Rugby League star Elijah Taylor: Water is the best drink

10 April 2013

Rugby League star Elijah Taylor promotes Water is the best drink

Despite a late change to the Vodafone Warriors training schedule last Friday Elijah Taylor returned home to Kaitaia on Monday 8 April to visit five Northland schools to promote Rugby League and the ‘Leadership through League’ programme, a Rugby League Northland (RLN) and the Northland DHB partnership programme.

Originally scheduled to attend the Leadership through League festival on Tuesday 9 April RLN Development Officer Tane Kaiwai was asked to pull a rabbit out of a hat (something Elijah will try and emulate on Sunday) and moved mountains to get Elijah in front of the local Kaitaia schools on Monday instead.

‘Leadership through League’ teaches college students coaching and leadership principles and then has them interacting with primary school students to gain practical experience in what they have learnt.

As ambassador of the ‘Leadership through League’ programme Elijah is supporting the key health message “Water is the best drink”.

“The natural choice for hydration is water. It hydrates better than any other liquid, both before and during exercise”, Elijah explains. “Water is much less expensive and more available than any other drink. Water is the best, but it only helps you if you drink it”.

The partnership between RLN and Northland DHB utilises the Tuakana Teina relationship, an integral part of traditional Maori society that provides a model for buddy systems. Big brothers and sisters coaching and influencing little siblings provide role models to communicate key public health messages in schools.

“Our public health nurses have been able to train and effectively work with Rugby League development officers as a vehicle to deliver a key health message into the community”, said Kath Bowmar, the DHB’s Well Child Youth and Clinical Services manager. “Our aim is to create a life long habit of choosing water over fizzy or electrolyte drinks”.

‘Leadership through League is being hosted in 12 Colleges across Northland in 2013 and over 150 students will receive an NZRL Mini Mod Certificate. They will go on to coach over 2500 primary and intermediate students in 40 Northland Primary Schools.

Elijah played against the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s on Sunday and first up Monday morning visited Kaitaia College who have qualified for the NorthTec Adam Blair trophy final. Students will not only hear how important drinking water is they will have the opportunity to pick Elijah’s brain on how to win a grand final. Elijah was a part of the first Warriors U20 Grand Final Champions team in 2010.

Elijah is always prepared to go the extra mile for grass roots Rugby League and has even been known to run water for the Muriwheneua Falcons team.

Schools Visited Monday 8th of April:
Kaitaia College: 11.00 am – 11.25 am
Pompallier Catholic School: 11.30 am – 11.55 am
TKKM Pukemiro: 12.05 am – 12.30 pm
Taipa Area School: 1.00 pm – 1.30 pm
Aniwaniwa: 2.00 pm – 2.30 pm

ENDS

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