Our People

Our Team

Matt de Vries

Programme Director
matt@tamaisports.co.nz
+64 21 191 1197

Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, predominantly in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Matt has always led an active life, deeply involved in sports and physical activities. Sports have profoundly influenced his life, providing a sense of belonging, fostering close friendships, and imparting valuable life lessons.

Through his experiences, studies, volunteer work, and professional roles, Matt has come to understand the positive impact sports can have on individuals and communities. He is passionate about ensuring that all tamariki (children) have the opportunity to participate in safe, inclusive, and engaging sports environments.

In January 2025, Matt joined Tamai Sports, following his role as a Community Connector at Sport Canterbury. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Physical Education and minoring in Sports Management.

Taruhae Phife Toto

Programme Manager
programme@tamaisports.co.nz
+64 27 474 2995

Waikato taniwharau, he piko he taniwha, he piko he taniwha!

Ko Ngāti Tamaoho, ko Ngāti Paoa, ko Ngāti Hine ki Waikato, ko Ngāti Maniapoto, ko Ngāti Awa ngā iwi.

Taruhae is born and raised in Ōtautahi. Tamai Sports relates strongly to him as grew up playing sports in Linwood. Stepping into the Programme Manager role is an amazing opportunity for Taruhae to provide Tamai tamariki with the same opportunities and manaakitanga that he experience as a kid.

Taruhae graduated from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha with a Bachelor of Sports Coaching. He has joined Tamai Sports from Hikitia, where he provided a positive and uplifting environment for Māori living with disabilities, long term mobility challenges and stroke survivors. He has also worked as a Hato Hone First Responder and is a rugby coach and performance analyst at club and representative levels.

Taruhae is here to help and he will guide tamariki to be their best!

He manu hou ahau, he pī ka rere

Stephen Dods

Founder and Executive Directors
dods@tamaisports.co.nz
+64 27 212 5505

Stephen knows first-hand the power of sport to transform lives.

Growing up with a challenging background, Stephen found hope, purpose, and belonging through sport. It gave him more than just a game to play — it gave him role models to look up to and a community that believed in him.

Now, his dream is to pass that gift on — to open the same doors for tamariki who are facing their own barriers in life.

We have an incredible opportunity.

In this country, we’re rich in resources, experiences, and potential. Our tamariki deserve the chance to discover all of it — the strength of teamwork, the joy of achievement, and the power of self-belief.

All it takes is a good team of people to lead them on that journey.

In the future they will become a part of that team.

Reon Werahiko

Programme Coordinator
coordinator@tamaisports.co.nz
+64 22 685 7019

Reon was raised in Hawke's Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand, spending most of his childhood in Napier and Hastings. Growing up, he was always involved in sport — mainly football and futsal — while also participating in many other sports along the way. Sport has always been a significant part of who he is.

After moving to Auckland, he continued pursuing his passion for sport and studied at Auckland University of Technology. From there, he was fortunate to find work in football, allowing him to turn his passion into his profession.

Through the mahi he has done, he is excited to share what he has learned while continuing to grow and develop himself. Although his experience is largely in football, he believes the values that have guided him so far strongly align with the mahi he will be doing at Tamai. His goal is to help create more opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi to play and enjoy whatever sport they love.

Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is a group of people who are deeply committed to removing logistical and financial barriers to enable participation in sport.They have strong backgrounds in Governance, Business, Law, Research, Finance, Marketing and Sport.They understand the barriers in the way of certain children and communities and are committed and determined to remove them to allow participation for all.