The night Mate Ma’a Tonga lit up Eden Park - it’s time to invest in the Pacific
A big call, but the best live sport game I’ve ever been to.
38,914 people. a “problematic” 6pm Sunday kick-off. Tonga v Kiwis at Eden Park, New Zealand.
You could feel it before you even reached your seat. Cars flying red flags in the lead-up. Inside, a sea of red, everyone in merchandise. Jerseys, hoodies, flags, red face paint, kids with flags twice their size, families all kitted out, generations together. Every detail saying, we’re part of this. Proud, visible, united and from a commercial perspective, that visibility matters.
Tonga lost 40–14, but not one fan left early.
At 8.30 pm, long after the final whistle, 15,000 fans were still there, singing with Josh Tatofi Music, flown in by New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) from Hawai‘i to headline the post-match concert. A Sunday slot originally designed to avoid clashes with other sports and the spring racing carnival, yet the stadium stayed full and electric until the very end.
As kids sat in the stands or watched from home, they saw more than a game. They saw possibility. A team that looked like them, sounded like them, carried their flags and their stories. The next generation of superstars seeing a pathway that wasn’t always visible, a future in red that feels within reach.
That visibility matters. It’s why Tongan National Rugby League - Mate Ma'a Tonga Instagram has drawn 33m+ views in just 3 weeks, proof that connection and representation translate directly into engagement, reach, and commercial value.
The entire MMT digital Pacific Championships campaign has been exceptional and that’s no coincidence. With Tongans behind the cameras, every song, reel, and highlight captured what Mate Ma’a Tonga truly means. Huge credit to Siti Katoa and Alfred Naupoto, their storytelling has driven the emotional investment fans have ridden since the squad announcement.
But this moment also signals opportunity. As we head towards next year’s World Cup, it’s time for sponsors to get on board, to back one of the most passionate, visible, and commercially powerful fanbases in sport. Also, beyond that, it’s time to invest in Pasifika digital storytelling. Having the right people behind the lens year-round, not just during campaigns, shapes how stories are told, how culture is celebrated, and how connection is built. We need more pathways, more training, and more opportunities to make that happen.
This is more than fandom, it’s future value. For sponsors, this is what authentic engagement looks like: passion that can’t be manufactured, belief that can’t be bought, and cultural energy that multiplies reach.
Invest in that. Invest in the Pacific