(Picture caption: Wainuiomata youngsters enjoy a recent Football Fun Day for Māori and Pacific tamaiti.)
The beautiful game could become a pathway to prosperity for Pacific peoples, thanks to a series of New Zealand Football talanoa around the country.
Targeted talanoa sessions for Pacific communities and the growth of the game of football have been staged in Auckland and Lower Hutt recently, facilitated by NZ Football and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP).
Celebrating Pasifika People in Football events have brought together various people of Pacific heritage, active on the football scene in New Zealand, including players, coaches, referees, administrators, and all those involved in developing the game at grassroots level.
Ulalei Wainuiomata Sport operations manager Vatau Sagaga was a guest speaker at the recent talanoa in Lower Hutt.
Of Samoan descent, the Lower Hutt-born and raised Vatau is a champion of the game and has helped facilitate a Football Fun Day for Māori and Pacific tamaiti at Wise Park, over Labour Weekend.
“The day was tailored to tamariki aged 5-13 years…we had 130 tamaiti attend, 18 teams played five games ahead of the children versus parents game, definitely the highlight of the day,” Vatau says.
“We (Ulalei Wainuiomata Sport) have followed this up by running a football competition for all of our primary schools in Wainuiomata.
“This competition is for all tamariki, not only Pasifika and Māori and will run in Term 4 and resume in Term 1, 2024.”
In light of his work in promoting the game among Pacific and Māori children, NZ Football reached out and asked Vatau to take part in the Lower Hutt talanoa, to not only celebrate Pacific peoples in football already but also find ways to encourage Pacific people to take up the game, and roles in coaching, management and governance.
Vatau says football can open many doors for Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“The game itself is made for Pacific peoples given our natural talent – we have the attributes to excel at this game.
“Football events can showcase the game in our communities using our own Pasifika flavour - whether that be the ‘Island of Origin’ concept or something less intense like a football festival, it can be done.”
Next year in March, Ulalei Wainuiomata Sport is hosting another fun day for Pacific and Māori and will invite Wainuiomata Football Club to attend and register as many tamariki as they can, to take advantage of the free registrations and boots, provided by Football First programme.
“There is no reason why this cannot be replicated in Newtown, Strathmore, Berhmpore and Cannons Creek/Waitangirua - that would be just awesome to see.”
Meanwhile, senior strategic advisor at MPP Valvetta Lafolafo says the talanoa provide an opportunity to grow the small network of Pacific people involved in football in New Zealand.
“Participants highlighted this was also there first time meeting each other, so now there is a space to network and share ideas with one another – they were really grateful to be able to connect,” Valvetta says.
Another talanoa is scheduled to take place in Christchurch, on December 9, 2023.
If you are interested in attending the event, please email [email protected] to RSVP.