dsport is pleased to announce the appointment of the first full-time Sport Development Officer.

Yarride Rosario joins dsport in mid-July to take up the role. Yarride has a wealth of experience in sport including representing New Zealand in athletics at the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010, coaching athletes himself and previously working at the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie.

For Yarride, “I’m most looking forward to meeting all the amazing people and athletes who make up the dsport community and getting hands on in creating successful programmes. From experience, the most important part of sports programming to me is engagement, inclusivity and most of all, fun!” 

Most recently, Yarride has been working within the school environment, managing a recreation and tuition programme, including working with students with physical disabilities and special needs.

dsport Manager, Catriona McBean, said “We are thankful to the Minister of Sport, Grant Robertson, who through funding to Sport New Zealand for enhancing disability sport, has enabled us to create this position. For many years dsport has been wanting to expand our programmes and services but has been constrained financially from doing so. Now, with this dedicated funding, we are able to enhance our capacity to deliver more for disability sport in the greater Wellington Region.”

“We believe the skills and experience Yarride brings to the role will complement and expand those we already have, particularly in the schools space. The first priority for Yarride will be taking the lead role for the Youth Group programme (for 5-18 year olds), as well as the Sport Development programme. I can’t wait for Yarride to start, I’ve got so many projects for him to get right into” said Catriona.

Congratulations to dsport member Peter Horne who was award a Queens Birthday honour for services to bowls and Paralympic sport.

Peter has been heavily involved with lawn bowls, para sport and disability sport in New Zealand.

He is a gold-medal winning Paralympian and founder and President of New Zealand Disabled Lawn Bowls. He won gold in the Men’s Singles LB3 and bronze in the Men’s Pairs LB2 at the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games, as well as a bronze medal at the 1996 Paralympic Games. He was selector, coach, manager and player for the New Zealand team at the 1993 Adelaide World Disabled Bowls. He has won several club and centre titles against the able bodied, alongside 10 World Disabled Bowls tournament wins. He was instrumental in the successful hosting of the International Bowls for the 2015 Disabled World Championships and organised and ran the 2018 Disabled National Bowls Tournament, raising more than $20,000 to fund the event. He visits local schools to speak about his disabilities, has coached hundreds of people over the years and works hard to provide opportunities for everyone to participate in sport.

Peter is a longstanding memebr of dsport, an active member of the Naenae Bowling Club, the Hutt Valley Sports Committee and serves on the Committee’s judging panel for the Hutt Valley Sports Awards.

Congratulations to Gavin Rolton, whose selection was announced today, as part of the Wheelblacks team to represent New Zealand at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Gavin has been a member of the dsport wheelchair rugby team for many years and has represented New Zealand at many international events, but Tokyo 2020 is the event he has been training hard for over the last few years.