Thunder Tour to NZ Wraps Up – A Reflection on the 14 Day Tour with Highlights
What a tour! A party of 42 travelling around the north island of NZ (Aotearoa) for fourteen days in four large vans and a car covering about 1400 km and over 18 hours of driving time. During that time they played six matches (3 for boys, 3 for girls), attended five Powiri (cultural welcoming ceremonies at Marae), attended four high level training sessions. They stayed in two Marae, two motels and were biletted with player families for two nights. They attended three professional matches in the evenings at Eden Park (FIFA semi-final), Mt Smart Stadium (up the wahs!), and Central Energy Trust Stadium (Go Turbos). There were trips to the NZ Rugby Museum, the Auckland Museum, hikes up Mount Maunganui and Maungakiekie.
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