Twelve talented athletes from Northland have been awarded scholarships through the Kauri Club to support their sporting careers and personal development over the coming year. 

The recipients are: Tyla Dinsdale (BMX), Monte Rolston (Cricket), Renee Pilon (Gymnastics), Luka Clark (Hockey), Molly Wilson (Hockey), Nahuel Racioppi (Hockey), Bailey Edwards (Rugby/Rugby League), Henare Parangi (Rugby), Freddie Jameson (Squash), Paryse Croft (Volleyball), Alec Jackson (Alpine Skiing) and Toby Jackson (Alpine Skiing). 

The athlete’s achievements include:

• International accolades: Alec Jackson placed 2nd in the U18 Slalom at the World Junior Ski Championships.

• National age group champions: Tyla Dinsdale is the 15-16-year BMX cruiser class champion, and Toby Jackson holds the U18 Super G, slalom, and giant slalom first place rankings.

• National representatives: Freddie Jameson represented NZ at the World Junior Squash Championships, Renee Pilon at the Australian Gymnastics Championships, Luka Clark at the U21 Junior World Hockey Championship and Bailey Edwards was the captain of the Rugby Vault 7’s team that played at the Global Youth 7s.

• National development squad selections: Molly Wilson and Nahuel Racioppi were chosen for the Future Blacksticks squad, Paryse Croft for the Volleyball NZ U19 Next Generation squad, Henare Parangi for the Blues Development squad, and Monte Rolston is part of the Northern Districts U17 team and second highest run scorer in premier senior cricket in the 2023/24 season.

Thanks to the generous contributions of Alan and Jackie Lints and the Kauri Club, $15,500 in scholarships has been awarded this year, bringing the total distributed by the Kauri Club since its establishment in 2000 to over $295,000. 

The scholarships aim to support Northland athletes aged 16-20 by fostering their growth both on and off the field, aligning with the Balance is Better principles of athlete development. The funding primarily supports learning opportunities, with the goal of athletes applying their skills and knowledge to their sport and beyond. 

Each recipient will also receive guidance from Athlete Support Advisor Ady McKenzie, a celebrated local triathlete and runner who represented New Zealand on the world stage. Additionally, athletes gain access to the High-Performance Sport NZ Performance Pod, which provides regional support through services such as strength and conditioning, nutrition, and life skills development. 

Northland Sports Talent Development panel Far North representative, Cheryl Waaka says “It’s a real privilege to be able to help our future rangatahi to achieve their goals”. 

The Kauri Club is also running a charity Ambrose golf day on Friday 29 November at the Pines Golf Course to raise funds to grow the pool of funding available to distribute to athletes. If people are interested in putting in a team of 3 visit the Sport Northland website https://www.sportnorthland.co.nz/putea-mo-nga-hapori-community-funding/kauri-club-1. 

The Kauri Club was founded in July 2000 by Sport Northland, following a donation from the family of Garry Frew, a legendary Northern Advocate sports editor, national table tennis representative and Northland Legend of Sport inductee.  

Applications for the next round of scholarships will open in September 2025. For more details, visit www.sportnorthland.co.nz.

Pictured above - Molly Wilson

Article written by Janine Moy, Systems Lead at Sport Northland