Sporting Success Stories Presented to Council
Supported by MDC’s Representative Fund, Charlotte Dunn-Hall competed in the U21 Future Black Sticks tour in Japan, and brothers Oscar Skinner and George Skinner competed in the U19 World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Australia.
At 19, Charlotte Dunn-Hall is making impressive strides in her hockey journey, recently attending the 2025 Future Blacksticks Japan Tour. This was her first international debut and gave her the opportunity to experience a new culture, learn different hockey techniques, and compete against high-level teams. Charlotte played five games, including three against Under-21 teams, drawing the first match, losing the second, and winning the third. She particularly enjoyed the high-performance environment, connecting with other aspiring players and visiting schools in Japan. Charlotte told Council she is excited for future international opportunities and hopes to coach younger players in the years ahead.
In October 2025, Oscar and George Skinner, two brothers from the Manawatū, competed at the U19 World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia. Oscar presented to Council about the experience, describing the anticipation of waiting at the start line, listening to the heartbeat-like countdown, and then taking off at the bang of the gun. He described it as “a breakthrough race”, improving on his previous results and coming an impressive 36th overall out of roughly 1300 attendees.
George Skinner submitted a video presentation recorded from his University Hall in Dunedin. Also competing at the same championships as his brother, he built strong momentum, particularly in the biking segment. Although George said his lead-up training had been less than ideal, his results were impressive, with the fastest bike time in his age group and the third-fastest across all age groups. He is looking forward to focusing more on cycling in the future, with hopes to cycle the South Island.
Council is proud to have supported these rangatahi through the Representative Fund, seeing them embrace their passion and represent the Manawatū District in their sporting endeavours.
The Representative Fund is part of Manawatū District Council’s community toolkit, supporting individuals or teams who represent the Manawatū District nationally or internationally. Minimising financial barriers, the fund supports residents who take part in cultural, recreational, and learning opportunities. To learn more about the Representative Fund, please visit MDC’s website: Representative Fund - Closed for 2025/26 Applications | Manawatū District Council