Backrower Peter Lakai and centre/winger Bailyn Sullivan played capture the flag with dozens of St Anne’s students on Monday, before signing shirts and hosting a Q&A session.
Students performed the school haka to finish the visit.
Principal Ann-Maree Manson-Petherick said students were excited last week, and they were just as excited this week.
“This is an awesome opportunity for them and a great way to finish the year,” she said.
“When you look at their jersey designs, so much thought went into them.”
Teachers Erin McCullum and Kellie Benefield helped the students with the competition.
McCullum said it was run in conjunction with the Hurricanes releasing their new team jersey.
The ethos was “calm and chaos”, and students had to make a design that represented what that meant to them, she said.
“We sent all the designs in, and within a week [the Hurricanes] said we were one of the winners. We are absolutely stoked.”
Eleven-year-old Luke Darlington was in the thick of the action on Monday.
He said the late Jonah Lomu was his favourite rugby player of all time, with the Hurricanes and All Blacks his favourite teams.
“It’s really awesome they came to our school,” he said.
“We are playing capture the flag with them. You try to get a point with the rugby ball - you’re trying to get into your opponent’s square.”
Darlington plays at second-five or first-five for Marist.
He said hopefully, he would be heading to Wellington to watch the Hurricanes next season.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multi=media journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
