Annual Under 15 Boys' Tournament

As part of Winter Tournament Week, the annual Under 15 Tournament comprises sixteen teams from secondary schools (on an invitational basis) who compete in a Cup and Plate section for the Rex Kerr Trophy.

Annual Under 16 Boys' Tournament

Every year in the third term school holidays, the Council holds New Zealand's premier tournament for Under 16 players, comprising teams from all member Provincial Unions, competing in two divisions for the Don Broughton Shield, the Saracens Cup and the Manaaki Tangata Trophy.

Annual Under 18 Boys' Competition

Every year in September, the Council holds a competition for Under 18 teams from member Provincial Unions, competing for the TrustBank Central Secondary Schools Shield first competed for in the 1990's.

Annual Under 19 Tournament

This competition comprises teams from Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu, and a Hurricanes Heartland Team (comprising players from the Council's member Heartland Provincial Unions), competing for the Central Region Shield on a home and away basis.

Annual Under 20 Heartland Development Series

Comprising teams from the regions Heartland Provincial Unions, the Heartland Development Series is held annually over two weeks, with teams competing for the Hurricanes Under 20 Cup.

Girls' Rugby Development Programmes

Every year, with the support of New Zealand Rugby, the Council provides Development Days, an Under 15 Tournament and an Under 18 Development Camp for young women within the Hurricanes Region.

Annual Hurricanes Sevens Tournament

The best secondary school Sevens players in the region (in Boys and Girls divisions) compete for the Hurricanes Secondary Schools Sevens Cup, hosted by Wairarapa-Bush.

Wellington Under 19 Win First Round Battle

Wellington’s Under 19 campaign for 2017 started with an abrasive 26-12 win over the inaugural Hurricanes Heartland Under 20 Team, in Palmerston North today.

Played in soggy conditions under blue skies at the Sport & Rugby Institute, Wellington scored four tries to two, two in each half without ever quelling a committed Hurricanes Heartland selection, which had only one training session as a team, the day before the match.

The Hurricanes Heartland side started strongly, with Bradley Griffith (Wairarapa-Bush) pushing an early penalty attempt wide after his team dominated territory and possession for the first five minutes. However, a lucky intercept pass which was burgled by Wellington’s Esi Komaisavai (Northern United) opened the scoring of the afternoon after ten minutes, with a try under the posts which Komaisavai converted.

A storming try to titanic prop Pasi Uluilakepa (Petone), converted by Komaisavai, put the Wellingtonians 14 points ahead after 20 minutes, despite the Hurricanes Heartland team have plenty of possession and territory. The home team then seized the initiative five minutes before half-time when speedy winger Harry Symes (Wanganui) out-sprinted the cover defence to score a try which was converted by Griffith.

The half-time score of 14-7 demonstrated that either team could take the match, with the Darren Larsen coached Hurricanes Heartland team forced to absorb huge pressure at the start of the second-half, before Regan Sword (MSP) crossed the line (converted by Komaisavai), to take the score out to 21-7.

The wet ground suited the props in the tight exchanges and it was Sam Siaosi (Wairarapa-Bush) for the Hurricanes Heartland side who scored the next unconverted try, after a patient build-up with repeated phases inside Wellington’s 22 metre line. However, Wellington’s Grayson Whitman (MSP) was to have the last word scoring their bonus point unconverted try with 5 minutes to play.

While Wellington will be disappointed with the number of penalties they conceded in the tackle/ruck area, the Hurricanes Heartland team will be confident of a big performance against Manawatu next weekend.

In the other Central Region Shield match played today in Napier, Manawatu Under 19 defeated Hawkes Bay Under 19, 26 points to 5.

(Published : 19/08/17)