NZ Māori welcome for soccer stars
03 Dec 2008
International football star David Beckham and his LA Galaxy team received a traditional Māori welcome when they touched down in Auckland early today (03.12.08).
The team is in Auckland for a one-off friendly match against the Oceania All Stars at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night, December 6.
Enthusiastic welcome
England and former Manchester United star Beckham and his team mates walked off their overnight flight from Los Angeles to be met by an enthusiastic crowd of around 200 people.
One couple had been waiting at the airport since 7pm the night before, hoping to glimpse Beckham.
Peace and friendship
Local Māori group Te Waihino a Kupe Aotearoa performed a kapa haka welcome, including the iconic Ka Mate haka.
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena responded to the group's wero (challenge) by picking up the small leafy branch, offered as a sign of peace and friendship.
Good to be back
Arena thanked Te Waihino a Kupe Aotearoa for their performance, and told the crowd that the team was delighted to be back in New Zealand and looking forward to the game on Saturday evening.
David Beckham thrilled onlookers when he signed autographs and embraced an adoring fan.
Training session
On Friday, along with opponents the Oceania All Stars, the team will train in front of 6,000 Auckland school children at Mt Smart Stadium. About 130 local schools have taken up the offer to bring children to the stadium for a day of soccer and entertainment.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner Christian Karembeu is also due in New Zealand for the match. He will captain the All Stars and like Beckham he's likely to create a lot of public interest. Karembeu also has a celebrity marriage - his wife is international Slovak model Adriana Sklenařiková.
A crowd of more than 30,000 is expected to watch 'the beautiful game' between the two star teams on Saturday night.
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