Rugby legend Renee Holmes joins celebrations after local schools win AA national road patrol competition

16 September 2026

Aranui Primary School in Whanganui and Whitney Street School in Blenheim have been named the winners of the AA's Lollipop Legends competition, each taking home $10,000 to bring their safety projects to life.

The competition attracted more than 400 entries from schools across Aotearoa and was created to recognise the contribution school road patrollers make in keeping their classmates and communities safe.

Both schools' winning entries stood out for their focus on giving students a safe, practical environment to build their bike riding and road safety skills, helping children develop confidence and safe habits they can carry with them beyond the school gates.

Rugby legend and AA Lollipop Legends ambassador Renee Holmes joined the schools' road patrollers, staff and community to celebrate the achievements. 

"I'm proud to celebrating these schools and the teams behind their fantastic ideas," says Renee. 

"It's a great example of young people thinking creatively about safety and making a real difference for their community. The students should be incredibly proud of what they've achieved."

Renee said the partnership with the AA has a deeply personal connection. A former school road patroller herself, she recently experienced a reminder of how unpredictable New Zealand's roads can be while in the car with her whānau when they were hit by a drunk driver, right around school pick-up time.

“Thankfully, everyone walked away unharmed, but it left a lasting reminder of how important road safety is for Kiwi families. Even when you're doing everything right, things can happen unexpectedly, which is why school initiatives that help keep children safe on the roads are so valuable,” she says. 

AA Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer Simon Douglas said receiving more than 400 entries from schools across Aotearoa was great to see. 

"Lollipop Legends is all about celebrating young road safety champions and supporting schools to bring great safety ideas to life. The response from schools across New Zealand has been outstanding, and choosing just two winners has been very tough.”

Pictured below: Whanganui's Aranui Primary School road patrollers with Principal Maryann Roberts, NZ Police School Community Officer Paul Miller and Renee Holmes.