All Black legends on Waitangi team

Posted 3 May 2011

Bledisloe is a name synonymous with rugby and with the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the enduring gift of Lord and Lady Bledisloe to New Zealand. This October, some of the greatest All Black legends will gather at Waitangi to share their stories and spend an evening with rugby fans.

The Rugby Greats dinner has been coordinated for the Waitangi National Trust by Mark ("Bull") Allen, who will MC the evening. Capped eight times over four years, he has his own stories to tell, but he’s looking forward to interviewing former team-mates, friends and colleagues on-stage during the evening. Frank Bunce, Christian Cullen, Michael Jones and Ian Kirkpatrick will all be part of the celebration of the great All Black tradition on the evening of Monday 17 October at the Copthorne Hotel on the Treaty Grounds.

"In terms of rugby, these guys are the cream of the crop," says Bull Allen. "It's been quite a mission to nail them all down, but I know them all very well and they’re all keen." The format for the evening, says Bull, will enable the stars to circulate around tables and talk personally with the guests.

 

With Canadian, Japanese and Tongan players all active in Northland during September, the Treaty Grounds is expecting a flow of sports-motivated visitors. The festival being built around the theme is called Waitangi Welcomes the World, and CEO Jeanette Richardson says New Zealand's original ball game ki-o-rahi, which pre-dates rugby, will also feature. "We have been fielding a lot of enquiries for the 'heritage' teams in our international ki-o-rahi tournament which takes place in the two days following the Rugby Greats Dinner," says Jeanette Richardson.

Waka activities, cultural shows, a celebrity chef barbecue and Kiwiana dinners will also form part of the three-day festival at the Treaty Grounds, says Jeanette Richardson. "The reception at Waitangi three years ago for Corporal Willie Apiata VC showed the whole nation just how spine-tingling and special the setting of the Treaty Grounds can be. We are expecting that our sports-centred festival Waitangi Welcomes the World in October will also be a showcase for the Birthplace of our rugby-proud nation."

 

 

Need to know more? Email Michael Hooper