Peters rejoins pack for MPs' rugby tour

COOK ISLANDS NEWS

LOOKING ON: Winston Peters as sideline assistant for the parliamentary rugby team against Cook Islands MPs.

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NZ First leader Winston Peters is managing the parliamentary rugby team.

Mr Peters travelled to the Cook Islands as a team member last week and helped to run the sideline, dressed in the Air New Zealand team uniform, for Thursday's game against the Cook Islands parliamentary team.

Team co-captain and Government whip Chris Tremain said the decision to invite Mr Peters on the tour had been a team one, endorsed by himself and fellow captain Damien O'Connor.

The National members of the team also included Civil Defence Minister John Carter, Whanganui MP Chester Borrows and list MPs Aaron Gilmore and Cam Calder.

The two touring Labour MPs were Mr O'Connor and Shane Jones.

All team members contributed $500 to the trip, with the remainder being paid by an unnamed range of sponsors, said Mr Tremain, son of All Blacks great Kel Tremain.

"MPs will declare the team/sponsor contribution within their [annual] document of pecuniary interest," he said. "Importantly an AGM is now held each year at which the full accounts of the team will be available to the public."

There was no mention of Mr Peters' involvement with the team in Mr Tremain's pre-tour press statement.

Mr Peters, who was once a Maori All Blacks triallist, stayed with the team at the Edgewater Hotel in Rarotonga. "He had a low-profile management role with the team throughout," Mr Tremain said.

In its Saturday issue, the Cook Islands News said "celebrity politician Winston Peters made a glamorous appearance as sideline assistant for the Kiwi parliamentarians".

It reported that under Golden Oldies rules, the Cook Islands team won the match when their deputy prime minister, Sir Terepai Maoate, 75, scored.

The Kiwi team has helped to raise more than $35,000 for various charities this year. The Rarotonga match was organised to help support and raise money for the Te Vaerua rehabilitation community centre.

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Eddie   #2   03:22 pm Nov 11 2009

I hope you are enjoying your rest from parlement and dont worry Mr hyde will not belong in joinng you all we have to is wait till his rope gets a little longer and that will not take long at his rate.

Ian McKinnon   #1   07:05 am Nov 11 2009

Why isn't Chris Carter playing. Did he not want to pay the $500 contribution or could he not take Boy Friday?

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