2degrees have been running a nationwide campaign called “Path2Greatness” offering $50,000 (10x $5,000) to secondary schools girls rugby teams.
Over the past few months, 2degrees received over 250 fantastic nominations and have selected ten winning schools to take home a prize of $5,000 to invest in their women’s rugby programme.
The ten winners are spread all throughout the country, from Southland to the Bay of Islands, and three of them come from the Canterbury-based Matatū region.
We’d like to congratulate Nayland College, Southland Girls High School and Geraldine High School as the three winners from the Matatū region.
Emma-Kate Greer, Corporate Affairs and Strategy General Manager at 2Degrees was onsite with one of the winning schools earlier this week and spoke about 2Degrees’ motivation for trying to create positive change in women’s rugby,
“It’s very exciting to see girls and young women doing what they love, whatever that is, so we’re really pleased to see these grants going a small way toward supporting that. We’ve got high hopes for the future of women’s rugby in New Zealand”
2Degrees recognised certain financial barriers within some New Zealand schools that limited wahine in their engagement with rugby. Greer said,
“Often they don’t have the equipment they need and that’s really come through in these stories, so we’re very very pleased to be part of giving them what they need and helping them pursue their passion for rugby.”
Sarah Munro, General Manager of Matatū, the Super Rugby Aupiki team representing Canterbury and the South Island, was thrilled to see investment going back into the female grassroots game,
“All support of girls and women’s rugby helps develop and grow the game, and five thousand dollars will go a long way at each school. It wonderful to see the spread of funding across New Zealand and I’m so pleased that three schools within the Matatū catchment will benefit. If rugby at school level is strong, then that bodes well for the further of the Super Rugby Aupiki competition”
The Crusaders want to acknowledge the contribution 2degrees have made for the betterment of women’s rugby in New Zealand and are excited to see what happens next in this space.