March already plays host to the two biggest Polynesian events in Aotearoa – and it’s just got bigger with the first ever Pasifika Village Games launching over the weekend. Sela Jane Hopgood went to see the action.

If you’re wondering why the multi-sport facility Bruce Pulman Park was busier than usual on Saturday, that’s because Auckland has just hosted its first ever Pasifika Village Games in the lead up to the annual Pasifika Festival later this month.

The Pasifika Village Games follow on from the success of the exercise movement-inspired Super Saturdays such as Big Step Up classes in 2022, but with a village twist.

One might expect the games to feature a wide range of sports like the Commonwealth, but the organisers are taking baby steps – the Pasifika Village Games only had two sports this year: netball and touch rugby.

Twenty-eight netball teams (mixed grade and women’s) and 10 touch teams (mixed grade and men’s) played over the weekend, including company teams from the Ministry of Justice and Spencers.

Before the flag raising at the opening ceremony kicked off at 8am, the smell of mini donuts greets you first from the car park. Hundreds flocked in through to the netball courts including groups wearing T-shirts showing who they were representing, huddling in circles under trees for shade or within their marquee set up as their “locker room” for the day. One team spotted at the netball courts warming up wore colourful ballerina tutus as part of their uniform.

Next to the netball courts was the field that housed the touch rugby tournament, a garden bar filled with entertainment, food and market stalls from BBQ meals, chop suey, real fruit ice-cream to cotton candy and inflatable playground and rides for children.

There were players of all ages participating including father and son duos and grandparents who had come out of retirement for the day. Festival producer Torise Flay says they made sure to have St Johns Ambulance on standby. 

“Leading up to the games, I was told teams were taking it seriously, having training every week and some were planning out what their uniforms would look like, so it’s great to see our people come together in activities that would naturally do with their own circles or at family reunions.”

Taking a similar approach to the Pasifika Festival, the games was opened with a flag raising ceremony of the Pacific nations represented in the tournaments. It was followed by a stretch class led by Charlene Tedrow from Ura Tabu to get all participants physically ready for their matches.

There was a stellar line up of Polynesian entertainment alongside the games from Kapa Haka, Tatau Dance Academy, Tongan, Niuean and Cook Islands dance groups and Thomas Stowers.

The netball (in partnership with Marlins Netball Club) and touch rugby (in partnership with Touch NZ) tournaments were organised in a round robin format, where there were prizes for first, second and third place as well as best dressed, MVP and spot prizes throughout the day.

“Some of the teams that entered have been playing together for years, so there was some tough competition out there in both sports,” Flay says.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have many touch rugby teams enter because the Bunnings National Touch Championship was on the same weekend in Palmerston North, but we’re hoping each year from now on we’ll get greater numbers,” she says.

It showed on the day. By 2pm, most of the crowd started to fizzle out, with only the remaining six touch teams waiting to play their finals at 4pm and the netball still working through their round robin games.

A group named Prestige took out first place for men’s touch rugby. It’s not stated what Pacific nation they represented as they were a last-minute entry to the competition. A diverse group called 2Fresh representing a mix of Pacific nations took out the mixed touch tournament. Marlins Gold, a team that represented Pasifika, took out first place for the women’s netball and a group named Ramz placed first for the mixed netball competition, representing Tonga. 

The Pasifika Village Games made for a great start to the month filled with Pacific events, with the ASB Polyfest kicking off on Wednesday 8 March with the 7am flag raising ceremony at Manukau Sports Bowl, running through until Saturday 11 March. Pasifika Soul Sessions, another new event connected with the village games in the lead up to Pasifika Festival, is happening on Sunday 12 March at Western Springs, and Pasifika Festival itself is on 18 and 19 March at the same venue.

This is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.