Kiwis and Samoa officially welcomed ahead of Cup opener

Hundreds of die-hard fans turned out to catch a glimpse of their Kiwis and Samoan idols at their official welcome for the Rugby Leauge World Cup in Auckland.

This outing was a chance for fans to get up close and personal with both teams ahead of the tournament which starts later this week.

The Kiwis and Samoa were welcomed with a haka and Siva Tau by local school children.

Fans were then treated to a skills session with both teams as well as photo opportunities and signatures.

Kiwis star playmaker Shaun Johnson proved he's a hit both on and off the pitch, the 27-year-old was the star attraction at today's session with most of the fans lining up to get his signature as well as a photo.

New Zealand and Samoa kick off their 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaign against each other at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday.

 

Photo: RNZ Samoan captain Frank Pritchard with a fan during welcome