Game on for the cream of the crop
Some of Japan’s future rugby stars recently visited New Zealand, learning English, playing rugby with local teams and battling it out in a cream competition.
Staying for two weeks in Hamilton as part of the Game on English programme, ten Japanese high school students visited Fonterra’s Waitoa UHT manufacturing plant for a tour and whipping cream challenge, to make the best cream rosette, a common cake design.
The students loved their time on site and found the challenge harder than expected.
“I really enjoyed the tour. The challenge was very difficult, but the whipping cream was delicious,” says Sota Hayami.
Bryn Rowdon, Fonterra Japan’s General Manager of Corporate Planning, says the programme, originating in 2014, has been a resounding success.
“Game on English was developed to promote international exchange and co-operation through sport. Over the last ten years, many of the programme’s alumni have gone on to great success in their rugby career and some are now playing in Japan Rugby League One, Japan’s premier rugby competition,” Rowdon says.
This year’s Game on English cohort includes students from Toin Gakuin and Kokugakuin Tochigi high schools in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo.
Game on English was developed to promote international exchange and co-operation through sport.
Students stay with Kiwi families and have daily rugby training and English lessons, hosted by Hamilton Boy’s High School and its world-class rugby training programme.
Game on English is sponsored by Fonterra with support from the New Zealand government. During its evolution, the scope of the programme has expanded to provide visiting students with the opportunities to learn about Māori culture, as well as themes of sustainability and conservation.