Sporting codes come together to battle prostate cancer at SKYCITY Auckland

Last night, five players each from Auckland Rugby and the Vodafone Warriors battled it out not on the field but on the poker tables to raise over $19,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.

For the second year running the SKYCITY Blue September Challenge of the Codes poker tournament was held at SKYCITY Casino Auckland with players from both codes and sponsors coming together to help raise money for one of New Zealand’s most deserved charities.

The sponsors who participated in this momentous event were Auckland Rugby, Vodafone Warriors, Coffee Club, Coverstaff Recruitment, Vodafone, Lion Red, Speights, Propella and SKYCITY.

The night began with speeches from SKYCITY’s General Manager of Casino Operations Ejaaz Dean, prostate cancer survivor and New Zealand’s most famous poker player Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson and Ian Hedley from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.

The battle between the two codes was played hand by hand but in the end the Vodafone Warriors came out on top for the second year running with ex-Vodafone Warriors’ Wairangi Koopu taking home the SKYCITY Blue September Challenge of the Codes trophy and an entry into the SKYCITY Festival of Poker Main Event.

The players who kindly donated their time were:

Auckland Rugby:
· Daniel Braid
· Brent Ward
· Jamie Helleur
· Tom McCartney
· Charlie Faumuina
Vodafone Warriors:
Ian Henderson
Wairangi Koopu
Joe Vagana
Jeremy Lattimore
Patrick Ah Van
Blue September:

Each year, over 2,500 men in New Zealand are diagnosed with prostate cancer. A further 600 will die from the disease. Prostate Cancer is a preventable disease. It is estimated that on average at least half of those annual deaths could have been avoided had the sufferers sought advice from a health professional in a timely manner.

Prostate cancer can be cured if detected and treated early while still confined to the prostate gland. The tests for prostate cancer are the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal examination (DRE). These tests do not give a conclusive diagnosis of cancer but can indicate the presence of prostate cancer. While prostate cancer is most common in men over the age of 50, younger men with a history of prostate cancer in their family are at greater risk.

Early (localised) prostate cancer is when the cancer has been found early enough that it hasn’t spread from the prostate. Early prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms.
Advanced Prostate cancer is when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the bones and lymph nodes.

For more information and to make a donation to help fight this disease that is taking the lives of hundreds of fathers, brothers and sons see www.blueseptember.org