Community Impact

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2026 Recipient - Krystal Nikara – Hauora initiative

2026 Recipient - Jo Allen – Rugby

2026 Recipient - Wellington Samoa Kirikiti Association - Kirikiti 

2026 Recipient - Petone Rowing Club - Rowing

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Krystal Nikara – Hauora initiative
Up to 130 members per six-week programme show the reach of Krystal Nikara’s He Toa Takitini kaupapa. Across Aotearoa, Australia and the Pacific, the online hauora programme has grown from weight-loss support into a Te Whare Tapa Whā-based pathway including netball teams, tamariki opportunities and inclusive community events.





Jo Allen – Rugby
Nine regions, 100 programmes and 643 participants aged 4 to 24, mark Jo Allen’s impact through Sense Rugby NZ. Her leadership expanded free, strengths-based sport for disabled and neurodiverse tamariki and rangatahi, launching services in Southland and helping to secure New Zealand Rugby Legacy Fund recognition.






Wellington Samoa Kirikiti Association - Kirikiti 
Twelve teams and around 200 participants now play in Wellington Samoa Kirikiti Association’s weekly competition. They’ve partnered with Cricket Wellington for Kirikiti at the Basin, while growing a youth tournament and winning the 2025 NZ Cricket Community Cricket Award for Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. WSKA has strengthened participation and sport pathways in the Wellington community.




Petone Rowing Club - Rowing
The 125 years of Petone Rowing Club’s proud history met new initiatives in 2025, including partnerships to expand the club's commitment to support athlete-focused opportunities for all. Petone Rowing is a real community sports hub, attended by a large cross-section of the community, with many great accomplishments and impacts for the whanau and people they serve. They lead adaptive rowing and active recreation for young para athletes, with members winning at regional, national and international levels.