Vatuvei tips sea of red at blockbusters

Manu Vatuvei expects a massive reaction from the Tongan community, after yesterday’s confirmation of blockbuster games for Mate Ma’a Tonga against both the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

Tonga will play Australia on October 20 in Auckland — in the first clash between the two nations — before a highly anticipated rematch with the Kiwis next June.

Former Warriors winger Vatuvei, who represented the Pacific nation at the 2017 World Cup, says the Tongan fan base will “go nuts” following the news.

“It will be crazy,” said Vatuvei. “You’ll see a lot of flags on cars, flags on houses . . . they’ll be dancing on the streets right now. They will be really excited, it will go nuts. They go over the top sometimes but they are passionate about their country.”

Vatuvei, who returned home in July after an Achilles injury forced the end of his stint at Salford as the Super League club terminated his contract, predicts a huge crowd at Mt Smart in October, despite the short lead time before the match.

“It will be another sell out, I can guarantee you that,” said Vatuvei. “There will be a lot of red in the stadium.”

In many ways Tonga was the story of the 2017 World Cup. The decision of Jason Taumalolo, Andrew Fifita, David Fusitu’a and others to opt for their country of heritage stole the headlines before the tournament, and the team backed it up with some stunning performances, beating the Kiwis for the first time and reaching the semifinal against England.

But probably the biggest story was the fanatical fan support; Tonga sold out two games in Hamilton (versus Samoa and New Zealand) then created one of the best atmospheres ever witnessed at Mt Smart for the semifinal.

It’s that kind of support and emotion that has helped to drive this decision, as both the NZ Rugby League and the NRL know the economic potential of these games.

But it’s also about growing the sport, and giving it more of an international presence in the Pacific.

— Michael Burgess