All Blacks Ava Ceremony in Papakura
The All Blacks were welcomed to Papakura with an Ava ceremony yesterday afternoon. All Blacks TV chatted to Patrick Tuipulotu about the special occasion.
South Seas Healthcare Trust in partnership with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, co-hosted the All Blacks for two days of cultural activities and community engagement in South Auckland yesterday and today to kick off the Taste of Pasifika Festival prior to the All Blacks and Maori All Blacks taking on Manu Samoa and Tonga next weekend.
South Seas Healthcare Trust CEO Lemalu Silao Vaisola Sefo said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the South Auckland community to host the All-Blacks squad, in the buildup to the Pasifika tests but also timely for our community, to connect in with such an iconic team, here in our own backyard. The chance to connect the All Blacks with the South Auckland community through genuine engagement is humbling – it is not an everyday occurrence.”
The 2 day event included an Ava Ceremony, an Umu Cooking Experience, a community organised Health Expo plus meet and greets with schools in South Auckland. (Swipe through to see more photos in the album above).
All photos via SouthSeas Healthcare. Click here for more photos from the events.