Do you love football? Do you want to get to know other cultures? Then Ethkick 2016 might be for you.

The event is a five-a-side football tournament, hosted by Multicultural Tauranga and the New Zealand Police, with support from Papamoa Football club.

It's taking place on Saturday, November 5 from 9am-3pm at Gordon Spratt Reserve, Papamoa. Entry is $40 per team, with a maximum of eight players aged 16-plus.

Multicultural Tauranga community liaison Ewa Fenn says the event is a way for migrants, especially men, to get to know each other.

'The idea is to involve more men from the migrant community with our organisation. Quite often at other events we run, such as language classes, there are many ladies, because the men are working.

'The tournament is a chance for the men to get to know each other better.”

It's also an opportunity for locals to get to interact with the migrant community, says Ewa. 'All our events are for everybody. It will be a relaxed, fun atmosphere – perfect for anyone to have a go.

'We don't require anybody to be a professional footballer. If you can kick a ball, you can join in.”

The tournament's winning team will go to the national competition in Wellington. All tournaments are sponsored by NZ Police, which is providing referees and a team of their own.

Tauranga Police area prevention manager Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair says building trust and mutual respect is critical to strong relationships between Police and ethnic communities.

'Sport is a great way to break down barriers and get to know each other in a social setting.”

Interested teams should contact Janet Smith on 07 5716419, or email: [email protected], by October 31.