TupuToa intern Ruahei Demant sets her sights on career as a sports agent

3 February 2020

When TupuToa intern Ruahei Demant arrived at Suncorp New Zealand she was asked by People Experience Manager Stephen Jakicevich what her dream career path would be.

At the time she couldn’t answer that question, but over the two months she has been at Suncorp so far, she’s narrowed it down.

The Auckland University Law and Arts graduate says her dream job is to be a sports agent, so she can help athletes, particularly female athletes, get a fair deal.

Ruahei joined Suncorp as part of the TupuToa Internship Programme, which aims to grow the next generation of Māori and Pasifika business leaders by creating employment pathways into the corporate and professional sectors.

This is Suncorp's second year in partnership with TupuToa, having welcomed our first cohort of interns in December 2018.

Talented athlete Ruahei Demant is working at Suncorp as part of the TupuToa Internship programme.

Late last year, Suncorp welcomed four new interns – Ruahei Demant, Raymond Stowers, Kage Te Hira and Divya Kumar – who are all working hard in various teams throughout Suncorp.

They are also working on a project aimed at building Suncorp's incorporation of Te Reo Māori into its workspaces. The interns will present their recommendations to Suncorp’s Senior Leadership Team as part of their project work.

Ruahei applied for a TupuToa internship because she wanted to gain new skills and confidence in the corporate world.

Outside of the office, however, she is also a talented rugby player for the Black Ferns and the Barbarians.

Her success in the world of professional rugby hasn’t come easy. A recurring knee injury meant she had to undergo three major surgeries and years of rehabilitation.

While it might have put her rugby career on hold, it gave her the flexibility to explore a career in law.

“I was forced to focus all my time and energy on my law and arts degree and set in motion the chain of events that led me to Suncorp,” she says.

“Now I see a future for myself in a career that combines sports and law, helping athletes negotiate contracts and commercial opportunities and ensuring they are well protected.”

Ruahei says it would be a way for her to give back to the sporting community.

But until then, Ruahei has dived head first into the world of human resources in Suncorp’s People Experience team.

 “I applied for TupuToa because thought I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and I was right.”

Media enquiries: Kimberley Cameron +64 27 208 1268