Thank you to the thousands of fans who joined in the celebrations to welcome members of the All Blacks Rugby World Cup 2015 squad to Whakatāne!
A surprising arrival by helicopter impressed the excited crowd at Mataatua Reserve, it also gave the players a chance to see from the sky how many of their fans turned out to meet them on the day. The Frontier Helicopters team performed an awesome fly-by of the crowed before touching down in the field.
After a short welcome by Mayor Tony Bonne and Pouroto Ngaropo the All Blacks and Chiefs players Liam Messam, Sam Cane and Tawera Kerr-Barlow made their way through the crowd taking the time to give autographs, selfies and high-fives.
Once on stage the players were welcomed with haka performances from throughout the crowd and a question and answers session was held.
After that they headed over the road and were welcomed on to Te Mānuka Tutahi - Mataatua Wharenui, for lunch with a few local rugby legends and a quick moment to relax before heading over to meet their neighbouring fans in Ōpōtiki.
Check out the full album of crowd photos on our Facebook page
Ōpōtiki Visit Video
As the winners of the All Blacks to the Nation campaign we decided to share our visit with our Awesome neighbours Ōpōtiki! After visiting the Whakatane crowds the players jumped back on the chopper and headed to Ōpōtiki for a quick visit with their fans.