Auckland the place to be this weekend

International rugby league, artisan food and petrol-fuelled ‘toys’ will capture the attention of Aucklanders and visitors alike this weekend, making Auckland the place to be this weekend.

The action kicks off this Thursday night, 31 October when The Cloud provides the backdrop for Taste of Auckland, one of the signature events on Auckland’s calendar and a chance for the region to celebrate everything that is great about the local restaurant, food and drink scene.

Across the city, the ASB Showgrounds will host Big Boys Toys from Friday until Sunday. The popular annual event will feature exhibitions that range from classic cars, to powerful motorcycles, construction tools and technology.

Also, some of the finest extreme athletes in the world will come together to thrill the crowds at the ‘Action Arena’, including X-Games star Levi Sherwood who will be retiring after the upcoming Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, on 16 November.

On Saturday, the best rugby league players will take over the traditional home of rugby union, Eden Park, for an exciting international triple header. The day will feature the best of New Zealand, our Pacific neighbours, Australia and Great Britain.

With the Oceania Cup on the line, fans are in for a treat. Samoa and Fiji kick off the day at 2.20pm followed by the Kiwis versus Great Britain Rugby League at 5pm. Australia and Tonga XIII will bring the curtain down at 7.40pm.

Today, rugby league fans will get the first glimpse of their favourite players up close when all six teams get together at the Mangere East Rugby League Football Club for a special fan day from 5pm until 6.30pm.

Steve Armitage, General Manager – Destination at Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED), says this weekend once again highlights what the region has to offer.

“Events are a big part of our strategy for growing Auckland’s visitor economy. Combined with everything else Auckland has to offer, from world-class restaurants, beautiful nature and extreme sports, we should get ourselves ready for more action-packed weekends.”

Visitors and locals are encouraged to use public transport to get to events. Travel is also included in match day tickets for the Great Britain Rugby League Tour and Oceania Cup matches at Eden Park. For up-to-date information, please visit at.govt.nz.

NOTES TO EDITOR
• For the first time, Eden Park will host The Great Britain Rugby League (GBRL) and Oceania Cup Rugby League Triple Header featuring New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga. Tickets are available via Ticketek from $10 for kids and $25 for adults.

• GB Rugby League Lions Tour & Oceania Cup present – Huge Fan Day at Mangere East Rugby League Club, Auckland.
Come and see the best Rugby League Players in the world. The Kiwis, GBRL Lions, Toa Samoa, Fiji Bati, Australia and Tonga Invitational XIII will be there for fans and media to meet and greet. Get down to Mangere East RL Club, bring family and kids to see these Rugby League superstars. There will be dancing, selfies, giveaways and more.

• Integrated ticketing is available for the Rugby League. Please visit Auckland Transport’s website for more details.

• Big Boys Toys is on at ASB Showgrounds from 1-3 November, starting at 10am until 6pm on all three days. Find tickets on their website bigboystoys.co.nz.

• ATEED is supporting the CCNZ Construction Zone at Big Boys Toys. The CCNZ Construction Zone showcases the civil construction industry with interactive attractions and features the Auckland Regional Excavator Operator Competition, which is a highlight for event visitors.

• Taste of Auckland will showcase the best of the region’s culinary delights from 31 October – 3 November. Tickets are available online from $25 at tasteofauckland.co.nz

• Ovation of the Seas, one of the biggest cruise ships to visit New Zealand, will also be in port on Saturday 2 November. It is one of 163 cruise ships bound for Auckland this season.

• Attracting major events to Auckland is a part of the Destination AKL 2025 strategy, which sets out a new direction for improving Auckland’s visitor economy. Please visit aucklandnz.com/destinationAKL for more details on the strategy.

• Visitors are encouraged to make the most of their trip to Auckland and to visit aucklandnz.com for a wide range of ideas.

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