Air NZ teams up with students to create longest fan banner

Media release
01 July 2015

Air New Zealand teams up with students to create longest fan banner

Air New Zealand has teamed up with school students to support the All Blacks as they prepare for next week’s historic match with Manu Samoa by creating New Zealand’s longest All Blacks’ fan banner.

The ‘Crazy about Rugby’ airline enlisted the help of eight rugby playing schools from throughout Auckland to create a banner the length of Air New Zealand’s largest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300 – roughly 74 metres.

Pupils from Viscount School, Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School, Redoubt North School, Bairds Mainfreight School, Puhinui School, Holy Cross School Papatoetoe, Koru School and Papatoetoe South School worked on different sections of the banner which was unveiled to 200 of the young artists involved along with members of the All Blacks at a fun-day at Eden Park this morning.

Air New Zealand Chief Marketing and Customer Officer Mike Tod says that, like Air New Zealand, Kiwi kids are among the All Blacks’ biggest fans so it was great to get them involved.

“It’s a big year for the team so we wanted to show we’re behind them in a big way and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“The kids have been just as enthusiastic about this as we have and the end result is a spectacular banner filled with colour, creativity and messages of support for the boys. We’re looking forward to showing it off at the All Blacks’ history-making game in Samoa next week.”

As well as debuting the banner to their heroes at Eden Park today, the students got a chance to do ‘Skills and Drills’ exercises with members of the All Blacks.

The banner will be displayed at an All Blacks community day in Apia on 7 July and at the game – as the team goes head to head with Manu Samoa on 8 July.

“Whether we’re creating a banner the size of a jet aircraft, painting aircraft ‘all black’ or flying our national team around the globe, we are proud to be supporting the All Blacks both on the ground and in the air,” says Mr Tod.

Air New Zealand has been a sponsor of rugby in New Zealand for more than two decades and an official partner of the All Blacks since 1998.

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