Girls just wanna have fun

Sport Tasman’s annual Ignite Kōhine Maia Girls Sport Festival recently lit up Lansdowne Park.

One hundred and ninety year 8 and 9 kōhine attended, coming from Bohally, St Mary’s, Richmond View, Redwoodtown, Marlborough Girls’ College, Queen Charlotte College and Riverlands schools.

The various groups rotated around nine sporting disciplines – ultimate frisbee, rippa rugby, golf, ki o rahi, hockey, touch, cricket, rugby league and pickleball.

Students were able to try their hand at various disciplines, with expert tuition from a facilitator at each station.

Emma Sorenson-Brown, sport development advisor for Sport Tasman, said the aim of the festival was designed “to support the drop off in participation when year 8 kōhine transition into secondary schooling”.

“The Ignite Kōhine Maia Festival is an important opportunity to inspire and encourage more young girls to become involved in organised sport.

“We hope that through the connections made during the event we can ignite a passion for physical activity in those who may have previously been less active. The festival also provides an invaluable chance for the girls to explore different sports codes, gain insight into the variety of opportunities available in our Marlborough community, and find new ways to stay active and engaged.

“It also serves as a great foundation for building lasting relationships between local sports codes and schools.

“By fostering these connections, we can continue to offer our young girls the chance to discover and pursue sports that they might not have otherwise experienced,” added Emma.