The clash is a curtain-raiser to the All Blacks - Tonga test match but for the players, the exhibition game at Waikato Stadium goes far beyond the rugby field.
Seventy percent of deaths in the Pacific are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and other obesity-related afflictions.
In New Zealand, the rate within Maori and Pasifika communities is three times higher than other ethnic groups.
Saturday's 'Battle of the Stars' is designed to highlight the players' call to address these health issues.
