Rugby League: Kiwis' culture becomes crowd-booster

By CHRIS BARCLAY in LONDON

An appeal for expatriate New Zealanders to perform a mass haka and a radio competition to select the singers of the national anthems are being used to generate interest in the Kiwis' tour match against England A in London on Thursday.

But a nationwide firefighters' strike has limited the number of tickets available.

Griffin Park in Brentford, home of the London Broncos, will have its 12,000 capacity cut by about 3500 because safety officials say one old wooden stand is a fire risk.

Firefighters are striking on the day of the game to press their claim for a 40 per cent pay rise.

London Broncos' chief executive Nic Cartwright said the firefighters' timing was unfortunate, but he was still hoping for a crowd of more than 6000.

The Broncos have struggled to attract gates of more than 3000 for most of the Super League season, but Cartwright said he was banking on significant support from London's large expat Kiwi community.

The club exceeded 5000 only once this season, when St Helens visited in the last round of the regular season.

Cartwright said an invitation to perform a mass haka had been well received.

The club was still seeking a New Zealander to sing God Defend New Zealand before the match.

A BBC radio competition did not find a Kiwi willing or able to sing Maori and English versions of the anthem.

"Our marketing people are trying to figure out how we will find one," Cartwright said. He said 2500 tickets had been pre-sold, the highest total this season.

"We're confident we'll get a decent crowd in. If we don't make a success of this, we won't make a success of anything.

"It's an international match in London and if you're a Kiwi around here, you've got the chance to see Stacey Jones play on your doorstep."

The Kiwis go to London on Tuesday.

* Great Britain coach David Waite will not heed the advice of Bradford skipper Robbie Paul and use the halves combination that featured in last weekend's Super League final when the three-test series with the Kiwis starts next month.

Paul, who joined the Kiwis squad after his side was shaded in a nailbiter 19-18, said his team-mate Paul Deacon and St Helens' match-winner Sean Long would be best equipped to test the Kiwis.

Waite has all but ruled that out because Long and Deacon are specialist halfbacks, and he is against using players out of position.

- NZPA