Fund gets kids to sport

Will Johnston

If it wasn’t for the Sport New Zealand Rural Travel Fund, clubs in central Taranaki would struggle to get participants to games.

Eight clubs in the Stratford district claimed its share of over $10,000 in the recent round of funding.

The fund subsidies travel for junior teams aged between five to 19 participating in local sports competitions outside of school time.

Stratford District Council is one of 35 territorial authorities eligible for rural funding because of the district’s population density being less than 10 people per square kilometre.

Stratford/Eltham Rugby and Sports Club junior convenor Aaron Moore said the fund is intended to support families who are traveling a long way for training.

“We give out petrol vouchers at the end of the season to say thanks to the parents. It’s not a hell-of-a-lot but what we do makes a difference,” he said.

Junior teams travel Taranaki wide for matches and Moore said that has been evident this season.

“If you think how much travel is involved in sport. Netball is local but one week we had 10 teams playing at eight different venues around the region. We need parents supporting that or we don’t get kids to games.”

Moore said this weekend, teams are playing in Whangamōmona and the fund will contribute to the trip.

While Moore is on the Stratford committee, who determines that allocation of funding, he made it clear he doesn’t vote for clubs or schools he’s involved in.

Stratford High School principal Cameron Stone said the fund goes towards petrol vouchers for not only parents, but for coaches who provide weekly transport to sporting competitions.

“And some money goes towards vans for football,” he said.

Councillor and committee chair John Sandford said it’s important for young people living rurally to have the opportunity to participate in local sports competitions.

“This fund helps achieve that,” he said.

The fund also provided assistant to a newly established rugby league club, Stratford Toa.

“It’s great to have more local clubs in the Stratford district encouraging young people into sport.”

Sandford encourages sports clubs in the district to continue to apply for the funding to keep children active.

Applications for the next funding round open on Monday, October 4 and close at 4:30pm on Friday, October 29.

Successful applications: Stratford/Eltham Junior Rugby Club $1,500, Eastern Districts Netball $1,000, Stratford Toa Rugby League $1,800, Eastern Districts Junior Hockey $800, Stratford High School $1,500, Central Rugby and Sports Club Inc. $1,000, Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls $1,000, Toko and Eastern Districts Junior Rugby Football Club $1,600.