Hamilton looks to future
The music pounded and the flags waved as Hamilton said goodbye to the lucrative, colourful rugby sevens. But all is not lost, writes Te Aorewa Rolleston.
HAMILTON has farewelled the world sevens with a roar of celebration, amid bittersweet reflection on losing the tournament.
FMG Stadium Waikato was a mass of tropical colour as fans filled the grandstands for the city’s final match of the HSBC NZ Sevens tournament.
After a three-year pandemic hiatus, the tournament made its comeback to pounding music and enthusiastic flag-waving, but the long-awaited return has been bittersweet, given World Rugby is due to remove the event from the series calendar.
However, as one tournament said farewell, rugby fans were already making the case for a replacement.
Those behind Hamilton city’s eye-catching Fale (community house) are keen for the city to host a Pasifika sevens event.
Pasifika rugby fans in the crowd were enthusiastic about the proposition.
‘‘It was my dream to come and watch the sevens,’’ Fiji supporter Sanjeeta Lal said.
‘‘I feel great to be here since this is the last sevens in Hamilton. We support a Pasifika tournament, and we would like to come and see everyone from the other Pacific teams.’’
The tournament, which was hosted in Wellington for 18 years, was shifted to Hamilton in 2018.
But fans say a Pasifika event would need to address accommodation shortages.
Many struggled to find somewhere to stay, and some were forced to drive to and from Hamilton the same day.
Trio Noa Lolohea and his sons Lennox and Noa were behind the idea as well.
‘‘It’s awesome to be here especially it being the last one . . . It’s sad that it’s going . . . Our family are big rugby fans,’’ Noa said.
‘‘I think it’s a good idea hosting a Pasifika tournament...
I’d definitely bring the family along.’’
The opening and construction of the impressive fale building was spearheaded by K’aute Pasifika Trust.
More than 1000 people attended the ceremony, which was timed to ensure the fale could host Pasifika teams competing in the sevens.
On whether the trust was talking to Waikato authorities and New Zealand Rugby about its aspirations, Trust chairperson Lale Ieremia said: ‘‘We’re talking to quite a few different people around it.’’
Given the fale’s proximity to FMG Stadium Waikato, K’aute Pasifika is keen to host a Pasifika event in the region.
It would be ‘‘nice to celebrate that now that we’ve formed the village here next to the field’’, Ieremia said.
Hamilton mayor Paula
Southgate said hosting the Sevens previously brought in more than $3 million on credit cards alone, not including cash or any other contributions.
Dallas Fisher is the managing director of 37 South Events, which promotes the HSBC sevens.
When the departure of the rugby sevens was announced, Fisher was dumbfounded, but he was optimistic about the future.
The businessman has had talks with K’aute Pasifika Trust and is behind the idea of a possible Pacific nations sevens event.
‘‘I think it’s a great idea. You add our event capabilities, the facilities including the fale, it would be a magnificent event. Because you add to it the heart of world sevens – New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji – just amazing.’’
This weekend Fisher is just ensuring the New Zealand tournament gets the swansong it deserves.
K’aute Pasifika Trust’s fale (community house) and centre had been nearly a quarter of a century in the planning and will have a final cost of around $12.5m.
Ieremia said the trust was eagerly anticipating the chance to host Pacific sides.
‘‘It’s a shame it’s going to be the last of the world sevens,’’ he said.
‘‘But it gives us a fresh opportunity to look at something different here, a Pacific sevens potentially for next year.’’
‘It’s awesome to be here especially it being the last one . . . It’s sad that it’s going . . . Our family are big rugby fans.’ NOA LOLOHEA