Ruahei Demant is known for her leadership, grit, and brilliance on the rugby field. But off the field? She’s navigating the same challenges that many Kiwis face every day: how to get on the housing ladder, feel confident in her financial decisions, and set herself up for her future.

For Demant, those challenges are magnified by the financial uncertainties that come with the realities of professional women’s sport - where players often earn less and face shorter careers than their male counterparts.

That reality makes her partnership with KiwiSaver provider Kōura Wealth even more powerful. Over the next 12 months, Demant will tackle the money conversations many of us wish we’d had sooner. Her journey will see her rethink her KiwiSaver plan, understand risk, and set goals for her future whānau. Along the way, she’ll share her reflections to help others feel less alone in their own financial journeys, and more empowered to start their own.

KiwiSaver will play a vital role in helping Demant achieve her financial goals. Yet, like many New Zealanders, she has been contributing for years without knowing if she’s in the right fund - or whether her current settings will get her to where she needs to be.

“There are two things that really surprised me,” Demant says after her first financial session, “The first one is how simple investing can be through KiwiSaver. Secondly - this is the first time I've sat down and thought deeply about my goals, especially within the right time horizons.”

Like many New Zealanders, Demant says her money journey has started later than she would have liked. “If there was one thing I wish I knew earlier, it’s what compound interest was,” she says. “And I wish I knew how to be smarter with money, so I didn’t have to work so hard to grow it.”

For Kōura, the partnership is about more than one athlete’s journey.

“We firmly believe that a combination of financial advice and KiwiSaver can make a real difference for Ruahei”, says Rupert Carlyon, Managing Director of Kōura Wealth. “But just as importantly, we hope her story inspires her teammates and the broader public - and shows that everyone has the chance to get ahead.”

Carlyon adds that Demant’s story highlights a wider inequity. “If she was an All-Black captain, she wouldn’t have to think twice about setting herself up financially,” says Rupert Carlyon, Managing Director of Kōura. “Unfortunately, the reality is female athletes are often underappreciated, underpaid, and therefore need to work harder to achieve the same outcomes as their male counterparts. We hope to close some of that

gap for her — and for all New Zealanders who have been overlooked by the financial system."

*Kōura Wealth Limited is the issuer and manager of the Kōura KiwiSaver Scheme. A copy of the Product Disclosure Statement is available at kourawealth.co.nz/documents