Pulled from the Kiwi section of the Trail Archive,
The Beths and METAL opening up the Trail Lunchbox, and we are celebrating all things New Zealand—and especially Missoula's partnership with Palmerston North in New Zealand.

I'm Mike Smith. I'm joined by two fantastic guests in the Trail studio for a talk about New Zealand Day.

When you think of rugby, oftentimes, you think of Jake Kreilick, who's also part of Lake Missoula Tea Company. Welcome, Jake.

– Always good to be back on The Trail.

– So nice to have you in here. In fact, I met you decades ago, when I was at the U and my brother was playing rugby, and I knew exactly who you were in those days. And you seem kind of the same. You're that same guy.

– Still a maggot?

– Once a maggot, always a maggot. And of course, the Maggots’ jerseys are black and inspired from the first tour to New Zealand that they took in 1978.

– Right.

– The All Blacks—

– The New Zealand national team.

– Legendary.

– Yes.

– I would imagine folks who collect sports memorabilia—especially rugby jerseys—really want Maggots gear, just ‘cause it’s such a cool name.

– Yeah, we have a following that’s come from Maggotfest and so many teams that have come here to play in our tournament. I think we’re one of the more unusual rugby names out there in the national spirit.

– But a legit club, a legit team.

– Yeah. We're a very strong team, but we also have really cool social traditions. And that’s part of rugby—it’s not just what happens on the field, but the culture around it.

– Classing up the radio station today, Maddie in from Arts Missoula. Maddie, welcome to the airwaves.

– Hi Mike, thank you.

– I should tell everybody we worked together a while back—you were in between opportunities and worked at the front desk here at The Trail and Missoula Broadcasting. And now you've landed at Arts Missoula. How’s that going?

– It's going great—really great work happening at Arts Missoula. I feel lucky to be part of it. Thanks for asking.

– We hear all about the things that Arts Missoula does—First Friday, New Year’s Eve, Missoula on Main, and all those things. But one of the programs under Arts Missoula's umbrella is the Sister City relationship. In this case, with Palmerston North. Palmerston North—what do we know about it?

– The relationship extends back 42 years. It started through university connections between the University of Montana and Massey University, which is based in Palmerston North. More recently, delegations have gone back and forth—Palmerston folks visited Missoula in 2018 and 2023, and we sent a delegation there in 2019. These exchanges have really helped cement the relationship. Our role through the Maggots is more on the rugby side, but the city and arts side is just as important.

– Maddie, maybe you want to elaborate?

– Yeah. First of all, New Zealand Day is coming up Saturday, June 14th—that’s this Saturday—at Fort Missoula Regional Park on the rugby pitch.

– Can we start at the beginning of the day?

– It’s going to be great. We’re posting up at the Bitterroot Shelter, which is on the south entrance by the tennis courts. It’s a lovely covered picnic area.

– So nice.

– That’s where our new dedication bench has recently been installed.

– Can you tell us more about that bench? Is it in honor of our Sister City relationship with Palmerston North?

– It is, yeah. Something really cool about the bench is that it was carved by John Thompson, the artist who also carved the ponies at A Carousel for Missoula. He was just awarded Individual Artist at the Arts Missoula annual awards.

– Well deserved.

– Oh, the ponies are amazing.

– Aren’t they? And carved into the bench are nods to both cities—an M, the Palmerston North crest, Kiwi birds. It’s really a beautiful piece.

– A place to stop and ponder. And Mayor Davis will be on hand to say a few words. That’s a busy person.

– Yeah, we’re excited to have her.

– And then Kiwi-style ice cream—do we know what that is?

– It’s a New Zealand-style ice cream. The vendor—Chur Ice Cream—spent about six months in New Zealand and got to experience the flavor and texture. It’s creamy, fruity, soft-serve-like, and they blend hard pack with real fruit. It’s the exact color of the fruit—no artificial flavors or colors.

– You had me at New Zealand-style ice cream.

