Ruben Wiki with pupils Caleb Finnerty ,8 (left) and Lennox Portland, 7. Photo / Ben Fraser
Ruben Wiki with pupils Caleb Finnerty ,8 (left) and Lennox Portland, 7. Photo / Ben Fraser
Do you know how many litres of water you should drink a day? What about the optimum hours of sleep?
These were just some of the questions posed to the pupils at St Mary's Catholic School yesterdayas rugby league icons from the Vodafone Warriors taught them a thing or twoabout being a top athlete.
The team's strength and conditioning coach Ruben Wiki and hooker Nathanial Roache, as well as Lorina Papali'i from the women's team, captivated the pupils with their league skills and tips on how to be a top athlete.
The group was down for a roadshow of 11 of the city's schools both Thursday and Friday, as well as a signing session at the Rotorua Night Markets.
Ruben Wiki with pupils Caleb Finnerty ,8 (left) and Lennox Portland, 7. Photo / Ben Fraser
The visit ran alongside the Vodafone Warriors' final NRL trial against Wests Tigers at the Rotorua International Stadium on Sunday.
Games, prizes and a whole lot of education was dished out about hydration, getting enough sleep and eating well.
One game even had children screeching the words "cheesy" and "O.G" while Wiki and Roache they waved their Warriors flags high and another had children bear crawl racing around the hall.
The pupils could hardly contain their excitement at what was quite a special day at school.
Nathaniel Roache (front) with Ruben Wiki and Lorina Papali'i (back) with St Mary's Catholic School pupils. Photo / Ben Fraser
A handful of pupils even got a chance to have a small training session with the current and past players.
St Mary's Catholic School principal David Macmillan said the school was thrilled to have the "role models" visit his "active school".
He said the team shared great health messages for the kids and it was cool that they could all get stuck in and involved.
Roache said it was always a treat to meet and share tips with the future players of the sport.
Ruben Wiki looks on as Mark Alosio, 9, participates in a bear crawl. Photo / Ben Fraser
He had been injured for three years and had spent a lot of time at schools across the country educating children about being an athlete and NRL itself.
He said he found it rewarding as the kids were always eager to learn and full of energy.
"I didn't get stuff like this back when I was at school... it's really cool."
The Vodafone Warriors will present a strong side for the match on Sunday, with 2019 NRL rookie and Rotorua Boys' High School product Hayze Perham set to start.
The trial will be the fifth the team had played in Rotorua.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS:
2.00pm, Sunday, March 1, 2020 International Stadium, Rotorua Ticket Information: General Admission Adult: $20.00 General Admission Child: $7.50 General Admission Family of 5: $50.00 General Admission Corporate Lounge: $75.00 Tickets are available from Ticketmaster NZ.
