Six players from the Tongan rugby league team took time out to visit inmates at Christchurch Men's Prison youth unit, hoping to inspire them to turn their lives around.
Mate Ma'a Tonga are in Christchurch for their quarterfinal showdown against Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup this weekend.
The league stars were greeted by an earth-shaking haka, before winger Manu Vatuvei spoke to the prisoners, insisting there was always a way out of trouble.
"[We] just wanted to come here to show them, no matter what, you always have support around you, and to just show them that anything can happen in life and it's never too late," he said.
For second rower Manu Ma'u, it was an emotional visit. He told the group of 40 that he put his hand up straight away to visit.
Ten years ago, he was in the same position, locked up in an Auckland prison.
"It's pretty hard to be in a cell at a young age and hopefully [we can] give them a bit of support, so when they leave this facility, they can make better choices," he said.
The show of solidarity followed scenes of violence and chaos at recent World Cup fixtures, including the arrest of 53 people after the Tongans beat the Kiwis in Hamilton last week.
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Tonga face Lebanon at Christchurch Stadium on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals against either England or Papua New Guniea in Auckland next week.
Newshub.
