February 14, 2019
Culture lessons before indigenous league clash
Coach Stacey Jones is pleased with progress as he gets the Māori All Stars team ready for Friday's rugby league clash with the Australian Indigenous All Stars in Melbourne.
While the players form both teams have been in pre-season work outs with their NRL clubs, it’s their first proper game for the year.
He says it means a lot to the players to represent Māori, especially those like Dane Gagai, James Tamou and Kalyn Ponga who have also represented Australia.
"We’re definitely here to win the game but we also understand it is important for these boys to learn a bit about their Māori culture and we have done a bit of that this week with our cultural advisor Ora Kihi. he has done a wonderful job with these boys. They are all at different levels with their understanding of their whakapapa etc, but they are just relishing every moment," Mr Jones says.
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