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Regional | Education

Tuivasa-Sheck takes rugby league back to school

Warriors Fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck paid a special visit to his old school Mayfield Primary in South Auckland, to promote Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) 2017’s new education resource offering a range of learning and teaching resources for primary and intermediate students. Schools who register will also be in the draw to win a lifetime opportunity: walking out on the field with an international team at this year's Rugby League World Cup.

It was a sentimental return for Tuivasa-Sheck to his old stomping ground. The young fullback was showered by students with all the honours of a star, including a Guards Honour. An opportunity that may well turn into a reality for students, on the RLWC field.

Tuivasa-Sheck told Te Kāea, "I'm overwhelmed at the moment just to return back to school and see some old faces and for the kids to have a welcome like that. It's special."

RLWC Community Engagement Coordinator, Harley Wall says, "We're promoting within the schools the opportunity to 'Walk out with the World's Best,' so if schools register before the end of term, so before July 7th they will go in the draw to win the opportunity for their class to run out on the field at the RLWC with one of the teams."

Tuivasa-Sheck says "Players who I looked up to like Benji Marshall and Jarred Hayne. If I was younger and I could run out with them it would be a dream come true. For kids to enter this competition and run out with their idol, that's just amazing."

It's a joint promotion alongside RLWC's new education resource for schools across New Zealand that offers a range of indoor and outdoor learning resources based on both the women and men's world cup later this year.

"Student's get to learn about many different aspects of the tournament; first and foremost some of the countries that will be coming to Aotearoa later on this year that will be playing in the tournament," said Wall, "There's also some fun activities where they get to become sports reporters, they get to design their own boots and lots of other fun and interactive ways that they can learn about rugby league, but in a fun environment. It crosses over many aspects of the curriculum, including art and social sciences, geography, mathematics and of course tagged onto that is the outdoor components."

RLWC hope the new resource will help to strengthen ties between schools and local league clubs so students too can follow in the footsteps of their heroes.

"RLWC is about celebrating the tournament but we want to make sure the game is in good hands afterwards as well."

The men's RLWC kicks off on October 27th with seven of the games set to be hosted in New Zealand and the women's world cup following on November 16th, with all matches to be hosted in Australia.