Rower Arie Rasmussen Magasiva, 23, received the Major Pasifika Award at the 2026 Blues Awards of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, on 2 October, the university said.

The award recognises achievement in sport together with academic commitment and leadership. Rasmussen Magasiva, who has ties to Lefagaoali'i, Safotu and Lepea in Samoa and to the Cook Islands, is a member of Rowing New Zealand's High Performance Programme.

He represented New Zealand at the 2026 Rowing World Cups in Spain and Bulgaria, placing 13th at World Cup I and fifth at World Cup II. After more than a decade in the sport he was named a reserve for the World Rowing Championships and selected for New Zealand's 2026-27 summer squad.

Rasmussen Magasiva said he was surprised by the award and did not know he was up for it until his name was read out among the nominees.

Born in Wellington and educated at Marist St Patrick's College, he moved to Auckland for a conjoint Bachelor of Global Studies and Bachelor of Commerce. He is now studying towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Management at the university's Business School.

He said his mother, Meccedes Rasmussen, encouraged him to study alongside rowing because athletic careers have a limited window, and that he feels reassured knowing he has something outside sport for the future.

Balancing international competition, university study and part-time work took planning, he said. He stepped away from the sport in his first year at university to find his bearings, returned to rowing in his second year and found his studies more interesting from then on.

His longer-term aim is to represent New Zealand at the Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

"Growing up, you often see Polynesian athletes succeeding in sports like rugby and rugby league, which is something we should be incredibly proud of. But you don't see nearly as many Pacific people in niche sports like rowing, especially at the elite level. I never really had role models who looked like me in my sport," Rasmussen Magasiva said.

He said he hopes his example shows that Pacific people can succeed in all kinds of environments.

Sione Taufa, Associate Dean Pacific in the Faculty of Business and Economics, said the achievement reflects the dedication and leadership of many Pacific student-athletes at the university. Rasmussen Magasiva is a role model whose success shows the impact of hard work and commitment, Taufa said.

Rasmussen Magasiva thanked his parents, Meccedes Rasmussen and Stevan Magasiva, and his sister Zara, who won her first national rowing medal in 2025. He also credited coaches Ella Pudney, Brooke Walker, Lua Tuiomanufili, Sam Jackson and Nick Barton, as well as employers who worked around his training and competition schedule.