February 02, 2023
Rotorua set for Indigenous NRL clash
Organisers of the first home clash for New Zealand Maori against the Australian Indigenous All Stars rugby league team hope to sell out Rotorua International Stadium.
Maori players named for the match on February 11 include Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, and James Fisher-Harris.
John Devonshire, the chair of Maori Rugby League, says a great event will give the NRL an incentive to schedule more fixtures on this side of the Tasman.
He says our Maori uniqueness plus the Rotorua location are a great mix.
0:00 It’s about culture0:14 into it is huge14secs
“It’s about culture, and the opportunity to host here in Aotearoa, and Rotorua being the tourist capital of New Zealand, so to celebrate being Maori, to host, and to put our spin, our flair into it is huge,” he says.
It’s 50 years since the first Aboriginal rugby league team played in Aotearoa.