Toa Samoa fans out at the Māngere Town Centre today. Photo / Li'amanaia Lorenzo Kaisara
Toa Samoa fans out at the Māngere Town Centre today. Photo / Li'amanaia Lorenzo Kaisara
A sea of Samoan flags and Toa Samoa vibes flooded the Māngere town centre car park ahead of the inaugural Pacific Cup challenge tonight, as the team goes up against Australia.
The Pacific Championships are part of Australia Rugby League’s long-term strategy to increase cultural competency within the game andamong fans, while also supporting players to play for their respective nations.
The last time South Auckland was flooded with parades and Samoan flags was last year during the Rugby League World Cup in England.
Toa Samoa fans swarm the Māngere Town Centre in South Auckland.
As areas of South Auckland were inundated with traffic today, the fan zone at the Māngere Town Centre was filled to the brim - both in the carpark and in the town centre itself.
Li’amanaia Lorenzo Kaisara is a member of the fan zone committee, having previously served on the local board of directors, as well as in the health sector and now with the fan zone.
Samoan flags galore at Māngere Town Centre today. Photo / Li'amanaia Lorenzo Kaisara
“Having it today was to get the vibes going, rallying people together,” he said.
“It was my way of giving back to Toa Samoa and the people of Samoa.”
Live performances by well-known Samoan artists Punialava’a lit up the stage, entertaining the crowd as they sang with pride, cheering and loud cheers of: “Cheehoo!”
