Celebrate the Kiwi rugby spirit in central Lower Hutt

The relationship between rugby and Kiwi culture is explored in the free exhibition, Oranges at Halftime: Rugby and the Kiwi Experience, visiting Lower Hutt's Margaret Street on Thursday 11 August from 10am to 9pm and Friday 12 August from 10am to 4pm.

The touring exhibition Oranges at Halftime: Rugby and the Kiwi Experience celebrates the dads who coached nippers on the school field, the mums who washed the muddy shorts, the loyal fans on the sidelines in the rain, and the determined souls on the field playing their hearts out for their mates.

Step into a golden age of grassroots rugby and explore what the game means in New Zealand. The exhibition focuses on the post-war years through to the 1970s, uncovering the shaping influence of rugby throughout NZ life.

Taste life at home in a true-blue rugby family, move on to explore the diversity in the crowds on the sidelines at a match, step on to the paddock where players put their pride and heart into every match, and finally settle into the clubrooms to learn about different kinds of clubs and their role at the heart of so many Kiwi communities.

Features of the exhibition include:

ñ Take on your friends and family and answer every question in the Halftime Challenge.

ñ Add your story to Keith Quinn's famous collection of anecdotes. A video kiosk inside the trailer allows you to share your favourite rugby tales with Keith.

ñ Play selector and vote for the Grassroots XV, a team of quirky, cheeky and heroic characters from the lesser-known corners of Kiwi footy history.

ñ Discover classic recipes that filled the tanks of NZ's rugby legends before a big game.

Locals can share their stories at the recording station or online at www.orangesathalftime.co.nz. These will be passed to the team at NZHistory.net, who will add them to their collection of valued records of Kiwi life.

The Oranges at Halftime is part of the REAL New Zealand Festival, a nationwide celebration of the things we love most about New Zealand.

The touring exhibition is a collaboration between the National Science-Technology Roadshow Trust and Eklektus Inc. The exhibition was funded by the NZ 2011 Festival Lottery Fund as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival.

Find out more at www.orangesathalftime.co.nz

ENDS

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