Niue's first-ever professional football player Jaylen Rodwell joined his mother Florence at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School in Auckland, for a day celebrating traditional Niue sports.
The 'Takalo he Maaga' initiative, led by Healthy Active Learning New Zealand, combined traditional Niue sports with football and touch rugby to promote healthy living for students at the Auckland school.
Adding to the occasion was Jaylen Rodwell, who recently became the first Niuean professional footballer after signing with South Island United in the inaugural OFC Pro League. He spent time with students, sharing his journey and encouraging them to dream big.
"There were kids asking me to do tricks and talking about the World Cup. It's cool to see them inspired not just by local football, but by the World Cup."
Jaylen said supporting the event alongside his family made the day even more special.
Students of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate playing football. Photo: OFC Media
South Island United star Jaylen Rodwell. Photo: OFC Media
Jaylen Rodwell's mother Florence helped run the day of activities. Photo: OFC Media
Leading the day was Jaylen's mother Florence, who drew on the knowledge and ideas gained through New Zealand Football's Pasifika Community Coach Developer Programme.
"We came together and exchanged ideas around how we can take football and the love of football and bring it to our communities," Florence expressed.
She adds that one of the programme's biggest takeaways was empowering young people to lead.
"One of the most important things I took from the workshop was working with student leaders. It's about coaches passing on their knowledge and skills. It's the tuakana-teina model."
Those learnings came to life throughout the day, with students rotating through activities that included traditional Niuean games such as 'ta vao' and 'liti uho' alongside football and touch rugby activities.
"It allows them to see school as a space where they can engage in their cultural identities," she said. "The engagement is really good because it talks about teamwork, competition and a sense of identity and belonging."
Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School Deputy Principal Maxine Inu said the initiative had a lasting impact on both students and staff. "It's really great to have our students out here, engaged in different sports and different cultures," Inu said.
She hopes students leave with more than just memories of a fun day. "Being active, being outside, being together and celebrating culture. That's what today was all about."