A Māngere-based school has taken the $10,000 top prize at nib New Zealand’s annual Junior $10K Relay, run at Eden Park on May 16, 2026, during the interval of the Blues vs. Hurricanes Super Rugby Pacific fixture. The event, now in its fifth year, has paid out $50,000 in total prize funding to schools and junior rugby clubs since it began.
Koru School beat out seven other schools and junior rugby clubs in the contest, which fielded 10-person relay teams of runners aged 11 to 13. The other competing teams were Avondale Intermediate School, Glenfield Greyhounds Rugby Club, Hikurangi Rugby Club, Mangakahia Rugby Club, Massey Rugby Club, Suburbs Rugby Club, and Waiheke Island Rugby Club. The school intends to put the prize toward equipment replacements, first aid supplies, coaching fees, and a Term 3 camp.
Coach Pati Alapati noted the funding would cover needs the school cannot otherwise meet. “Some of our sports gear is out of date, so this funding will help us upgrade that and support the students in the long run. We also have an upcoming camp in Term 3, so some of the money will go towards helping make that possible as well,” Alapati said. Twelve-year-old runner Noah Pulepule said competing at Eden Park brought pressure the team chose to embrace rather than avoid. “We felt a bit nervous at first, but we liked that pressure. The pressure feels good when you try to win. We were very happy for the opportunity,” Pulepule said.
For nib, the relay sits within a broader effort to tie its brand to preventive health rather than purely to claims and coverage. Chief executive Skye Daniels framed the event in terms of the insurer’s stated organisational purpose. “nib’s mission is the better health and wellbeing of our members, their families, and communities. We know that ensuring kids are active is great for their overall health,” Daniels said. She also credited the adults who enable youth participation. “We appreciate and acknowledge the community that supports the kids and the relay – the teachers, the coaches, and the mums and dads who have encouraged them to get out there and enjoy the team spirit and the run,” she said. Community sponsorships of this kind are one mechanism through which insurers build long-term brand recognition among families – the same demographic that drives demand for health and life policies. The relay’s structure, requiring schools and clubs to apply with a written pitch on how they would use the funds, also generates direct engagement with communities that may not otherwise have contact with a private insurer.
The relay result comes alongside nib’s publication of consumer research conducted in December 2025. The survey, which drew responses from more than 1,000 New Zealanders aged 18 and over, asked respondents to identify the most important legacy to pass on to younger people. A healthy lifestyle came out on top, nominated by 61% of respondents. A good education followed at 58%, then giving back to the community at 44%, and maintaining family traditions at 30%. Generating wealth and being respected or well-known in the community tied at the bottom, each cited by 21% of respondents. The gap between health and wealth as stated priorities is notable for an industry that sells products tied to both. Health insurance and life cover are, in part, financial instruments, but they are most commonly sold on a health rationale. The survey data suggests that framing resonates with the majority of the population – at least at the level of stated values.
The survey’s generational breakdown is the finding most likely to interest insurance professionals thinking about customer acquisition and long-term portfolio mix. Among Millennials aged 35 to 44, nine in 10 (90%) said it is important for young people to pursue a healthy lifestyle. That figure fell to 60% among Gen Z respondents aged 18 to 24. More sharply, 28% of Gen Z respondents said it is very unimportant for young people to seek a healthy lifestyle, against 12% of the general population. The survey does not establish why this gap exists, but the insurer suggested younger people may face access barriers or competing priorities at this stage of life. The divergence raises a practical question: if Gen Z is less inclined toward health-focused thinking, conventional messaging around health cover may not convert as well with that cohort. The data points toward a potential need for differentiated engagement strategies across age groups.
The relay is part of nib’s wider arrangement with the Blues rugby franchise. nib has sponsored the Blues men’s team since 2013 and has backed the women’s team since 2021. The Blues are marking 30 years as a franchise in 2026. Blues chief executive Karl Budge described the relay in terms of its reach into grassroots sport. “Seeing junior players live out a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the same field as their rugby heroes is incredibly special. The nib Junior $10K Relay continues to have an impact on grassroots sport and the communities we represent,” Budge said.
