to the Kauri Club, from Northland Regional Sports Organisations for grants for talented young Northland sportspeople, saw 14 athletes from 10 sports codes receive funding. Applications are assessed by the Northland Sports Talent Development Panel made up of representatives from the Far North, Kaipara and Whangarei Districts and Sport Northland. This funding will mainly assist the athletes to cover some of the many expenses incurred in travelling to events outside the region. Several of the athletes in this round have been selected to represent New Zealand in their particular sport and will be attending tournaments overseas.

The Kauri Club also allocated a grant of $500 to both the ASB Northland Secondary Schools Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year winners, who will be announced at the ASB Northland Secondary Schools Sports Awards on Thursday 29 October. A further $1,000 has been set aside for the Garry Frew Memorial Junior Sportsperson of the Year which will be awarded at the Konica Minolta Northland Sports Awards on Friday 4 December.

These new grants will now make a total of $194,450 being allocated to talented Northland Sportspeople since the Kauri Club was formed in 2000 from funding received from the family of the late Garry Frew and the Brian Maunsell Memorial Trust fund.

Angeline Waetford, Northland Sports Talent Development Panel member says “it is a privilege and a delight to sit on this panel and assess the athletes every six months. The sporting prowess and talent we have here in Northland is nothing short of amazing and to be able to assist the athletes in their sporting goals is great. Northland continues to produce world class athletes and we are very proud to be a part of their success”.

The next round of Kauri Club grants will be made in April 2016 where the Northland Sports Talent Development Panel will also assess applications for the 2016 intake of Educare Northland Sports Talent Hub.

October 2015 Kauri Club Recipients:

Kieran Swords – Swimming (Whangarei)

Ellie Eastwood – Swimming (Whangarei)

Phillippa Benton – Gymnastics (Whangarei)

Ella Poole-Crowe – Equestrian (Whangarei)

Georgia Sheard – Equestrian (Kerikeri)

Euan Sapwell – Athletics (Whangarei)

Issac Lawgun – Olympic Weightlifting (Whangarei)

Te Kopa Kopa – Wheelchair Basketball (Kaikohe)

Christian Nitsche – Golf (Whangarei)

Sokatera Sean – Golf (Whangarei)

Annmarie Holst – Squash (Maungaturoto)

Kate Sheldon – Sailing (Kerikeri)

Kelena Roughan – Volleyball (Whangarei)

Samantha Skovlund - Air Pistol (Whangarei)