New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the five successful recipients of the Women’s Referee Scholarship Programme for the next two years, with Hurricanes Poua lock Kahurangi Sturmey selected.
Kahurangi Sturmey (Manawatū), who is a long-serving forward for the Manawatū Cyclones and the Hurricanes Poua, is a long-time passionate advocate for grassroots rugby. Kahurangi’s understanding of the game's flow and her natural presence on the field have already been identified as key strengths in her early refereeing assessments.
This initiative continues to support the development of women referees across Aotearoa, with each recipient of the scholarship receiving financial support, one-on-one coaching, and ongoing mentoring from NZR's Women's Referee Development Manager, Maggie Cogger-Orr.
Over the course of the two-year programme, they will be integrated into development pathways within their provincial unions and connected with national performance networks.
The Women’s Referee Scholarship Programme was established to create tangible pathways for former players and aspiring referees to develop within a supportive, high-performance environment. This second intake reflects NZR’s continued commitment to increasing visibility, opportunity, and excellence in the women’s officiating space.
The other wāhine selected (listed alphabetically with their current provincial union) are:
Azania Watene (Counties Manukau)
Chey Robins-Reti (Bay of Plenty/Waikato)
Danielle Tippett (South Canterbury)
Hayley Hutana (Canterbury)
To learn more about how to get involved in refereeing, visit www.nzrugby.co.nz/get-involved/referee
