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Fijian Drua tackle financial wellbeing head-on

“When the country sees [the Drua] making progress on their personal financial journey, it has a huge impact on their fellow Fijians.”

Source: Fijian Drua twitter account

At ANZ, financial wellbeing is at the heart of the bank we’re building, helping create better financial outcomes and resilience for our customers and the community. This is particularly important as communities across all our regions navigate a challenging economic environment and cost of living difficulties.

 

One way we are supporting communities is through our flagship MoneyMinded program - a flexible education program for adults seeking to build money management skills, knowledge and confidence. We know people with high financial wellbeing are more likely to save regularly – even if only a small amount – setting them up for future success.

Partnership exceeds goals

 

In February 2023, ANZ and Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) formalised a new MoneyMinded partnership to help players, FRU staff and members improve their money skills, knowledge and confidence.

 

MoneyMinded is ANZ’s flagship financial education program, supporting adults with financial literacy and those on lower incomes to build their financial skills, knowledge and confidence. The program is delivered in Australia, New Zealand and across the Asia Pacific region by community partners and ANZ employees. An estimated 843,600 people have participated in MoneyMinded, including MoneyBusiness, since 2002.

ANZ has been supporting rugby players at all levels with MoneyMinded training over many years and formalising this arrangement was the logical next step. More than 20,000 people in Fiji have already taken part in MoneyMinded training.

 

Fiji Rugby Union, Acting Chief Executive, Tevita Tuiloa, said: “We’re pleased to strengthen our Vuvale partnership by locking in financial literacy training for our players, our staff and members, helping us to create a better financial future for our Fiji Rugby Vuvale.”

 

In 2019 an independent report by Melbourne’s RMIT University into the impact of MoneyMinded in Fiji found the program significantly strengthened participants’ financial literacy.

 

ANZ has a target to establish seven new MoneyMinded partnerships by the end of 2023, to expand the reach and improve the impact of the program. The partnership with the Fiji Rugby Union is one of nine partnerships established since October 2020 as part of this target, exceeding the objective ahead of schedule.

 

A snapshot of ANZ’s ESG targets can be found in the 2023 half-year results investor discussion pack.

Working as a team

 

We have been providing financial literacy training through our MoneyMinded program to past and present rugby players for many years.

The idea of a ‘support team’ behind these great players has strong parallels with the support we provide customers to help them progress and reach their financial goals.

These players are some of the most important role models we have in Fiji. When the country sees them making progress on their personal financial journey, it has a huge impact on their fellow Fijians.

If the Drua’s on-field performances are anything to go by, the individual players are likely to achieve their financial goals comfortably.

I’m really pleased my ANZ team here in Fiji has been able to turn our relationship with FRU into something that will have a lasting positive economic impact for individuals and the whole economy.

 

Rabih Yazbek is Country Head of ANZ Fiji

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