An international artist with a strong connection to Mid Canterbury is singing the National Anthem at the start of the All Blacks match on Saturday.
Marla Kavanaugh, the daughter of Kathi Craig and stepdaughter of Malcolm Hopwood, both formerly of Ashburton, will sing the anthem in Māori and English before the game against Fiji in San Diego.
The game kicks off at 2.30pm.
While her parents were living in Ashburton last year, the Los Angelesbased performer presented a programme at Terrace Croft in Tinwald, alongside her mum, her husband Daniel Rodriguez and local artists.
She also spoke at an Ashburton Regent Cinema preview of
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo movie.
Kavanaugh was herself one of the stars of the 2022 Edinburgh Tattoo together with the New Zealand Army Band.
She has sung the Kiwi anthem several times, including for Sir Peter Jackson during his Academy Award celebrations to receive an Oscar for Lord Of the Rings in Hollywood.
She has also sung the American national anthem at Madison Square Gardens and at 9/11 commemorations in Central Park, New York.
Kavanaugh said she felt honoured to be singing the anthem at the All Blacks match.
