National's use of Michael Jones and Va'aiga Tuigamala to boost its campaign in South Auckland has angered the rugby league community, Labour leader Helen Clark said today.
The former All Blacks appeared with National's leader, John Key, on Monday and gave his party's policies a ringing endorsement.
In Manukau City today former league captain Stacey Jones and veteran Warriors player Wairangi Koopu showed up to support Labour alongside Miss Clark.
"She's been a great supporter of league," Jones said.
"She's always given her best wishes to all the teams I've been involved with."
Koopu said he supported Labour, although he was thinking about the Maori Party because he wanted to ensure the Maori seats in Parliament stayed as they were.
Miss Clark told reporters Labour was getting great support from rugby league.
"I've picked up a lot of anger in the league community about what happened the other day," she said.
"People are really wanting to be helpful and I've known Stacey since he was a little boy.
"I was really thrilled he wanted to be part of it today."
National was rumoured earlier this year to be courting Michael Jones, widely rated as one of the greatest All Black No 7s, as a candidate but he was absent from the list when it was announced in August.
