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Irish Rugby Team Welcomed By 200 Children At Queenstown Airport

Thursday 1 September 2011, 6:06PM

By Queenstown Lakes District Council

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Lakes Leisure's Free Pool Party – kids showing what they think of the pool party, hydroslide and inflatables.
Lakes Leisure's Free Pool Party – kids showing what they think of the pool party, hydroslide and inflatables. Credit: Queenstown Lake DC
Garston Primary School Welcomes Ireland - messages of encouragement written on the back of each letter.
Garston Primary School Welcomes Ireland - messages of encouragement written on the back of each letter. Credit: Queenstown Lake DC

QUEENSTOWN

Two hundred children from Hawea Flat, Glenorchy, Garston, Makarora and Tarras Primary Schools were bussed in by QLDC today to ensure that they didn’t miss out on greeting the Irish Rugby Team at Queenstown Airport. The kids enjoyed a barbeque lunch and a pool party at Alpine Aqualand thanks to Lakes Leisure and QLDC prior to descending upon the airport forecourt to provide the visitors with an enthusiastic welcome.

Jono Sutherland RWC 2011 Coordinator described the event as a huge success.

“The kids had a fantastic day out and it was great to see the airport welcoming crowd topped up by 200 kids, many wearing green and carrying creations they made especially for the occasion. QLDC did a great job of getting the kids here and shouting them lunch before Lakes Leisure treated them to a massive pool party. It was certainly a day the kids won’t forget,’ Mr Sutherland said.

The Irish team will be in Queenstown until Wednesday 7 September and have an open training session scheduled for Sunday 4 September from 1.15pm to 3.15pm at the Queenstown Events Centre. The session is expected to draw a large public crowd keen to see the players in action.

The Georgian team arrive next Monday 5 September at 5.10pm and the public are encouraged to be at Queenstown Airport wearing red and white to ensure they are also warmly welcomed. The Georgian team will have open training sessions at the Queenstown Recreation Ground on both Friday 9 September at 3pm and Saturday 10 September at 10am which the public are also welcome to attend.