At nib, we’re always looking for new ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our members and their communities. That’s why, we’re supporting initiatives that promote health and wellbeing throughout New Zealand.
One example of this is our continued support of the nib Blues; and why we have recently made the decision to support diversity in sport through our partnership with the nib Blues women’s team. In fact, we’re now committing half of our sponsorship support to women’s sport.
To celebrate this, we produced a video series alongside the nib Blues called ‘A Day in the Life’ which gave a behind-the-scenes look at three Blues wāhine as they balance their lives on and off the field.
Unsurprisingly, the series captures the dedication, resilience and passion of three players - Eloise Blackwell, Cristo Tofa and Theresa Fitzpatrick. nib Blues vice-captain, Eloise Backwell, said, “I still pinch myself and feel very humbled to be playing professionally, and I hope these ‘A Day in the Life’ videos show other young girls to keep dreaming and that it’s possible for females to have a future in the sport.”
2022 promises to be a historic year for women’s sport in Aotearoa - particularly rugby, given the international competitions New Zealand will be hosting, including the Women’s Rugby World Cup and nib are proud to be supporting women in rugby.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Rob Hennin, said it is an honour to be backing the nib Blues and to be part of the movement in creating more inclusivity and diversity in sport. “To hear that players like Eloise now have the financial backing to focus on professional sport full-time is what real progress looks like, however, we know that not every player is afforded this same opportunity.”
nib has also invested in wellbeing initiatives for the team to alleviate some of the external pressures of juggling rugby commitments with full time work and family life, so that they can stay focused on playing. To date, nib Blues players have benefited from initiatives including a nutritional class with a dietitian and an ice bath recovery workshop – to get expert advice on how to best take care of their mind and body while playing at an elite level. Each player has also received a pair of high-performance rugby boots fitted so they can perform at their best on game day.
To see more of how nib has impacted these women and diversity in sport, watch the full video series here