If a pandemic has highlighted the stresses that whānau face, then Covid is also responsible for helping communities recognise the heroes in their midst. 
 

Within Sport Canterbury, a talented team of innovators is committed to helping communities achieve healthier outcomes – working closely with schools, health practices, sports and coaches. Their knowledge base includes systems change, sport development, coaching, physical health and active learning – however the common goal is wellbeing. 

This Friday the team farewells once of the finest advocates Canterbury sport will ever know – although it’s less good bye and more Kia ora. 

George Lajpold represented both New Zealand and the Cook Islands in Rugby League, and is the sport’s only South Island-based accredited Coach Developer. He is also a Systems Innovator for Healthy Families Ōtautahi. 

His philosophy is “look after the person first” – and he takes this to heart. 

Lajpold has transformed the Canterbury sporting landscape by introducing the idea that community wellbeing starts on the sidelines.  

Lajpold recognises the role of sport in advancing conversations around mental health and wellbeing. He is also committed and effective in taking this message into the community, to influence positive change.  

In 2018, George helped to lead a strategy to build the capability and confidence of adults within the rugby league community, to support young people experiencing distress and to challenge harmful social norms. Through this collaboration, between Health Promotion Agency (HPA), Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and New Zealand Rugby League (through Southern Zone), the sport recognised the influence of 'Trusted Leaders.' These individuals not only support young people, but positive influence social norms and behaviours in the wider community. Recognising the challenges faced by previous programmatic approaches, the intention was to empower the community to develop solutions which would be sustainable at club level. The partners were interested in using human-centred, participatory approaches to design.  

After a procurement process, they commissioned Innovation Unit to run a co-design process with the rugby league community in Canterbury - a region selected based on the work Lajpold himself had undertaken locally in terms of community engagement and, as a result, capacity to participate.  

As part of the Covid-19 pandemic, George played an important role alongside New Zealand Rugby League to create a mechanism for the community called 'Checking In.' This process and guide enables coaches, managers and trainers to initiate conversations with players to further support those who are struggling with stress and anxiety. It is a guide to asking the "right questions"– identifying concerns before they escalate. It is also a guide that can be easily adapted, for businesses, leaders, managers and supervisors to adopt the tool for conversations in the workplace. Within the sector, Lajpold also led a strategy around alcohol harm reduction and addressing anti-social behaviour in sporting environments. 

Lajpold worked with Canterbury Rugby League, Canterbury District Health Board and the CCC Relicensing Group to develop a model that would be applied across the sector during the alcohol relicensing process. The target of the model was to support the education of club membership and enhance the knowledge of club administrators relating to the effective application and management of legislation. This led to a submission that ultimately prompted a change in the CCC Alcohol Bylaws, turning a temporary sideline ban on alcohol consumption into a permanent ban applying to sidelines, changing rooms, carparks and children’s play areas. 

“Healthier choices have been normalised in this way.” 

Public health has benefitted through Lajpold's approach, as systems change impacts community health and the ability of people to prevent chronic illness.  

Community wellbeing has benefitted through George's commitment to making the healthy choice the easy choice for Christchurch families.  

According to Sport Canterbury Chief Executive Julyan Falloon: "Sports – Rugby League and beyond - have benefitted through the example set by George - showing what is possible when sport serves to influence the change of systems.” 

As he heads to Lower Hutt to take up a new role within the Healthy Families New Zealand network, Lajpold is humble and certainly hesitant to take credit. Instead he comments on the role circumstances have played: “One of the great things that has come out of Covid is people are more open to conversations around mental wellbeing. 

“The pandemic has created the opportunity for us to review how we look after our people.” 

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