Rotorua hosts Manu Samoa fan day with autographs and giveaways

Rotorua International Stadium for Samoa v Namibia.

Rotorua will turn blue and red on Sunday as the city welcomes the Manu Samoa rugby team with a fan day in the heart of town.

Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust chief executive Jacqueline Pointon said the meet-and-greet would be a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance for the community to connect with their “sporting heroes”.

There will be autograph sessions, ticket giveaways to the Samoa v Fiji match, and the chance to meet players. Pointon said these activities were to build atmosphere and energy before the test match the following weekend.

She said fans were “thrilled”.

Hosting Manu Samoa was an “honour”, she said, and a chance to show “our hospitality” while ensuring players felt the full support of Rotorua and its Pacific community.

Pointon said sport connected people, inspired youth and provided a platform to celebrate culture and shared values.

But the fan day was about more than rugby.

It acknowledged the Pacific community’s “strong presence” in Rotorua and would help create “social cohesion across diverse Pacific communities”, Pointon said.

Local groups would perform traditional music and dance.

A health booth would provide free checks such as blood pressure, along with information on immunisations, rheumatic fever, healthy living and local services.

The event would also showcase the Ola Fou “New Life” initiative, which used Pacific vaka metaphors to promote alcohol harm prevention among youth and families.

Pointon said showcasing Ola Fou would help reach youth and families in a positive, community setting.

“This fan day is not only about supporting our team but also about promoting positive health and wellbeing for our Pacific communities.”

She said the day would help build belonging and stronger networks of support that could last well beyond the event itself.

The fan day was free, open to everyone, and would run from 12pm to 3pm on Sunday at Te Manawa, on the corner of Hinemoa and Tutanekai Sts.

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.