Football: Race relations and Ngati winners

Paora Smith (left) and Daniel Gibbs contest the ball during the 2014 U&I Football Cup in Rotorua on Saturday. Photo/Stephen Parker

A Rotorua seven-a-side football team have won the right to represent the region at a national football tournament in Wellington.

The U&I Football Cup was held at Neil Hunt Park on Saturday to celebrate Race Relations Day.

The annual seven-a-side competition is organised by Multicultural Rotorua and attracted 11 teams and more than 100 players at the weekend.

Local sides Ngati by Nature and Hotspurs met in the final, with Ngati by Nature winning the final 3-0.

Multicultural Rotorua president Alexis LewGor said the winning team would represent the region at a tournament in Wellington in November.

"The race relations football tournament is also a qualifying tournament for the New Zealand Communities Football Cup," she said.

"Team Ngati by Nature will represent Rotorua in the national tournament organised by New Zealand Police, in co-operation with the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils Inc."

She said the team fees collected on Saturday would go towards an entry fee for Ngati by Nature to play at the Wellington tournament.

LewGor said the message of respect for differences, belonging and growing together was passed on to plenty of young players at the tournament on Saturday.

"March 8 was also the UN International Women's Day, it [was] great to witness the increase in women participation this year."

The Golden Boot Award went to Jordyn McKay.