AUT School of Sport and Rec

postcards from our He Toa Taua (Harbour Sport) student leader day 💌

Awesome to see our AUT School of Sport, Exercise and Health team sharing their expertise at Tuia ki Tawhiti, bringing together more than 350 Health, Physical Education and Outdoor Education teachers from across Aotearoa over the past two days in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Kylie Thompson, Dr Nikki Penetito Hemara, Mark Jones, Associate Professor Chris Whatman and Dr Amy Kaukau presented a diverse range of workshops spanning bicultural physical education, mātauranga Māori, maramataka, Atua Matua, outdoor education, social justice, biomechanics, and adolescent growth and development.

In an education climate where so much is changing, it was awesome to be able to support our teaching whānau with practical ideas, current research, and resources they can take straight back into their own kura.

A huge thank you to Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ) , NZHEA and EONZ for bringing our sectors together and organising another outstanding professional learning event. These opportunities to connect, learn from one another, and continue strengthening Health, Physical Education and Outdoor Education across Aotearoa are so important.

So awesome to have 10 of our AUT HPE major students volunteering at the Tuia ki Tawhiti Conference, a collaborative conference hosted by PENZ, NZHEA, and EONZ.

Our students are proudly representing AUT while connecting with future employers, building professional networks, and learning from inspiring keynote speakers and workshops.

A huge thank you to each of you for giving your time and supporting this event in Tāmaki Makaurau. We are incredibly proud to see you representing AUT so well. Enjoy the next two days and make the most of every opportunity!

Team Behind the Team | Part 2 🇳🇿

Next up: Sam Casey-Popovich

As the All Whites continue their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, we’re proud to celebrate another one of our AUT alumni making an impact behind the scenes.

Sam completed both his Bachelor of Sport and Recreation (Coaching) and Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise at AUT. Today, he is an All Whites Support Analyst, providing the performance analysis that helps prepare the national team for football’s biggest stage.

Alongside his role with New Zealand Football , Sam also teaches in AUT’s Diploma in Sport and Recreation, helping develop the next generation of sport practitioners. His career has also included performance analysis roles with Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand Football’s men’s U20 programme.

From AUT student to AUT lecturer and member of the All Whites’ performance analysis team at the FIFA World Cup , Sam’s journey shows the impact our alumni are making at the highest level of international sport.

Congratulations, Sam. We’re proud to have you representing AUT on the world stage!

The Team Behind the Team 🇳🇿

Whatever happens in tomorrow’s game, the All Whites have already made history by returning to the FIFA World Cup.

While fans see the players on the pitch, there is an entire team working behind the scenes to help them perform at their best.

We’re proud to celebrate that several AUT alumni are part of that journey.

First up is Sunz Singh (Coach Sunz 🇿🇦🇳🇿🇦🇺 , who completed both his Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (2014) and Postgraduate Diploma in Exercise Science (2015) at AUT.

As the Athletic Performance Lead for the All Whites, Sunz plays a key role in preparing the squad for the demands of international football. Alongside his work with New Zealand Football, he is also Director of CS Performance, Strength & Conditioning Coach for Touch New Zealand, and Head of High Performance at Mentoring the Elite.

From the classroom at AUT to football’s biggest stage, it’s fantastic to see our alumni making an impact where it matters most.

Good luck to Sunz and the entire All Whites team tomorrow. 🇳🇿⚽

A pretty special way to spend the day. 🔥

We were honoured to host Nōna Te Ao from Te Tairāwhiti, sharing movement, learning, kōrero and connection.

Ngā mihi to Amy Kaukau and Kylie Thompson for leading the gym sessions, and Mark Jones for facilitating the kuaka kōrero. The day finished around the fire in our outdoor classroom with waiata, kōrero and a warm Milo in hand 🫰🏼

One of the best parts of welcoming groups into our spaces is the opportunity to learn from one another. While we hope our visitors take something away from their time at AUT, we always come away having learned something too.