As the country prepares for the Rugby World Cup, Herald writer John Roughan looks at how towns around New Zealand are preparing to host the tournament.
Whakatane was not among the centres chosen to host a team for the World Cup. But the rugby enthusiasts of the eastern Bay are fixing that.
Fiji, the team that will be based in Tauranga for much of the tournament, has been invited to come a week earlier than scheduled and start their preparation at Whakatane.
"They are a smaller community but really keen to be involved," said the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union operations manager Mike Rogers.
"The council is strongly behind it and the golf club is organising a tournament for teams."
If it all comes to fruition, the Fijiians will arrive in Whakatane on August 29 and stay until September 5 when they are due in Tauranga where they will train for their first match five days later, against Namibia at Rotorua.
Fiji should find plenty of local support at the game. Rotorua has a strong Fijian community, says Mr Rogers, and many from the islands have attended Rotorua Boys High School.
As the country prepares for the Rugby World Cup, Herald writer John Roughan looks at how New Zealand towns and cities are preparing to host the tournament
But it is not the only Pacific team that will be looking for a welcome in the Bay.
Samoa spends its first 10 days of the tournament at Mt Maunganui and Rotorua, where it plays Namibia four days after the Fijians.
Mr Rogers counts the region lucky to have the island teams.
"Some of the others are a bit more reluctant to engage with local communities during their build-up," he said. "But the PI teams are fairly relaxed and quite happy to get involved.
Fiji and Samoa will each get a marae welcome and are likely to hold open training sessions at Bay Park or Tauranga Domain.
Local rugby clubs are preparing to open their doors to visiting supporters and one club is planning a Fijian festival day. Both teams are playing most of their pool games in the upper North Island. Both meet Wales in Hamilton and face each other at Eden Park on Sunday, September 25, the day after the All Blacks play France there.
By then, Mr Rogers is confident, rugby followers from all corners of the Bay of Plenty will have made Fiji or Samoa their second team.
Tomorrow: Nelson.