– So the bench dedication is at 12:30 PM, but the day starts earlier.

– Yes! At 10:00 AM we’re hosting a touch rugby clinic for kids, thanks to a collaboration with Tom Benson back when Arts Missoula was still the Missoula Cultural Council. Myself, Aspie Kinch, and a few other Maggots decided to host a non-contact rugby clinic to teach kids how to pass, run, and score a try.

– That goes from 10 to 12, right?

– Yes. Then from 12:30 to 2:00 is the bench dedication. And after that, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, we’ll pick up teams and play community touch rugby. Note that the Maggot pitch is under construction right now—they're resodding it—so we’ll be on the multi-use fields near the pavilion.

– And everyone's welcome to participate?

– Everyone. And then at 5:00 PM, there will be a free community cookout at the Maggot Clubhouse—3500 South Ave W. All are welcome.

– That’s awesome. Rugby is a beautiful game. It’s not all hard hits—it has finesse, style, and great exercise value.

– Absolutely. I remember going to New Zealand in 1991 and getting picked up by a truck driver. I told him I played rugby and he took me to his company’s touch night. Everybody plays touch in New Zealand—co-ed teams, kids, adults. It’s like softball here.

– Maddie, how did this all start between Arts Missoula and Palmerston North?

– As Jake said, it started with professor exchanges between UM and Massey. And it’s grown from there—42 years strong. This event and the new bench are symbols of that friendship.

– I should note your colleague Heather Adams will be speaking.

– She will. She’s going to read a statement from Grant Smith, Mayor of Palmerston North.

– We’ve met him—he’s been here in The Trail studio.

– Yes, and we’re proud of the work Arts Missoula does in connection with the City of Missoula, managing this Sister City relationship as well as the one with Neckargemünd, Germany.

– That’s where Germanfest comes in, right?

– Yes, we celebrate that partnership in the fall with Germanfest—kind of an homage to Oktoberfest.

– These events really do highlight how culture and civic friendship can grow through the arts.

– They do. And day to day at Arts Missoula, there’s a lot of upkeep. When we do these events, it’s a lot of work. But it’s meaningful. And now that we have the bench, we’re activating that space—playing croquet, serving Chur Ice Cream, all of it.

– Jake, have you been to New Zealand?

– Oh yeah, a few times. I wasn’t on the 2011 Maggot World Cup tour, but we did play in Palmerston North against Marist Rugby Club—Grant Smith’s home club. Sport is a manifestation of culture, and this event is an expression of that.

– And now, thanks to this connection, St. Peter’s College in Palmerston North will be coming on a tour to Montana in spring 2028.

– Yes! That’s a big deal. Rugby’s growing here too—we had 111 kids register for Missoula Youth Rugby this spring: U-12s, U-15s, and U-19 boys and girls.

– So exciting.

– And in this era, it’s more important than ever for Americans to stay globally connected. These partnerships remind us we’re part of something bigger.

– We’re better together. And ice cream doesn’t hurt either.

– That’s right.

– I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we’ll also hear from Terry Tanner, of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. He’ll help unveil the bench and speak about the cultural ties with the Māori people. Māori are deeply connected to local government in New Zealand, especially in Palmerston North. That connection to our own tribal nations is meaningful.

– We talked to Grant Smith about that—how New Zealand integrates Māori representation in government. We could definitely learn from that.

– And vice versa.

– Maddie, final thoughts?

– Just a reminder that Missoula remains committed to reaching across borders, making friends, and welcoming others. Also: Support local art.

– Put that on a sticker.

– We did! Come by our office—we’re across from Paxson School, next to the locally owned Dairy Queen on South Higgins.

– Get Chur Ice Cream at New Zealand Day, then Dairy Queen afterward.

– Visit ArtsMissoula.org for more info. Come out Saturday and celebrate.

– Jake from Lake Missoula Tea Company, Maddie from Arts Missoula—thank you both.

– Thank you.

– Cheers, Mike.