The Pasifika pride of a South Canterbury rugby club was celebrated at the weekend.
On Saturday, Timaru Harlequins RFC held a cultural day to celebrate the four pacific cultures that made up the club.
To mark the occasion, the Harlequins premier men’s side wore specially designed jerseys that depicted an interwoven Tongan, Fijian, Samoan and Māori design in their game against Waimate at Fraser Park.
In the evening, a hāngī was held, cultural items were performed and a jersey auction was held to raise funds for the club.
A couple of sets of old Harlequins jerseys were also donated to a club in Samoa.
Harlequins president Brett Jenkins said the highlight of the evening was when all the players got up together and sang a song.
“They sung the song as one, summing up the Harlequins club culture, everyone coming together.
“A big thank you must go to the Waimate club for staying late and getting into the spirit of the occasion, along with other local Pasifika groups and players from most clubs attending.”
Harlequins were proud to have nurtured and adopted the culture and values of the Pasifika countries in the club, he said.
“We start and end every training and game with a song and a prayer.
‘‘South Canterbury Rugby owes a lot to the Pasifika brothers and sisters, with every club being represented with Pasifika players, coaches and administrators, including the South Canterbury Heartland team.”
It was the first time the club had held a cultural event to that extent, Jenkins said.
“In previous years, we’ve just had a hāngī or had Pasifika food or something like that.
“This time we decided to go do a jersey, make it a bit more special and make a bigger event of it. We plan to hopefully try and carry it on going forward.”
