From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 1, March 2000.

The first Classic All Blacks Tour to Tonga on April 1 was organised by a new business called the Booking Office.

A tournament of Classic teams from South Africa, Australia and other rugby nations is held in Bermuda every year, but this is the first time that the Classic All Blacks have played in the Pacific Islands. The 23 former All Blacks led by Andy Haden beat the Classic ‘Ikale Tahi 70-28 at Teufaiva.

The organiser Liz Sullivan said she planned to make it an annual event, and in the future may even invite classic teams from other rugby playing countries.

Trying to get more people to come to Tonga during the tourist off-season from October to March was the reason why Liz launched her new business venture.

She said that the Booking Office would focus on creating events and handle associated travel requirements.

Their first engagement was for the crew of the yachts which participated in the Millennium Round-the-world Yacht Race. The four yachts encountered two cyclones between Tahiti and Tongatapu, and were supposed to arrive in Nuku’alofa the day Cyclone Mona passed by. Four injured crew, one with a broken leg, had to be flown out of Tonga soon after they arrived in Nuku’alofa during the first week of March.

The other events that Liz will host this year, include a tour by the King’s College Choir and Orchestra, from Auckland; a touch rugby tournament with a number of overseas teams during November; and a Japanese tour group.