Four Auckland secondary school pupils have experienced a lifetime highlight as the One New Zealand Warriors’ representatives at the 2024 NRL Indigenous Youth Summit in Sydney this week.
Off the back of the highly-successful Magic Round in Brisbane, the summit helped to kick-start another huge week for the game in the shape of the annual Indigenous Round.
And it proved to be an exceptional experience for Mia Makoare from Sancta Maria College in South Auckland.
She distinguished herself as the first Warriors representative singled out as one of four ambassadors to make a presentation at the official opening of the Indigenous Round on Thursday.
Not only that, but in front of more than 200 guests, she emerged as the top girls’ ambassador from this year’s summit.
Other rangatahi selected for the trip to Sydney were Fayelin Paitai-Tuiatua (Auckland Girls’ Grammar School), Cyrus Holloway (De La Salle College) and John Mangu (Mount Albert Grammar School).
The students were selected in partnership with Hapai Tuhono, an organisation which focuses on Māori youth and supporting their journey in life.
They joined representatives from each of the NRL’s other 16 clubs for an event which seeks to blend cultural pride with educational aspirations, equipping young Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori students with the tools for success.
The four students met Warriors captain Tohu Harris, Dylan Walker and Te Maire Martin before leaving for Sydney to be presented with their club apparel.
Last night they joined the other Youth Summit attendees at the first match of the Indigenous Round between the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and the St George Illawarra Dragons.
