Children ready for the rugby league worlds
Hamilton will host two exciting matches when the 2017 Rugby League World Cup comes to our city.
To kick things off, Kiwis coach David Kidwell stopped by Forest Lake School for a visit recently.
Samoa and Tonga will face off on November 4 before the New Zealand Kiwis play Tonga on November 11.
Both games will be played at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.
It was the first time Kidwell has been to the stadium, and November’s game will be the Kiwis’ first international test on the grounds.
Kidwell used his tour to Hamilton as an opportunity to scope out the venue.
He also visited the students at Forest Lake School, following the launch of the Rugby League World Cup 2017 Education Resource.
It is a range of learning and teaching resources for primary and intermediate students based on both the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cups to be contested later this year.
It includes engaging classroom ideas that can be used across all sections of the curriculum – mathematics, english, social sciences, art, health and physical education.
Forest Lake School has signed up to participate in the programme and deputy principal Matua Geoff said they want to start by promoting the event and will build on from there.
‘‘One of the things we would like to be looking at is the countries that are involved in the World Cup and just promote it throughout the school and within our school community.
‘‘We do have a following here of league supporters,’’ he said.
‘‘We definitely do have a lot of kids who are rugby league fans as well as the rugby ones.’’
Some of the staff have already booked tickets for the games, he said.
There may also be some future Kiwis at the school.
The Education Resource focuses on youth engagement, building capability in the rugby league community, improving facilities and growing the diversity of participants of the game.
Kiwis coach David Kidwell was a player in the 2008 Kiwis Rugby League World Cup winning team, the first World Cup win for New Zealand.
He’s hoping to pack out the stadium and to bring that winning result as coach.