As the Northland Taniwha prepare to launch their 2026 National Provincial Championship (NPC) campaign this weekend, the team is stepping onto the field with a mission that extends far beyond rugby.
Northland Rugby has announced a new partnership with Water Safety New Zealand, using the Taniwha’s profile and influence to help reduce drowning deaths across Te Tai Tokerau—one of New Zealand’s highest-risk regions for water fatalities.
The initiative comes amid alarming forecasts that 2026 could become one of New Zealand’s deadliest years for drowning in more than a decade. Water Safety New Zealand says modelling indicates more than 100 people could lose their lives in the water this year if current trends continue. Already, 57 preventable drowning deaths have been recorded in 2026.
For Northland, the challenge is particularly acute.
The region records an average of 10 drowning deaths each year, with Māori, men aged 35 and over, and those gathering kai from the sea disproportionately represented in the statistics.
Rock fishers, shellfish gatherers and people using small craft continue to account for a significant number of fatalities.
Water Safety New Zealand says the figures highlight a long-standing issue for Māori communities. Since 2000, 27 percent of all Māori kai gathering drowning deaths nationwide have occurred in Northland, underscoring the need for culturally appropriate, community-led prevention initiatives.
The partnership forms part of Water Safety New Zealand’s broader strategy to improve water safety knowledge, influence behaviour and reduce preventable drowning across Te Tai Tokerau.
Chief Executive Glen Scanlon says Northland remains one of the organisation’s highest priorities because of the region’s consistently high drowning rates.
He says changing behaviour around water cannot be achieved by one organisation alone and requires trusted local voices working alongside communities.
Scanlon says the Northland Taniwha have enormous mana throughout Te Tai Tokerau and are ideally placed to encourage safer decision-making around rivers, beaches, harbours and the coastline.
The campaign places a particular focus on adult men, who continue to account for the overwhelming majority of drowning victims nationwide.
Water Safety New Zealand says many fatalities involve experienced water users who overestimate their abilities, fail to wear lifejackets, take unnecessary risks while gathering kai or enter the water alone.
The organisation notes that being alone remains one of the biggest risk factors for drowning. Last year, 54 percent of drowning victims were alone when the incident occurred. In 2026, that figure has increased to 64 percent.
The campaign hopes to draw on one of rugby’s strongest values—looking after your teammates—to encourage people to never enter the water alone and to look out for friends and whānau.
Northland Rugby Commercial and Marketing Manager Kristin Fraser says the partnership reflects the important role the Taniwha play beyond the rugby field.
She says water is central to life in Te Tai Tokerau, with many players, supporters and their whānau regularly spending time on beaches, rivers and harbours.
Fraser says if the team can inspire even one person to make a safer decision around water, the partnership will have made a meaningful contribution to the community.
Water Safety New Zealand is also warning that forecast El Niño conditions could increase water-related risk during the coming months.
Warmer weather and more favourable sea conditions typically encourage greater recreational use of beaches, rivers and coastal environments, particularly across the upper North Island.
Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty collectively accounted for 51 of New Zealand’s 79 drowning deaths in 2025, making the region a continuing focus for prevention efforts.
Northland alone recorded nine drowning fatalities last year, with coastal incidents, small craft accidents and slips and falls among the leading causes.
Seven of those nine victims were men, mirroring the national trend where more than 80 percent of drowning victims are male.
Despite the concerning statistics, Water Safety New Zealand says there are positive signs emerging.
Earlier this year, Northland became the first region in New Zealand where every eligible primary and intermediate school is participating in the Water Skills for Life programme.
The programme provides fully subsidised water survival education for Years 0 to 8 students identified as being at greatest risk.
Water Skills for Life Interventions Manager Esther Hone (Ngāpuhi), who is based in Whangārei, says tamariki are becoming powerful advocates for water safety by taking the lessons they learn back to their homes and communities.
She says combining education with trusted community partnerships—such as the new alliance with Northland Rugby—creates a whole-of-community approach that has the potential to save lives for generations to come.
The Northland Taniwha open their 2026 NPC campaign against Manawatū at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei on Sunday 2 August.
While the team will be chasing competition points on the field, this season they will also carry an important message off it: protecting lives by encouraging safer behaviour around water.
For a region surrounded by coastlines, rivers and harbours, Water Safety New Zealand hopes the partnership will remind every Northlander that the strongest teams don’t just win games—they look after each other.
#NorthlandTaniwha #NPC2026 #NorthlandRugby #WaterSafetyNZ #WaterSafety #DrowningPrevention #TeTaiTokerau #Māori #KaiGathering #Whānau #SemenoffStadium #Manawatū #SportForGood #Community #Kaitiakitanga #Rugby #Whangārei #Aotearoa #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews
