King’s Hawaiian Football Festival set to begin July 7th

The Hawaiian U20 Na Alapa National Soccer Teams are set to take on the indigenous women’s and men’s teams of Maori Football Aotearoa next week in Hilo.

This is the inaugural festival for Hawaii Football Federation which is set to run from July 7th-19th.

Those involved with the festival, hope to bring international play to Hawaii more often.

“We want to host international football here in the islands right, and our relationship with Maori football, which started few years ago, gave us a perfect a perfect opportunity to to do that,” said Kanaka Powawae President and Chief Executive Officer, Vernon Kapua’ala.

But while this festival is a way to bring competition to Hawaii, it is also a chance for athletes to share and learn the sense of a shared culture, identity, history and language.

“I think it’s awesome that that Maori football’s coming down you know, bring in their their heritage, their ways and coming to our place with, you know, our culture and traditions as well. And we can just build together through the the love of our sport and uplifting our love at the same time,” said Na Alapa U20 player, Royal Kekuewa.

Games don’t start until an exhibition on Wednesday the 10th, and then the big time games get underway on Saturday July 13th and then Tuesday July 16th.

Full schedule:

Wednesday, July 10 Vulcan Soccer Field

2:00 pm | Hawaiʻi Island U23 Nā Wāhine vs. Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Wāhine

4:00 pm | Hawaiʻi Island U23 Nā Kāne vs. Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Tāne

Saturday, July 13 Vulcan Soccer Field

1:30 pm | Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Tāne vs. Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi 20 Nā Kāne

4:00 pm | Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Wāhine vs. Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi 20 Nā Wāhine

Tuesday, July 16 Vulcan Soccer Field

9:30 am | Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi 20 Nā Wāhine vs. Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Wāhine12:00 pm | Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi 20 Nā Kāne vs. Māori Football Aotearoa 20 Nga Tāne