Canterbury Rugby League welcomes Mathias Pitama as first Mana Whenua Director
Mana Whenua – Hapū that has mana over a particular takiwā (area or region)
Canterbury Rugby League is extremely proud to welcome Mathias Pitama as our first Mana Whenua Director, appointed to the CRL Board on behalf of Ngāi Tūāhuriri.
In 2025, CRL undertook a full review of our constitution in response to changes to the Incorporated Societies Act. That review was carried out with full consultation and engagement with our clubs, and the revised constitution was adopted at our AGM in November 2025.
While revising our constitution, the Board saw an opportunity to strengthen our engagement with mana whenua. Then Board Chair Phil Borell and I, as current Chair, worked together to establish a new position on our Board, the Mana Whenua Director. This was inspired by the fact that our largest league community group is Māori, and by our desire to establish a relationship with local iwi and support their aspirations in their takiwā. We see this as the beginning of an enduring partnership, one where our Board is guided and advised by local mana whenua, in accordance with their tikanga.
Canterbury Rugby League services a large geographic area. Given this, we approached the mana whenua group that holds mana over Ngā Puna Wai, home of Canterbury Rugby League, Ngāi Tūāhuriri. We offered Ngāi Tūāhuriri the opportunity to take up this position, and they undertook their own internal appointments process. Ngāi Tūāhuriri has since advised us that the director they have placed in this position is Mathias Pitama, and the CRL Board is honoured to have him join us.
Mathias, with whakapapa to Ngāi Tūāhuriri, has grown up and lived locally in North Canterbury all of his life. He has given immensely to his hapū over many years, and has been part of the rugby league community here in Waitaha (Canterbury) for more than 40 years, as both a player and a coach. He has played for the Rangiora, Papanui and Northern Bulldogs clubs, and represented New Zealand in his younger playing days. Mathias is the father of Sheldon Pitama, a long-serving player and captain of Queensland Cup team Redcliffe Dolphins, and this season his eldest moko, Te Koha, is playing for Celebration Lions. With three generations of his whānau connected to our game, Mathias brings valuable historical knowledge of rugby league, passion and vision for its future, and cultural guidance from a mana whenua perspective.
Ngāi Tūāhuriri has indicated that Mathias will hold this position for three years. At that point, the Board will consider engaging with all mana whenua groups in our takiwā as to their interest in the position.
CRL is deeply grateful to our clubs for their unanimous support of this new position. We also see this as an opportunity to exemplify the positive contribution a partnership with mana whenua can make to the ongoing success of our game and its delivery for our communities.
We are incredibly humbled to begin this journey, and we look forward to working alongside Mathias and Ngāi Tūāhuriri to best meet the needs of our rugby league community.
Nau mai, haere mai Mathias. Nō tātou te whiwhi. We are proud and honoured to welcome Mathias to our Board.
Ngā mihi,
Janelle Riki-Waaka
Board Chair, Canterbury Rugby League
