A Maori immersion school in Rotorua will receive a grant of $25,390 to buy new sports uniforms for the school from the New Zealand Community Trust.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Koutu has 270 students that participate in sports, and 145 playing multiple sports including badminton, basketball, hockey, kī-o-rahi, netball, rugby, rugby league, table tennis, tennis, touch rugby, and waka ama.

Spokesperson for the kura Zara Morrison says they're extremely appreciative of the huge contribution.

'To encourage and promote participation in sports and recreational activities for our tamariki, we need to provide them with new sports uniforms.

'We are excited to have sports uniforms with a united look amongst all sports codes that will clearly identify our tamariki in the community as representing Te Kura o Te Koutu. We can't wait to see them wear the sports uniform with confidence and pride.”

She says as well as physical wellbeing, the sports uniforms will also promote the schools vision of participating in sports for the benefits in the children's mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.

The sports uniforms will provide opportunities for Te Koutu children and their whanau to come together for sports events and continue the important values of the kura, such as being able to use and promote te reo Maori freely and to enhance matauranga Maori in new environments.

Zara says the uniforms will be designed to be multi-use, saying for example the touch uniforms could also be used for waka ama.

Zara says the school need to finalise the design and wait for them to be manufactured, which can take up to eight to nine weeks because of COVID-19.

She says the uniforms should be available someone in term one.