The final whistle may have blown on the historic All Blacks-Manu Samoa Test match but the World Champions can leave the Pacific nation knowing they've left something behind.
All Blacks Codie Taylor and Tom Taylor share some fruit with local children. Photo: RNZ / Sharon Lundy
Team members visited school children while in the capital of Apia, teaching them some rugby skills and talking to them about the importance of healthy eating to build strong and fit bodies.
Five members of the All Blacks squad challenged the children to take the first step along the path of healthy eating by having a good breakfast each day.
Ofa Tu'ungafasi was at the Unicef-organised event, where the All Blacks played games with children before sharing some fruit with them.
He told them their bodies were like racing cars.
"I was thinking of some example, something that was easy for the kids to understand, and I think kids are like race cars and for race cars you've got to have the right fuel, or the right tyres for the car - so the right footwear, you know," he said.
"So we look at our body as a race car - if we don't have the right body we won't perform at the highest level and we won't go for long.
"We look at fruit as the some of the right fuels for us to have."
Tu'ungafasi said the players got a lot from the communities they visited and it was great to be able to give something back through such visits.
All Black Ofa Tu'ungafasi shares some fruit with local children. Photo: RNZ / Sharon Lundy
"We always love giving back to the community because we know how much they work for us."
Fellow All Black Jerome Kaino said it was great to leave something with the Samoan community.
"I thought it was quite good how we were able to get into the community and see grass roots Samoa," he said.
"For them, they hardly ever see any rugby stars face to face and for the boys to get into those schools and see the kids, it was quite special."
Unicef's Andre Whittaker said a partnership with the All Blacks meant it could get into communities and raise awareness about healthy activity and nutrition with local school children.
"The whole idea is about raising awareness around kids having healthy lifestyles and taking advantage of eating some of the local healthy produce," he said.
Unicef filmed the event and will show it throughout the Pacific to raise awareness of healthy eating and activity, and to encourage children outside to play and have fun.
Mr Whittaker said such things were a positive spin-off of the All Blacks visiting places such as Samoa.
"Having the All Blacks here, and them with their profile, it's certainly raised the passion and the patriotism of the local people, it draws attention to the All Blacks," he said.
"We're able to stand in the same light as them and draw attention to some of the issues we're working through with them, like health, like nutrition, like healthy lifestyles."
The take home message definitely hit home for Lisi Netu, 14.
"Having breakfast in the morning is really important. Eating healthy food makes your body strong, and exercise every morning so you get strong and be healthy at all times and be better," he said.
Adenet, 11, was just happy to be part of the event.
"I'm so happy because I met the all Blacks, because I only see them on TV."
The All Blacks fly out of Samoa today bound for Christchurch, leaving the 30 plus degree heat here for a forecast high of just 7 degrees C.
