Melbourne has a large Pacific Island community and this is one of the biggest events they've ever held.
It's part sport, part culture - a celebration both of tradition and of life in a new country.

Clement Paligaru: This is the Melbourne's first's South Pacific Rugby Cultural Cup Festival.

Event organiser, Ema Yandall: Normally islands like Fiji or Samoa may have a competition, but not a whole South Pacific competition. So this is so important for us. We are not big in Melbourne. Getting all the islands to unite and and do something together especially rugby and culture - our two favourite things we like to do.

Clement Paligaru: The focus of the cultural festival is young Pacific islanders.
Organisers are concerned that many are losing they way.

Cook Islands coach, Erik Tom Junior: There's a lot of peer pressure on children these days, young people, there's so many different lifestyles out there in terms of night clubs and all that. Alcohol makes a major contribution to our young people. And what we're trying to do is bring them back.

Clement Paligaru: The event also aims to bring young and old together.

Event organiser, Alan Latu: We decided that the biggest drawcard for the Soutj Pacifc islanders is the rugby - if we can get the rugby up straight away, we get the younger generation in it that the play the game. We then connect that with the older generation, who respect them for the pride and the fact that they are playing for their own countries.

Clement Paligaru: Festival organisers hope Pacific islanders living in Australia will reconnect with their heritage and find new pride in their community here.

Ema Yandall: We do have the young generation born overseas. And they do start to lose our identity. So it's important to bring back all these performances and remind them.

Australian Samoan, Eliza Collins: I think it,s a lot to do with identity as well, an appreciation of their cultural heritage, getting them involved in the community - saying, you guys are valuable at a young age, affirming them for who they are. Being whatever, whever they're Samoan, whether they're Tongan, whether they're Fijian, whatever background they are, saying you guys are valuable, we want you to be a part of this.

Clement Paligaru: Victoria Police works with Melbourne's young islanders to try to keep them out of trouble. Programs for young Polynesians also emphasise culture. These include Backyard Rugby, which involves a weekly rugby game with police - without any rules.

Victoria Police, Eddie Macdonald: If you are Polynesian and I turn up with a rugby ball, and I pass a rugby ball to you and you pass it back, what have we done? We've broken down barriers. I could be in a police uniform and you would still pass the ball back to me. And that's the power of rugby.

Clement Paligaru: The police backyard rugby program underlined the importance of culture to torubled teenagers, leading to formation of a youth group to celebrate their origins.

Eddie Macdonald: There was a lack of role models and mentors for our young people out on the streets. And that's because we are battling with 153 other communities. And when I say battling, we're trying to find a place here. This is one way of doing that. This is one way of sharing the greatness of the Polynesian culture and showcasing it to other young people.

Clement Paligaru: On the field, cultural pride translates to competitive spriit.

Alan Latu: You'll see it with the players out there - they take it seriously because they are playing for their heritage. Because they're playing for pride.

Clement Paligaru: Rugby has a strong presence in the Pacific - and there are potent rivalries.
But at this competition, the emphasis is different.

Fiji fan: It doesn't matter really who wins. Samoa or Fiji. This is the day for us. Samoans, Fijians, Tongans, and so forth.

Alan Latu: The guys have got their jerseys and they take it away with them. They wear it with pride because it says Melbourne, it connects them to Melbourne - Samoa or Melbourne - Fiji

Clement Paligaru: At the end of the day what do you want to see on the faces of people who leave this place?

Alan Latu: Smiling, happiness. You'll see at the end of the event, there'll be people going away from here, laughing smiling and realising they've been at an event without alcohol, we're able to do that. It's bringing it back to the grass roots again.