The scholarship, which is worth $10,000 per annum, supports a Pasifika student who is an age group regional or national representative in their chosen sport to study full time at the University.

Grant and Amie were delighted to meet the 2024 recipient of their family scholarship, Kayli Tuiraviravi. Kayli is a successful young hockey player of Fijian heritage who plays for the New Zealand Pasifika Women’s Hockey team and has twice been nominated as Pasifika Sportsperson of the year.

“She is a talented hockey player but also a highly intelligent and genuine good person who lifts everyone around her and has a great future in front of her. We are hoping our contribution allows Kayli to be free to focus on both her sport and studies,” says Grant.

Grant has been involved with rugby all his life and was also one of the generous donors to the well-known Victoria University-Old Boys University (OBU) Jack Jeffs Rugby Scholarship.

Grant says they began thinking about helping students who were also high performing sports people around the time their daughters were starting their university journeys.

“We have always believed a combination of sport and academia will develop someone who can succeed in life and make a positive impact on those around them.”

Kayli is currently in the third year of a double major in Political Science and International Relations and hopes to work for an international organisation such as the United Nations. In 2023 she spent a semester studying and playing hockey in Tilburg in the Netherlands, an experience which she found extremely rewarding.

“Being immersed in a culture that experiences wildly different dilemmas than New Zealand has been incredible for my academic journey. As the Netherlands is the most competitive hockey environment in the world, the standard of hockey I experienced there was amazing. I am extremely grateful to Grant and Amie for providing me with the means to take part in this life experience.”

Kayli has found a renewed passion for her studies this year. “The more I discover how much I love this degree, how important this area is to the development of society, and how I can contribute to it, the easier university life has been for me.”

As well as full-time study and intensive hockey training, Kayli heads up a non-profit organisation called ‘OneWay’ that focuses on creating opportunities for young adult Christians to get together and find a community of people to ‘do life with.’

For Kayli, the Jamiesons’ contribution is more than simply monetary, she says it is a catalyst for a brighter future.

“The Jamieson Family Sports Scholarship has provided me with the financial support and confidence I needed to excel academically and engage fully in extracurricular activities. Their generosity has profoundly impacted my life, allowing me to chase my dreams, develop my skills, and contribute to my community.”

Grant has always been passionate about rugby, representing Wellington in college, Under 21, and Wellington B rugby teams and playing first grade for Wellington Football Club.

“I was told by an All Black who played for our club that I was two inches too short and a stone too light to go any further in rugby in New Zealand. While I managed to add a stone and more over the subsequent years, I could not do much about the missing two inches!”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce, Grant returned to complete his Chartered Accountancy qualifications while working for an accounting firm. After qualifying, he had the opportunity to play rugby for a club in the south of France, and work on a vineyard. While this was a fantastic experience, at the end of the season he was ready to return to the professional world and moved to Hong Kong.

“I would like to say that I saw the potential and development opportunities of China in making this decision, but the reality was I followed a girlfriend I had at the time, and it seemed a nice place. When I arrived, I had no idea I would be working and living in Hong Kong for the next 30 years.”

Grant went on to a distinguished career with KPMG where he became a senior partner and Head of Advisory. He found that the combination of a business degree and accounting qualification helped open doors to the Hong Kong business sector and allowed him to participate in non-profit boards. He was Finance Director of the Hong Kong China Rugby Union and continued to be involved in the rugby scene, playing 30 games for the Hong Kong National XVs team, and captaining the team in 1994.

Following his retirement in 2021, Grant and Amie have now returned to their home in Queenstown where Grant enjoys relative anonymity. As a change from the boardroom, he now has occasional work driving earthmoving trucks and trailers, and appreciates the best office view he has ever had.

Karl Whalen, Associate Director, Sport and Recreation says the Jamieson family’s incredible ongoing support has enabled Kayli to experience a truly transformative time at the University.

“We welcome Grant and Amie back to New Zealand and thank them for making these life-changing scholarship opportunities available to our talented sports people.”