Full Circle Touch Rugby Club
Aroha for Touch goes Full Circle
Rise+Shine Josiah Mika Foundation
Providing a safe environment and creating opportunities and experiences where whānau can learn, succeed and have fun. This is the vision for Full Circle, a Whakatāne based Touch football club that prides itself on supporting their own, and focusing on home.
“Full Circle is about giving back to the community that gave to us and we do this in different ways, different areas and at different levels” says Rikki Horlock, one of four club founders.
Alongside fellow Whakatāne old boys Brett Wharewera, Joe Herewini & Joe Savage – the club was launched to provide local pathways and a safe space for their own to learn and prosper.
“We aim to improve outcomes by providing opportunities and experiences where whānau can learn, succeed and most of all have fun. There’s got to be a laugh!”
In 2018, the club started with one team - Masters Men's. Since then, it has grown to include an Open Men's team, Open Women's team, a Development Men's, Masters Men’s and most importantly four Junior teams. These teams are tailored to ensure growth and support for rangatahi from the Bay.
The Rise+Shine Josiah Mika Foundation worked with Full Circle to alleviate costs for participation, a gesture that Horlock notes was “a gamechanger”;
“Touch can be an expensive sport, particularly for those whānau with multiple tamariki participating, so we were extremely grateful that with the support of the Foundation we were able pay for our Junior and Development whānau fees”
“The koha was given and received with aroha and enabled our Junior and Development whānau to participate to their fullest and without restrictions in our local competition with the FC Juniors finishing the season unbeaten in their respective grade. The parents of our Junior and Development whānau were extremely appreciative”
Foundation trustee Julie Wharewera-Mika praised the approach and success of this organisation “We are blessed to provide support for the Full Circle Kaupapa, representing a Whakatāne community-led initiative by local leaders who have experienced first-hand the barriers to participating in fun sport and recreational activities. The expansion of this touch rugby Kaupapa to enhance tamariki participation is one of their many achievements alongside creating a nurturing culture grounded in Māori values”
The connection, for Horlock – was indeed Full Circle -
“The Wharewera / Mika whānau are part of us here in Whakatāne and we're honoured to have received the support of the Foundation in memory of our man Josiah”