{"id":645771,"date":"2026-05-02T22:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T22:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/645771\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T22:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T22:49:15","slug":"rugby-southland-reveals-new-charity-partners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/645771\/","title":{"rendered":"Rugby Southland reveals new charity partners"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Eric Tui, Rugby Southland Head of Participation, Caroline Loo – Founder and Director of Loss and Grief Centre, Scott Eade – SBS Bank Southland Stags Head Coach.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Rugby Southland has announced its two new official charity partners for the next two seasons, with Loss and Grief Centre Southland and Inclusive Activity Murihiku (iAM) selected from 16 applications.<\/p>\n

Rugby Southland said organisations were deeply rooted in Southland and provide vital support services that aligned strongly with Rugby Southland\u2019s commitment to community wellbeing, inclusion, and connection. <\/p>\n

The two-year partnership will focus not only on fundraising, but also on actively promoting and supporting the work of each organisation across the region.<\/p>\n

The Loss and Grief Centre Southland offers compassionate support for individuals and wh\u0101nau navigating all forms of loss and grief. <\/p>\n

Their services extend beyond bereavement to include support for those experiencing separation, illness, isolation, and significant life changes. Through counselling, resources, and community outreach, the Centre plays a crucial role in helping people across the region process and manage difficult experiences.<\/p>\n

Inclusive Activity Murihiku (iAM) is dedicated to creating opportunities for people of all abilities to participate in meaningful activities, fostering inclusion, confidence, and social connection. Their work ensures that individuals who may otherwise face barriers are supported to engage fully in their communities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rugby Southland Staff Eric Tui, Jack King and Hua Tamariki with members of the Inclusive Activity Murihiku Board and staff.<\/p>\n

Rugby Southland Head of Commercial and Business Development, Jack King, said the selection process was both competitive and inspiring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe received 16 applications, and it was a genuinely heartwarming process that made us incredibly proud of the work being done across our region. The calibre of organisations was outstanding, which made the decision a challenging one.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth the Loss and Grief Centre Southland and Inclusive Activity Murihiku deliver essential services that make a real difference in people\u2019s lives. This partnership is about more than just raising funds \u2014 it\u2019s about using our platform and Stags brand to actively promote, support and advocate for the important work these organisations do across Southland. We\u2019re excited about what we can achieve together over the next two seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caroline Loo, Founder and Director of the Loss and Grief Centre Southland expressed her appreciation for the partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen as a charity partner by Rugby Southland. It is such an amazing opportunity to collaborate together to support our rugby community and their wh\u0101nau. We look forward to an exciting partnership. Our antlers are up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Megan Leslie, Inclusion and Capability Manager at Inclusive Activity Murihiku (iAM), said the partnership represents an important step forward for the organisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis partnership with Rugby Southland is a significant milestone for Inclusive Activity Murihiku (iAM), helping us expand the visibility of our programmes across Murihiku. It supports our ability to create more opportunities for tamariki, rangatahi, and adults of all abilities to participate in a wide range of sport and recreation activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to see the positive impact inclusive sport and recreation has in building confidence, connection, and a strong sense of belonging, and this partnership will help us further grow that impact across our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kerryn Douglas, Founder and Chair of Inclusive Activity Murihiku (iAM), said the partnership builds on the organisation\u2019s original vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs iAM Chair and founder, Kerryn Douglas recognised a gap in what Southland offered people with disabilities \u2014 and she moved quickly to change that. The partnership with Rugby Southland opens an exciting new chapter, creating a platform to leverage support and awareness, and to shine a brighter light on the amazing mahi taking place across this sector, all while championing equity and accessibility to sport for every Southlander.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eric Tui, Rugby Southland Head of Participation, Caroline Loo – Founder and Director of Loss and Grief Centre,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":645772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-645771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/645772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}