DANCING, FASHION, FOOD AND RUGBY GALORE DURING PACIFIC ISLAND ROUND OF BUILDCORP NRC

Oct 3 • General News, International • 1072 Views • Comments Off on DANCING, FASHION, FOOD AND RUGBY GALORE DURING PACIFIC ISLAND ROUND OF BUILDCORP NRC

The final round of the 2016 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship season (Round 7 on 8-9 October) will pay tribute to the important role that Pacific Islander communities play in the Australian Rugby community, with all four fixtures set to showcase some scintillating Pacific Island rugby and entertainment.

Already this season, men’s and women’s rugby teams representing ACT Tonga, NSW Tonga, NSW Maori, NSW Fiji and NSW Samoa have played matches alongside Western Sydney Rams NRC fixtures in a Pacific Island tournament which has generated huge grassroots interest.

The final rounds of the Pacific Island tournament coincide with the Western Sydney Rams v Country Eagles fixture at Concord Oval in Sydney this weekend at 1.00pm, with NSW Fiji and NSW Tonga looming as contenders for the trophy. The day will feature Cook Island drumming, traditional singing, a variety of Pacific Island-themed food stalls and a Pacific Island fashion show.

Later on Saturday at Viking Park in Canberra before the UC Vikings take on Perth Spirit at 3.00pm AEST, a Pacific Island team will participate in a curtain raiser Sevens competition, with traditional food stalls and dances also planned to entertain fans.

The final day of the NRC Pacific Island Round will kick off with Frankston Festival of Rugby in Frankston Oval, Victoria, which will include the Melbourne International Sevens tournament followed by the Melbourne Rising v Sydney Rays match at 1.00pm AEST. Gold medal-winning Aussie Sevens star Ellia Green will attend the day, and a huge contingent of Fijians will play in the Sevens tournament headed up by Melbourne Fiji and a number of other Bula Fiji teams from Fiji, Victoria and South Australia, plus Samoan, Tongan and Maori teams from local clubs.

Finally, before the derby match between Brisbane City and Queensland Country at Ballymore at 2.00pm AEST on Sunday, Queensland Tonga will play the winner of the Willie O Cup (NSW Tongan rugby tournament) and there will also be women’s Sevens matches between Brisbane Fiji and Brisbane Tonga.

ARU CEO Bill Pulver said: “The Australian Pacific Island community is integral to rugby in Australia, both on and off the field. Twelve members of the Wallabies squad have a Pasifika background, and many more players in Super Rugby and the NRC proudly share the same Pacific Island heritage. The work the Pacific Island community does behind the scenes at local clubs around Australia can also not be understated.

“This year in the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship we’ve seen players of Pacific Island descent such as Perth Spirit’s Shambeckler Vui, Queensland Country’s Izzy Perese, and the Western Sydney Rams’ Tupou Sopoaga make their mark on Australia rugby – they’re the young stars showing the world that the Australian Pacific Island community is synonymous with rugby in this country.”

Throughout the 2016 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship season Western Sydney Rams Head Coach John Muggleton has advocated the importance of reaching out to the Pacific Island community.

He said: “The Rams objective is to give as many players in the west the opportunity to highlight their abilities on a larger stage.

“We have a large and very keen Islander population so it was sensible to concentrate this year on giving them a chance to show their wares in games against each other.

“The skill, speed and passion levels have been high and we are looking forward to being entertained once again in the Pacific Islander Round.”

This weekend, rugby fans can show their support of the Australia Pasifika rugby community by using the tags #BuildcorpNRC and #PacificPride together.