Pasifika and Māori rugby league will showcase its best under-18 boys’ prospects in the four-day Pasifika Youth Cup starting in Auckland tomorrow.
The Pasifika Aotearoa Collective tournament brings together teams representing Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tokelau, Samoa and Aotearoa Māori at the Bay Roskill Vikings’ home ground at Whitney Street in Blockhouse Bay. A Tonga Development team is also appearing.
It comes just over a month since the collective and the One New Zealand Warriors joined forces in an exclusive alliance aimed at providing a range of football and commercial benefits for both organisations.
The Warriors are official partners of the tournament which culminates with finals on Sunday.
The teams have been selected predominantly from players living in New Zealand although some will be from the islands.
Four matches are scheduled tomorrow and on Friday and Saturday.
The teams are split into two pools with Tonga Development, Niue, Fiji and Tokelau in one and Samoa, Aotearoa Maori, Cook Island and Tonga in the other.
PASIFIKA YOUTH CUP | DRAW
Thursday
10.00am Tonga Development v Niue
11.30am Fiji v Tokelau
1.00pm Samoa v Aotearoa Māori
2.30pm Cook Islands v Tonga
Friday
10.00am Tokelau v Tonga Development
11.30am Niue v Fiji
1.00pm Tonga v Samoa
2.30pm Cook Islands v Aotearoa Māori
Saturday
10.00am Tokelau v Niue
11.30am Tonga Development v Fiji
1.00pm Tonga v Aotearoa Māori
2.30pm Samoa v Cook Islands
Sunday
10.00am Pool play-off
11.30am Pool final
1.00pm Pool play-off
2.30pm Pool final
