An ongoing women’s sport partnership between national hotel group Sudima Hotels and Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union (CMRFU) has awarded three more scholarships to help talented young rugby players flourish beyond the jersey.
The second round of scholarships to rising stars of the Counties Manukau Heat is the latest milestone in a long-term collaboration. In December 2023, scholarships were awarded to four of the Heat squad. A year earlier, Sudima Hotels and CMRFU worked together to refurbish the Counties Energy Heat’s changing rooms and reopen them as the most luxurious women’s rugby changing rooms in New Zealand.
The 2024 Heat scholarships, awarded in March 2025, span linguistics and landscaping:
- Stacey Brown and Leilani Perese have each received $4000 on course fees to support their one-year, full-time full immersion study towards a Diploma in te reo Māori at private Māori tertiary institutions Te Wānanga Ihorangi and Te Wānanga Takiura respectively. Stacey and Leilani will be involved in establishing a relationship with Counties Manukau Māori Rugby, with a view to pilot a Counties Manukau Māori Girls Rugby team in 2026.
- Paris Mataroa has been awarded $2000 for equipment to support the development of her lawn and ground maintenance business.
A mother of three with a bachelor’s degree, Stacey Brown is used to juggling motherhood, sport and work. She is mindful of the financial challenge of taking a year off as a provider for her family. Stacey is fulfilling her dream to fully commit to her culture through her language and secure the significant long-term benefits for her whānau, iwi and future generations.
Stacey says, “Connections to culture, land and language is what makes us who we are. Being able to speak te reo Māori will make me feel fully connected to who I am – something I have longed for a long time. I also have dreams of staying connected with Counties and rugby by becoming a future leader in cultural aspects of the club and community.”
Similarly, recognising the constant juggle between kura, motherhood and rugby, Leilani Perese underscores that the course will allow her to feel more connected to her identity, to support speaking te reo Māori confidently in her community and rugby teams, and to empower others to learn and embrace te reo Māori and keep it alive.
“This will also open many doors for me in the Māori world. Normally Māori learn through waiata or haka and I believe there are Māori who also learn through sport and games, and I would like to help drive that for our community. I am motivated to complete this course and return to teaching to empower my students to embrace their Māoritanga and use this superpower out in the world.”
Paris Mataroa, a passionate Heat rugby player who has progressed through the Counties program since in school, will use her scholarship to grow her lawn mowing business and be self-employed. She will use the funds to purchase a new, more reliable lawnmower and an affordable trailer with WOF to help her easily transport her equipment, and to cover any additional costs for essential business supplies.
Paris emphasises that the support means she can meet the challenge of balancing work and rugby, ensuring she can always give her all to the Union and the game.
“I would like to offer other Heat players the same opportunity and join me along the way when possible – I have begun taking on clients and am building my customer base. This grant will help with reliable and efficient equipment, service excellence, and business growth.”
Les Morgan, the Chief Operating Officer of Sudima Hotels and Hind Management says, “We extend warm congratulations to Stacey, Leilani and Paris who are deserving recipients of this second round of Sudima Hotels scholarships with CMRFU. Their cultural and commercial goals are inspirational – we are proud to share their journeys of achievement.
This partnership is turning dreams into reality on and beyond the high-performance sporting field. The collaboration is going from strength to strength, and it continues to be rewarding for everyone involved. This is one example of how Sudima Hotels strives to make a meaningful difference at the heart of every community in which we operate.”
Chad Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer, CMRFU says, “These scholarships are literally changing lives. We really appreciate our strengthening partnership with Sudima Hotels and the support this provides to some of our most talented young women coming through.
The program is proving to be a benchmark initiative at the provincial rugby level focussed on high-performing women whose potential to enrich their own lives, and the lives of others, is extraordinary. Sudima Hotels’ support for diligence in personal and professional development off the rugby field has transformative impacts.”
