Former Warrior Wairangi Koopu would seem to be a natural choice as a teammate on Celebrity Treasure Island. He’s tall, fit and strong, which comes in handy with some of the more strenuous challenges, but Wairangi says his ability to stay calm will be his major strength on the reality series.
“I’ll be adding a little bit of calm because I’m not dramatic,” he says. “I’m not a very emotional person who gets carried away in environments that may be stressful or need a bit of resilience.”
Wairangi, 44, played for the Warriors for nine years, leaving in 2008. Since then, he has worked as a presenter and reporter for The Crowd Goes Wild. He’s also the cultural advisor for the Warriors.
“My role there really is to facilitate te ao Māori protocols and making sure that the manawhenua [rights of a tribe] where Mt Smart Stadium is situated is looked after and acknowledged,” he explains.
“I’m also the person that I didn’t have when I was growing up. Someone who can facilitate tikanga [culture] and be someone senior in that role.”
Wairangi grew up on a marae and went to kura kaupapa [te reo Māori schools]. He was always the one who spoke te reo in the Warriors. Being in this role for players today also makes him happy.
“Being back in that environment, I felt how strongly the group and the club all bought into the idea of what the football department was trying to do. They had a phenomenal year last year,” says Wairangi.
“It was great to see them do that on the field and succeed. The environment they have in place now is cultivating, not only as a strong football culture, but a strong Warriors culture and that’s what I’m proud of.”
A highlight for Wairangi was working with Tohu Harris, the captain of the Warriors.
“I helped guide him through some cultural practices. We were lucky enough for him to welcome us onto his marae last year, where he spoke in front of the team and welcomed us,” he tells. “Those things bring the joy. It offers the team something just a little bit different than what they are used to.”
On Treasure Island, Wairangi says dealing with some of the celebrities could be a challenge.
“Being thrown together in a situation where personalities that I might not necessarily get on with in my regular life, who are from different walks of life with different opinions, is hard,” he admits.
“If there’s a celebrity/personality on the show that I don’t know and don’t agree with how they see things, I need to regulate myself to deal with them.”
The charity he will be playing for is HUHA – Helping You Help Animals. It is New Zealand’s leading no-kill animal shelter. They advocate for rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed animals. Over the years, they’ve released tens of thousands of domestic and wild animals in need.
“One of the loves of my life are my dogs,” enthuses Wairangi. “They are so pure and love us so much if we treat them right. I’m so grateful to be able to care for some.”
Wairangi says other cast members had already claimed the first two charities he chose. He’s thrilled all three of his favourite causes get to benefit from the show.
When it comes to tough times, of which there are many on Celebrity Treasure Island, Wairangi says he has been there and knows how to get through.
“I recognised that when I went through some hard times, how much my mental health played a part in me living a productive, healthy life,” he shares. “I developed the approach that my mental health needed as much training and work as my physical health does.
“Every day, I take myself to the gym an hour to work on my physical health. And my mental health needed that same sort of dedication. I’ve developed behaviours like mindfulness practices, meditation, journalling and practising gratitude.
“I try to be in touch with my environment. Any little thing that can keep me grounded and content in my wellbeing. I try to practise that as much as possible.”
Watch Celebrity Treasure Island Mondays at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
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