To the Waka Ama Whānau of the Auckland Region
Tēnā koutou katoa,
We hope this message finds you well and thriving both on and off the water.
We would like to inform you of an important change to the W12 selection process for our region. After careful consideration and in alignment with proven successful models in other regions, Auckland will be shifting from selecting the fastest club time to selecting the 12 fastest paddlers (both J19 and Open, based on their 250m dash results in the W1 event) to represent us in the W12 division. This change will be implemented at our 2025 W1 Regionals in November.
This decision was not made lightly. Our primary aim is to provide more opportunities for paddlers across all clubs in Auckland to come together as a united regional team—te kotahitanga o te rohe. By moving away from an inter-club competition format and toward a performance-based, regional selection process, we hope to foster greater collaboration, whanaungatanga, and regional pride.
We have seen this approach work incredibly well in other regions, most notably Te Puku o Te Ika, who have followed this model for the past four years and have consistently dominated the podium at Nationals. It’s clear that giving our top paddlers the chance to train and compete together—regardless of club affiliation—can lead to outstanding results.
This new selection process opens the door for all clubs to see their top athletes contribute to a strong and unified Auckland presence on the national stage. It is a step forward in building a deeper sense of regional connection and shared success, while still honoring the fierce club spirit that makes our waka ama community so special.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we implement this change. We are excited for what lies ahead and confident that this new direction will elevate the strength and mana of our Auckland paddlers.
If you have any pātai or would like further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Maruwhare Harman
Auckland Region Waka Ama Race Committee
June 27th 2025
