The application and interpretation of pūrākau, whakataukī (Indigenous forms of storytelling) introduced in 2015–2017 to players and coaches of a men’s provincial rugby team in New Zealand was reported to enhance the cultural identity, sense of belonging, leadership and wellbeing of team members both on and off the field. Using a Kaupapa Māori case study approach including semi-structured, one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions, pūrākau, whakataukī benefited the well-being of individual players, coaches and the collective team with no evidence of a negative impact.
