The Vodafone Warriors have already blitzed schools in Whangarei, Nelson, Auckland and Wellington this year and on Thursday and Friday they have 10 Christchurch schools in their sights.
Injured back rower Ben Henry and club legends Ruben Wiki and Jerome Ropati combine with Kiwi Ferns star Georgia Hale to take the club’s Harvey Norman Community Warriors campaign to six schools tomorrow (May 12).
They arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday night to front the ACC Everyday Athlete and KidsCan ‘Raincoats for Kids’ programmes at local schools ahead of the Vodafone Warriors’ 10th-round NRL clash against Penrith at AMI Stadium on Saturday (5.00pm kick-off).
Later the advance guard is joined by former captain Simon Mannering when all will attend a gala dinner with the Penrith squad at Addington Raceway.
On Friday, Mannering and Henry link with Wiki, NRL ambassadors Ropati and Hale plus Vodafone Warriors community relations manager Petrece Kesha to visit four more schools as well as Ronald McDonald House and Vodafone’s Christchurch head office.
On Saturday they’ll be out watching junior rugby league games before taking in the Vodafone Warriors’ crucial clash against Penrith, the first NRL match played in Christchurch since the city suffered such horrific damage from the 2011 earthquake (the last NRL match in Christchurch was between the Sydney Roosters and the Vodafone Warriors at the now unused Jade Stadium in 2010).
Taking Harvey Norman Community Warriors programmes to Christchurch follows visits to more than 40 schools in Whangarei, Nelson and Auckland in February plus Wellington last month.
Next week the Harvey Norman Community Warriors team will be in New Plymouth ahead of the first-ever NRL match in Taranaki; it’s a Vodafone Warriors home game against the Canberra Raiders at Yarrow Stadium on Saturday, May 21 (7.30pm).
Manu Vatuvei was scheduled to fly to Christchurch with Mannering on Thursday but is now staying home following a family bereavement.
HARVEY NORMAN COMMUNITY WARRIORS | CHRISTCHURCH
May 12-14
Thursday, May 12
10.00-10.45
Hornby High School
Hornby
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ruben Wiki, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
10.00-10.45
Clearview Primary School
Rolleston
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati
11.30-12.15
Rowley Avenue School
Hoon Hay
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ruben Wiki, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
11.30-12.15
Rolleston School
Rolleston
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati
2.00-2.45
Northcote School
Redwood
Programmes: ACC Everyday Athlete and KidsCan ‘Raincoats for Kids’
Attending: Ruben Wiki, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
2.00-2.45
Oaklands School
Halswell
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati
7.00-9.00
Gala Dinner
Christian Cullen Lounge
Addington Raceway
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Ruben Wiki, Jerome Ropati, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
Friday, May 13
10.00-10.45
Te Waka Unua
Woolston
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ruben Wiki, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
10.00-10.45
St Thomas of Canterbury College
Sockburn
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati
2.00-2.45
Linwood Avenue School
Linwood
Programme: ACC Everyday Athlete
Attending: Ruben Wiki, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
2.00-2.45
St Anne’s Catholic School
Woolston
Programmes: ACC Everyday Athlete, KidsCan ‘Raincoats for Kids’
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati
3.00-3.45
Ronald McDonald House Visit
Linwood
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Ruben Wiki, Jerome Ropati, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
4.00-4.45
Vodafone Visit
Head Office
Tuam Street
Christchurch
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Ruben Wiki, Jerome Ropati, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
Saturday, May 14
10.30-11.30
Junior rugby league
Agricultural Park
Curletts Road
Attending: Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Ruben Wiki, Jerome Ropati, Georgia Hale, Petrece Kesha
