April 18, 2017
Mass haka bid for Lions tour
There will be an attempt to break the world record for the number of people doing a haka before the Lions game against the Maori All Blacks Rotorua on June 17.
It’s one of a number of arts and community events planned for the Rugby 2017 Festival to run alongside the Lions tour in June and July.
Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman says it will provide a chance for communities and fans to enjoy the series and showcase New Zealand to the world.
The programme includes club ‘Legends at the Local’ events across the host cities, Matariki programmes and arts events including a New Zealand Symphony Orchestra ‘Lands of Hope and Glory’ concert and a ‘Dunedin Sounds’ music event.
The Government has allocated $3 million from the Major Events Development Fund to help the host cities show fans the best New Zealand has to offer.
There will be a fan zone on Queens Wharf in Auckland to coincide with the test matches with live match screenings, performances, exhibitions, food and beverage showcases.
Some of the other host cities will also have their own fan zones.
During the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour 355,000 tickets were sold and there were over 431,000 international visitor bed nights.
More information on The Rugby 2017 Festival can be found at Rugby2017festival.com
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