Regional battle begins in U&I Cup

Rotorua's U&I Football Cup will return this weekend with teams battling it out for a trip to Wellington.

The seven-a-side football competition will see 12 teams taking part today at Neil Hunt Park.

The winning side will book their place at the New Zealand Communities Football Cup in Wellington in November, where the winners of each regional competition play-off for a national title.

Most teams competing in Rotorua today are local. Last year's champions Bula Fiji will return to try and defend their crown.

The U&I Football Cup has officially been running in Rotorua since 2009.

The event is organised by Multicultural Rotorua to celebrate Race Relations Day.

It is also supported by Rotorua United and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football Federation.

The competition starts at 9am today and runs until about 5pm.

Multicultural Rotorua co-ordinator Susana So said football was a great way to interact with each other and celebrate race relations in Rotorua.

Matches will be played across four fields at Neil Hunt Park.