The Fencible Foundation has increased its reach in 2023 with two further scholarships honouring the memory of respected Pakuranga United Rugby Club members.
The Mike Garner and Angus Barrett Memorial Scholarships have been added to the already-established stable of scholarships awarded to local, promising athletes to support their tertiary endeavours.
While existing scholarships for the Fencible Foundation are open to young athletes partaking in any sport, the two new scholarships are specifically for rugby players, with the inaugural recipients announced in March 2023.
The first recipients of the new scholarships are Riley Harrison and Moses Hafoka.
Harrison, a former Howick College student, had a stand-out year for the Pakuranga United Rugby Club (PURC) in 2022.
He was named the U21 Cannons player of the year and was awarded the Barry Smith Trophy for most points kicked in the senior club and the Charles Piutau Trophy for Senior Player of the Year.
Hafoka was co-captain of the Sacred Heart 1st XV and deputy head boy before graduating in 2021.
He has represented Auckland rugby at both Under 18 and Under 19 age grades.
Fencible Foundation chair Mike Anderson said Harrison and Hafoka were “fantastic young men” and a great fit for the new scholarships.
“We want to award these scholarships to young players who are tenacious, honest and hardworking, both Riley and Moses certainly fit those criteria.
“Mike and Angus were long-serving, and well-respected members of our local rugby community and we felt it was important to recognise that in a way that ensures their contribution continues to be remembered,” says Anderson.
The Fencible Foundation, originally called the Pakuranga Rugby Development Foundation, was established in 2015 with the aim of supporting talented young athletes who have grown up in the community, to stay in the community to play their chosen sport once finishing secondary school.
The geographical area the foundation considers home is wider southeast Auckland regions of Pakuranga, Bucklands Beach, Eastern Beach, Howick, Botany and surrounding rural areas of Whitford, Brookby, Beachlands and Maraetai etc.
They support these athletes by assisting in monetary grants to further their education.
Harrison is currently studying Sport and Recreation at AUT University and Hafoka is studying a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Auckland.
The pair were presented the Mike Garner and Angus Barrett Memorial Scholarships respectively at the 2023 Pakuranga Premier jersey auction on March 17.
