Aotearoa

Rotorua to host NRL All Stars games in 2023

The NRL has confirmed Rotorua has been selected to host the annual All Stars double header in 2023.

The event will see the men’s and women’s Māori All Stars tackle the Indigenous All Stars.

It will be the 12th NRL All Stars fixture and the fifth featuring the Māori and Indigenous teams.

The 2022 All Stars games were staged in Sydney in the lead-up to the NRL season, with the Māori triumphing 16-10 in the men’s match and the Indigenous winning the women’s clash 18-8.

Collections for Tonga continues around Aotearoa

Fale Pasifika Manager Johnny Kumitau said the local council is putting money towards the first container.

He is now calling on local businesses in Whangarei to help fund the others to lighten the load for families.

"When something happens everyone comes together, we have a pretty tight Pasifika community right from Dargaville to Kaitaia," said Kumitau.

Food and water donations will be needed but also equipment to turn the soil and help reignite the agriculture sector decimated in the disaster, said Kumitau.

Pasifika legal education project launched

Pacific people are underrepresented in the legal profession. Although they comprise 7 percent of the general population, they make up only 3 percent of Lawyers. At the same time they are overrepresented in the legal system, comprising 12 percent of the prison population.

The project will explore issues around Equity, Belonging, and Authority and was launched over the weekend at Victoria University - Te Herenga Waka - by Aupito William Sio Minister for Pacific Peoples and Courts and Associate Minister for Justice, Foreign Affairs, Health (Pacific) and Education (Pacific).

Fijian Language Week begins in Aotearoa

The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, who joined the Fijian community online, marked Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti - Fijian Language Week, welcoming this year's theme of showing how language is an important contributor to wellbeing.

"At the start of the year, our Pacific communities chose an overarching theme of wellbeing for the Pacific Language Weeks series, given the impact Covid is having on every community around Aotearoa," Minister Sio said.

Crowds a real possibility for round one of Super Rugby Aotearoa as NZ continues to recover

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today told the Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB that New Zealand would most likely move to level one on June 10.

The Super Rugby Aotearoa competition kicks off three days later when the Highlanders host the Chiefs in Dunedin. The following day the Blues and Hurricanes clash at Eden Park.

Crusaders boss Colin Mansbridge told Hosking the original guidelines at that level had no restrictions on gatherings and plans were in place to have crowds for home games.

Languages inspires Pacific innovations

Launched today at the Lalanga Fou Languages and High Tech Fono, the Languages Innovation Fund will be piloted for 12 months.

“The Ministry’s engagements with communities throughout Aotearoa confirmed the significance of Pacific languages and cultures to an individual’s sense of belonging and identity,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio.

It was announced in this year’s Wellbeing Budget that the Government would allocate $20 million over the next four years to ensure Aotearoa is home to thriving Pacific languages.