Northland’s first Pasifika Sevens aims to build pathways for aspiring young players

A Niuean sports coordinator is preparing to launch a new Pacific rugby sevens tournament in Te Tai Tokerau, aiming to unite communities through sports and health.

The Pasifika Sevens tournament, hosted by the Fale Pasifika Te Tai Tokerau, will debut in Te Tai Tokerau on 29 November and will bring together 12 men’s teams and eight women’s teams for a full day of rugby, culture, and community connection. It is designed as a celebration of Pacific identity.

The event will feature competitive matches, food stalls, cultural presentations, and on-site health services, including free checks and support information for spectators and players.

Speaking with Pacific Huddle host Tuilagi William Leolahi, Johnny Kumitau MNZM, the general manager for FPTTT, says the idea for a tournament emerged after noticing the significant Pacific population in Northland.

According to 2023 Census data, the ‘Pacific peoples’ population in Northland is estimated to be 10,590 in 2024, up 2.8 per cent from the previous year and accounting for 4.9 per cent of the region’s population.

“There's a lot of us coming from our Pacific Island as well to play for the clubs over here. My big thing is trying to connect all our people in Northland. To celebrate. Our boys and our girls love rugby so why not start something?” Kumitau says.

“The idea is to start something, learn from it and hopefully we can carry that on every year and host the Rugby Sevens. We’ve got Fiji, Tonga, Sāmoan, Niue and Tuvalu.”

Health is a major focus of the tournament. Kumitau says surrounding the sports festival with health services boosts safety and ensures those attending are aware of available health resources.

The tournament’s inception coincides with a revival of cultural pride in the region, highlighted by the arrival of two Hawaiian voyaging canoes in Waitangi, which Kumitau attended for the pōwhiri, welcome ceremony.

Listen to Johnny Kumitau’s full interview below.

The voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Waitangi last weekend after completing their latest leg across Moananuiākea, marking their first return to Aotearoa in 40 years. Both canoes reached Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, from Northland on Tuesday.

“It was a privilege and an honour to be amongst them, welcoming them. Big ups to everybody on board who navigates the ocean. It's massive for our tangata whenua (indigenous) here as well.”

Organising the event has not been easy: Kimitau faced challenges in coordinating with councils, Northland Rugby, and local logistics. In the long term, he hopes to establish a full Pacific sports system in Northland that includes netball, rugby, and football under a unified Pacific banner.

According to Sport Northland, 65 per cent of Northlanders are engaged in some form of sport or recreation each week, but only about 26.4 per cent participate in competitive sports. Kumitau sees this tournament as the beginning of building long-term pathways for Pacific athletes.

He says Northland has “a lot of raw talent” but limited exposure, and he hopes showcasing them will lead to opportunities in Auckland or elsewhere.

“We want to expose our people. They're awesome players. Whatever sports they do, they’re really talented. I'm hoping that in five years, we will have great teams that we can travel around nationally to compete. Who knows it down the track they might go and compete at the Sevens game?”