Mitre 10 launches search for the nation’s top woman DIYer

For immediate release
4 December 2015

Mitre 10 launches search for the nation’s top woman DIYer

In the search for one of the nation’s leading women DIYers, New Zealand’s biggest home improvement and building supply company Mitre 10 today announced its inaugural New Zealand Women’s DIY Challenge as part of its sponsorship of the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games.

The first ever Hilux New Zealand Rural Games were held in February this year and attracted more than 7,500 spectators to Queenstown. The Games consist of two days of traditional sports and live entertainment staged on Queenstown Recreation Ground.

Billed as a showcase for ‘sports that built the nation’, nearly 200 competitors took part in a series of national and trans-Tasman championships including coal shovelling, wood chopping, speed shearing, speed fencing and gumboot throwing.

Mitre 10 General Manager Marketing Dave Elliott said since the Rural Games were a celebration of New Zealand spirit and heartland-based women commonly lead the charge with DIY at home it seemed a natural fit to introduce the Women’s DIY Challenge at the Games.

“We’re launching the New Zealand Women’s DIY Challenge, to showcase some of the best female DIYers New Zealand has to offer.

“Earlier this year we did some research about gender and DIY, and the results showed Kiwi women are very confident about their DIY skills, but men still think home improvement is a masculine domain and they’re not quite ready to move over yet.

“Women are a growing force in DIY, particularly in the provinces, and our stores’ Ladies Nights are testament to this. They regularly attract up to 500 women per event. We know there are many very skilled women out there and we want to showcase their ability and celebrate DIY for everyone.

“What better place than at the Hilux Rural Games to do this.”

Nominations for the Mitre 10 New Zealand Women’s DIY Challenge are now open through Mitre 10’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Mitre10. Contestants are invited to submit photos to demonstrate their ability and why they want to compete. Entries close on 10 December.

Two women will be selected from these entries as finalists and flown to Queenstown to compete in the Games along with a female assistant of their choice. They will be joined by a Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown wildcard entry. They will be given a number of DIY jobs – including, putting together a playhouse-sized barn and constructing a fence.

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About Mitre 10
Mitre 10 is a New Zealand co-operative with 81 locally owned and operated stores nationwide that employ close to 5,000 team members combined. It is the country’s largest home improvement and garden retailer and one of the fastest-growing trade merchants. Mitre 10 has been a household name since 1974 and has been voted the most trusted home improvement retail brand in New Zealand five times.

About Hilux Rural Games
The Hilux New Zealand Rural Games are a great family weekend of traditional sports and live entertainment held annually in Queenstown over Waitangi weekend. Entry is free. For more information about the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games visit www.ruralgames.co.nz

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