Samuel Armstrong will sing the New Zealand national anthem before the All Blacks play the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow night. Photos / Supplied, File
Samuel Armstrong will sing the New Zealand national anthem before the All Blacks play the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow night. Photos / Supplied, File
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
From the picturesque landscapes of Aotearoa to the grand stage of the Bledisloe Cup: a multi-talented farm boy is set to sing New Zealand’s national anthem in tomorrow night’s big game.
Samuel Armstrong, 35, will perform in front of a sold-out crowd of approximately 80,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first Bledisloe Cup match of the year.
“I grew up in rural New Zealand where my family moved around small country schools in places like Taumarunui, Kirikau, Te Kuiti and Te Ranga before settling on a farm in Rotorua when I was in high school,” Armstrong told the Rotorua Daily Post.
“I completed this through the Correspondence School but was fortunate to study music at John Paul College and be part of their musicals and orchestras.”
Samuel Armstrong is a singer, actor and model, now living in Melbourne. Photo / Supplied
Armstrong moved to Melbourne in 2012 after graduating with a BA in performing arts from Nasda in Christchurch, now part of Te Pūkenga.
He is a multi-talented actor, singer and model, having appeared in a music video with Kylie Minogue in 2014. He has toured the world with The Aussie Boys performance group as the resident Kiwi.
As for singing in front of 80,000 rugby fans, he’s calling it a “a career highlight for me”.
“Having worked in Australia for the past 10 years, having to soften my accent and being often teased for being a Kiwi, it’s exciting to be able to proudly sing the New Zealand anthem to a full MCG stadium.
Samuel Armstrong (centre) says singing for 80,000 rugby fans will be "a career highlight". Photo / Supplied
“They are expecting a mostly Kiwi audience and so I am expecting the atmosphere as the All Blacks come out and we sing the anthem to be huge.
“Big thanks to my family who are on a farm in Hamurana and will be watching the match. Thanks to Rotorua Musical Theatre and John Paul College for giving me a place to experiment and play and hone my skills.”
Armstrong had some advice for up-and-coming performers.
“Keep your skills wide, be careful not to box yourself in. I’ve been fortunate to work in a wide range of jobs in the entertainment industry because I really tried to keep my options open and learn a range of skills.
“This is why an entertainer like Hugh Jackman is such an inspiration to me. He sings, acts, dances and really gets the art of entertaining.”
