Penrhyn Sports Club Inc (PSCI) was born in 1981 when families from Penrhyn (Tongareva — the northernmost atoll of the Cook Islands) gathered in Auckland to play cricket together. The original club name was Tongareva/Hararanga; in 1982 the founders renamed it Penrhyn Sports Club. From a single cricket team, the club has grown to more than 1,000 members, predominantly children and youth, across a range of codes that now reflect the diversity of its kopu tangata.
Codes today: Rugby Union, Rugby 7’s, Touch Rugby, Tag, Netball, Volleyball, and Darts. PSCI’s mission — in its own words — is to “uphold Christian values and traditions of the Penrhyn Island people” and to give members opportunities that “create, develop and participate in sports and physical recreation at all levels.”
For Akaiti Mangarongaro, PSCI is not a separate organisation — it is the natural next step. The same Penrhyn families whose tamariki begin at the centre learning Mangarongaro at age 10 months go on to register with PSCI as rangatahi to play netball, run touch, or pull on a rugby jersey. Luke Mealamu chairs the Torohata Trust Board (which governs the centre) and is the active link to Penrhyn Sports Club — the relationship that holds these two community pillars together.
“PSCI is now seriously trying to find solutions to help with an increasing rate of child and youth violence, arrogance and lack of interest in general by holding sports events, tournaments and competitions. This is our hope — to incorporate sports into their lives so that our children and youth have something active to look forward to, and to help deter them from trouble and focus on leadership skills to pass on to the next generation.”
— Penrhyn Sports Club Inc, Mission & Objectives
