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Sport | Rugby

NZRL visit small town of Waiuku to run the Community Playgroups programme

More than one hundred kids from the Waiuku Community gathered at Waiuku Rugby League Club.

NZRL Community playgroup manager, Marissa Holland says, “So the kids that we are targeting are not the ones that are not in early childhood settings at the moment. The fact that we can get one hundred of those kids sitting at home to a playgroup setting is massive.”

Community Playgroup's focus is to provide for the local community groups providing for children. This initiative helps to provide a better future for Māori and Pacific Island groups.

Marissa Holland says, “Statistically they are our highest populations that aren’t in childhood setting for a number of barriers were it be transport, money and maybe some of these families just aren’t ready to part with their kids just yet.”

The Ministry of Education plays a key role in helping to deliver programme with the assistance of other organisations.

The programme is currently delivered in the Auckland Area but they want to extend the programme to other regions where there is a strong rugby league nursery including Hamilton.