WOMENZSPORTS International Women's Day Fundraiser (the first $1000 will be matched by WOMENZSPORTS!)

WOMENZSPORTS International Women's Day Fundraiser (the First $1000 Will Be Matched By WOMENZSPORTS!)

Project 2024-03-03 11:53:31 +1300

The last couple of years have been epic for women in sport in Aotearoa. We’ve hosted three World Cups, sold out stadiums, launched new competitions, and found new champions. But, women in New Zealand still face incredible difficulty when fundraising to compete in sports.

This is your opportunity to make an immediate impact for 3 women athletes and teams (...and the first $1000 NZD will be matched by WOMENZSPORTS, which doubles your impact!).

WOMENZSPORTS received 150 submissions from women athletes and teams across 40+ sports, and we narrowed the pool to 3 recipients who could use your support TODAY:

• Dunedin Women's Ice Hockey (the women's domestic league ice hockey team from Dunedin, who has faced clear disparity in access to funding and resources)
• New Zealand Junior Paddle Ferns (the reigning World Champion U21 canoe polo team based in the Hawke's Bay, where it's especially difficult to fundraise after recent storms)
• Te Rina Leubert (a World Long Distance waka ama silver medalist who is fundraising to represent New Zealand at the World Sprint Championships)

Want to know more about why we selected these recipients, and why you should give them your support? Great! Keep reading...

Dunedin Women's Ice Hockey

Meet the newest domestic league women's ice hockey team in New Zealand, based in Dunedin (but with team members hailing from Gore, Tekapo, and Wellington!). This team has been playing in New Zealand’s Women’s Ice Hockey League (NZWIHL) for 4 years; previously, they were part of the Southern Storm, a combined team with Queenstown, but they've grown enough in recent years to create a Dunedin-specific team! They play the 3 other teams in the league: Auckland Steel, Canterbury Inferno, and Wakatipu Wild. They currently have 13 New Zealand representatives in the team, 4 of them playing in the gold-medalist U18 team. Their last season was their best yet, and their goal for the next 5 years is to win 3 NZWIHL Championships! Here's a message from the team:

"Our league fees to play in the NZWIHL are $40k+, which includes travel, ice time, officials, and accommodation (but not practice ice time, food, or uniforms). Last year, each of the players in our team paid $1600 to play 8 games (including finals). Our corresponding men's team players also paid $1600 to play, but they played 18 games in regular season. The men's team was able to support their players through selling of tickets, selling beverages at the games, securing sponsorships, and getting grants (all this is made easier through being around longer as a team). This will be the first year that the women's team will be able to sell tickets to our games, and the first year that we will be able to afford ice time for regular practices at least once a week."

New Zealand Junior Paddle Ferns

Meet the powerhouse that is the New Zealand Junior Paddle Ferns, reigning canoe polo world champions! Also known as the New Zealand U21 Women's Canoe Polo team, this team is based in Hawke's Bay but has team members hailing all the way down to Christchurch. Local funding support has been severely impacted by the recent devastating storms in the Hawke's Bay region, which could hinder their chances at being able to defend their world champion title this October in China. Here's a message from the team:

"Our team comprises four students, two tradies, and two full-time working players, all united by their unwavering dedication to the thrilling sport of Canoe Polo. In a sport where funding is scarce, we finance everything - from our uniforms and playing equipment to the countless journeys to various competitions. As we gear up for the 2024 World Championships in China this October, allow us to introduce the formidable lineup that will carry our legacy forward. Leading the charge is Captain Meaghan Broad, alongside Vice Captain Hannah Hunt, and a stellar team including: Hayley Austin, Amy Alexander, Grace Henricksen, Kaitlyn Adams, Kayla Carne, and Ellery Nielsen."

Te Rina Leubert

Meet Te Rina Leubert, a world-class athlete in the sport of waka ama. Te Rina is a versatile and talented paddler; she is able to compete solo or as part of a team, and she always seems to end up on the podium! Her next goal is to make the podium at a World Long Distance Championship as a solo paddler, but she is completely self-funding all her competitions (which often take her across New Zealand and overseas)! Here's a message from Te Rina:

"Kia Ora, I'm Te Rina - I'm 22 and based out of Tauranga. I was first introduced to waka ama in high school where it started off as something I could do in the summer with my mates. But after a knee injury in 2019, paddling was the only sport I could really do; since then, the sport has become my passion. Along my journey, I’ve been able to compete for several clubs that have helped me refine my skills, claim national titles, and have given me the opportunity to take my paddling overseas. This year, I aim to podium in all events at the World Club Sprint Champs, and to also qualify for the NZ Elite women's squad to compete at the World Elite Sprint Champs held in Hawaii later in the year."

Want to know a bit more about who is behind this fundraiser?

Launched in November 2023, WOMENZSPORTS is the ultimate hype champion for NZ womxn's sports (and makes it so much easier to be a fan!). While we are not a funding agency or a research firm...we are passionate about women's sports in Aotearoa.

Through Instagram (@WOMENZSPORTS) and our weekly podcast ("WOMENZSPORTS presents Alice's Soapbox"), we've heard heaps of stories about the funding struggles of women athletes in Aotearoa New Zealand.

So, in February 2024, we asked 150 New Zealand women athletes/teams who were actively fundraising for their sport to share their experiences with raising money to compete. While the 150 women athletes/teams we surveyed represent 14 regions across New Zealand and 40+ sports, their experiences were astoundingly similar! Women in New Zealand face incredible difficulty when fundraising to compete in their sports (you can read more about the patterns and stats we discovered, and check out a handy infographic).

Although we are new and self-funded, WOMENZSPORTS wants to do our bit by coordinating an International Women's Day Fundraising Campaign with a $1000 matching contribution. The funds raised will be split evenly across the 3 New Zealand women athletes/teams mentioned above!

Have a question? Want to partner with us on this? Contact WOMENZSPORTS

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