Canada scrum-half Jamie Mackenzie says his team have been made to feel like rock stars by the people of New Zealand's northern city of Whangarei.

In the city for their Pool A opener against Tonga on Wednesday, the Canadians took time out to visit a local primary school and Mackenzie said he and his team had been blown away by the reception they received.

"It's good to get out and see all the kids, they're the ones that love the sport," Mackenzie said.

"They love seeing us, makes us feel like superstars so it's definitely a good time to be around here."

Whangarei is hosting Tonga, Japan and Canada, and with all three sides playing in red, local authorities encouraged residents to don the colour in support of the visiting teams.

"You're so far from home so it's nice that the region has kind of adopted us as their team," Mackenzie said.

"It feels like we've got a good support base here. Everyone's really behind us, they're all cheering for us, all the kids in there were telling us they want us to beat Tonga."

Pool A also features New Zealand and France, meaning Canada's chances of progressing beyond the group stage are slim.

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