Story

Keep kauri standing – “Clean your boots”

KDB Adrian At Kensington Event (500)Adrian Peachey, Biosecurity Officer - Kauri Dieback with boot bags and info for young rugby players.Like those that came before them, today’s Northland Rugby players draw strength and pride from the kauri emblem every time they pull on the blue jersey. Recently the connection between the players and these mighty trees took a more poignant turn, with the team getting in behind the fight against the deadly kauri dieback disease.

The Mitre 10 Cup has provided the perfect opportunity for a partnership between the Northland Rugby Union and Northland Kauri Dieback Programme partners (NRC, DoC and MPI) to come together to ram home the importance of clean footwear to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.

The night of the first home game of the Mitre 10 Cup saw two heartfelt videos, including striking footage of the Waipoua Ngahere, reduce the boisterous crowd to a hush, as the significance of the threat to kauri and the need for urgent action to prevent Northland’s rakau rangatira/chiefly trees from facing extinction, hit home.

The following Saturday it was the turn of the younger rugby players to meet the Taniwha’s and find out more about protecting kauri from the council’s kauri dieback team.

Their message to Northlanders and all visitors to our forests is clear, to keep kauri standing - “Clean your boots.”

Northland's Taniwha rugby team members with boot bags to give away.

Northland's Taniwha rugby team members with boot bags to give away.