All Blacks to visit Cromwell

Central Otago residents will turn out in force when three All Blacks from the Rugby World Cup squad visit Cromwell on Friday 2 September.

Plans are well underway for a great morning with the All Blacks at Anderson Park in Cromwell. Every student attending school in Cromwell will be at the park to provide a ‘special welcome’, which will be followed by a public signing session. The All Blacks will then help the local Cromwell Rugby Club run a series of ‘drills’ for Cromwell’s young rugby players.

“The principals of all three schools in Cromwell and the local Cromwell Rugby Club have embraced the opportunity to welcome the players to ‘our town’ just one week out from the start of Rugby World Cup.” said Alison (Ali) Mason, Tourism Central Otago. “It’s fantastic that the players are coming to Central Otago and we are keen for the wider community to come along to meet the All Blacks and enjoy the morning. Imagine meeting players from a winning World Cup Rugby team!. Local businesses and residents from the rest home have also contacted us to find out how they can be part of the action.

We understand that many people in outlying towns will not be able to come to Cromwell to see the All Blacks, so we have created an opportunity for these communities to send their own messages of support to the team. Paper scrolls will move around Central Otago and will be in Roxburgh and Ranfurly until Thursday 18 August. For any person or groups wanting to sign their message of support please make contact with Central Otago’s town crier Paddy Anne Pemberton (Ph: (03) 446 6666) for the Roxburgh area or Amie Pont (Ph: (03) 444 9993) for the Ranfurly area.

The ‘scrolls’ will then be at the Alexandra and Cromwell i-Sites from 19 to 30 August. Everyone is welcome to pop along and sign the scrolls or you may even want to pick them up and take them to your school or workplace for your whole team to sign!” said Mrs Mason.

The All Blacks will be at Anderson Park in Cromwell from 9am to 11.30am.