Chinese rugby players could soon train in Bay

Chinese National Youth Rugby team visit Tauranga. Photo/Andrew Warner

Young Chinese rugby players could soon be training in the Bay as the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union seeks to strengthen ties with China.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union has offered a partnership with the Chinese Rugby Football Association, which could see more players and teams training in Tauranga.

The rugby union had partnerships with Columbia, Japan and the United States, but it was the first time it had offered a partnership with China.

"This is the first opportunity to host a team and hopefully it grows from there," said Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Mike Rogers.

"It brings in some really good economic impact not just for rugby but also for accommodation providers and the education sector," he said.

"We see it as a way that we can use rugby to drive economic development within Tauranga."

The Chinese National Youth Team visited The University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance in Mount Maunganui on Friday.

It was the first Chinese national youth team to visit the country and was part of a growing connection between New Zealand and China across sport and education.

The team arrived in Auckland on Monday and have visited Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga and Hamilton, where they watched the Chiefs play the Lions.

They will fly back to China on Monday.Education Tauranga manager Anne Young said the team and senior officials were looking at future opportunities to combine rugby training camps with education.

"The education component can be English language, high school immersion or tertiary level subject specific study," she said.

Mrs Young would be meeting the delegation over the next few days to discuss opportunities.

China Football Rugby Association secretary and the man in charge of China's Sevens programme Jack Lau said it was an important visit to Tauranga for the youth teams.

"It is their first visit to New Zealand," said Mr Lau, who was a big All Blacks fan.

"All Blacks is a very big brand. I played rugby and I am an All Blacks fan so for me, that is the reason for coming here."

Mr Lau said the team wanted to be able to play in New Zealand's Rugby Sevens Tournaments.

He said the team was preparing a men's and women's rugby sevens team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

He hoped his rugby sevens players would be able to one day train with the All Blacks Sevens.

"That would be a very big advantage."

Finance Minister Steven Joyce posed with the Chinese National Youth Team and was gifted a red and yellow team shirt.

The Minister was in town visiting his parents and had stopped by to meet the team.

"It is great to see them training here in Tauranga."

He said the collaboration between Education Tauranga and the rugby union was a smart idea.