2022 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby
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From the pay-walled article (below) in the HBT about Hawke's Bay U19 (and Hurricanes U20) player Tino Savea:
It's a big chance to take, but teenaged rugby player Kusitino Savea - from Futuna - is taking it with Hawke's Bay, so far making almost every post a winner.
In his first year out of Lindisfarne College, Tino Savea has been a member of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Academy, played for the Hurricanes Under-20s and the Hawke's Bay Under-19s, and won the Hawke's Bay Premier club Maddison Trophy final with Taradale.
But he recognises they're only the first steps if he's to follow the other Savea, one of the few New Zealand rugby names he was aware of when he first came to New Zealand in a Futuna team for the Lindisfarne Under-15 tournament in 2018.
It was there that he was noticed and offered a scholarship at the school, quickly making it into a Magpies queue of some quality and depth - ahead of him were future Ranfurly Shield holders and Super Rugby loose forwards such as Devan Flanders, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Josh Kaifa, and Solomona Funaki.
As it happens, Wallis and Futuna, a French territory and island group of about 16,000 people in the South Pacific - between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast - has produced a surprising number of players who have made it in big-time rugby.
Where Savea made the choice to come here, most of the rest went with their French connections to the Northern Hemisphere. At least 13 have played professional rugby in France in the last two decades, and at least nine have played internationally for France. They include Noumea-born lock Sebastien Vahaamihina, who played 46 games for France, scoring a try in his last when the Tricolours were beaten 20-19 by Wales in a 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and centre Yoram Moefana, born on Futuna and who has made seven appearances for France since 2020.
Another who ventured north was Laurent Simutoga, a France Under-20 representative now coaching at Lindisfarne.
Tino Savea, as far as he is aware, is not related to Wellington-born Ardie Savea, although teammates and club supporters have tried to make a connection.
And he's not, specifically, after the No 7 jersey for the All Blacks, he says in good English (that he's learnt in New Zealand). Savea hails from a background of French speakers and local dialects, growing up in the villages of Ono (population 524 in the 2018 census) and Kolia (pop. 254), in the Alo district on the southern coast of Futuna, an island of barely 80 square kilometres.
"It took me a couple of months [to learn English]," Savea says, something that highlights he's not just here for the football. He's also a fulltime nursing student.
He's also had to bulk up, from about 95 kilos last year to the 110kg he reckoned he needed.
"I wanted to play Prems, from last year," he says. "I knew what I have to do to get looked at by the Magpies."
It was a good season, till he took a knock to the ribs 60 minutes into the Maddison Trophy final, but he was out just a short time, missing the first of the Under-19 team's four-match representative programme.
And the try scorers of Saturday's U19 game v Hurricanes Heartland:Tries were scored by Sam Cavanagh, Hame Lauaki, Nik Patumaka, Bethel Malasia, Gilgal Malasia, Troydyn Bird, and Harry Godfrey, who also kicked two conversions, in a 39-27 win over the Hurricanes Heartland Unions Under-20 selection on Saturday, claiming second place in their Hurricanes region competition.
Rugby: Hawke's Bay has a Savea of its own
Kusitino Savea has a famous rugby surname - but he's out to make a name of his own.
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@Stargazer What is on the menu for other Rep Teams this weekend? Surely the HB Samoans are due to be having a home game or even an age grade development team. It is a long time to fill in before we get to 7.05pm kickoff time for The Bay's encounter with Wellington.
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@Higgins As far as I know, the season is over for the Development team, U19s, Hawke's Bay Māori, Hawke's Bay Samoa and Central Hawke's Bay rep team.
Saturday, 17 September 2022
U16 'A' and U16 Development (preseason)
Location: Lincoln park, Ashurst
Kick-off times: U16 Development 11.00am and U16 'A' 12.15pm
Opposition: no idea (Manawatū would be my guess, but there's nothing on the Manawatū website)Wellington Centurions U18 v Hawke's Bay U18
Location: Lyndhurst Park, Tawa
Kick-off: 1.00pmU18 girls: no info whatsoever, except that they are training.
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Our U18 team v Wellington:
This looks like a very good squad. Several players from last week's Napier Boys' squad are in this line-up, but not Gus Brown and Max Ratcliffe (who seemed to be playing with an injury, so probably good to have a rest before the Hurricanes U18 camp).
Edited to add that I think that Daniel Toala is indeed a brother of Danny Toala.
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Rep games on Saturday 24 September 2022:
HB U16 'A' v Manawatū U16 - Tremain Field - k/o 1.00pm
Trustbank Central Secondary School Shield Final:
HB U18 v Wellington Samoa U18 - Tremain Field - k/o 1.00pm(There's an earlier game at 11.00am between Poverty Bay U18 and Manawatū U18 Development)
The HB U16 Development v Poverty Bay U16 game is on Monday 26 September 2022 at Lambton Square, Wairoa. K/o 1.15pm.
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@Stargazer Disappointing to report that the Under 18s went down narrowly to the Samoans 27 - 24 in a fiercely contested encounter that was really close throughout but the Samoans did have a couple of big bruising backs that they used to good effect that generally made things difficult for the home side throughout. All in all a thoroughly entertaining match. The scrums were a real mystery with each team taking turn and turn about to show each other who was boss. The guy on the right wing for HB looked like he had something special about him with some nice steps and swerves displayed but both backlines stood rather flat and there was not that much room to pull out any decisive moves. The Samoans did score a real lovely try early in the second half in the right hand corner where the hooker ran round the short side and there was no HB defence there, think it might have been from a willy away round the front of a lineout from memory but whatever it was is was beautifully constructed.
On the other field it was between a Manawatu outfit and a HB team that were billed as Under 16s but both teams had a number of sizeable guys playing. Some kids are pretty big these days! Did not really take a great deal of notice of what was happening but the Manawatu side seemed to be in control throughout and had the go forward nearly all day. The ref did give me the final score but I can't remember what it was but it was something like HB 12 - 24 Manawatu, a reasonably comfortable margin to the 'Poo whatever it was anyway.
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Rep rugby results 24 & 26 September 2022:
HB U18 24 - 25 Wellington Samoa U18
HB U16 'A' 10 - 18 Manawatū U16
HB U16 Dev 21 - 55 Poverty Bay U16 (played on Monday)
Coming up
Schedule for the Hurricanes U16 tournament at Petone Rec:
Mon 3/10:
HB U16 'A' v Wellington U16 Gold (division A) - 11.30am at field 2
HB U16 Dev v Whanganui U16 (division B - non-competition game) - 1.30pm at field 3Tue 4/10:
HB U16 'A' v Wellington U16 Black (division A) - 2.30pm at field 3
HB U16 Dev v Horowhenua-Kapiti U16 (division B ) - 12pm at field 3Thu 6/10:
Finals day TBC
There's a U18 Girls Provincial Union Delopment Camp at Napier Boys' High School on 4 - 6 October with girls from Hawke's Bay, Manawatū, Poverty Bay and Whanganui.
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@Stargazer said in 2022 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
Rep rugby results 24 & 26 September 2022:
HB U18 24 - 25 Wellington Samoa U18
HB U16 'A' 10 - 18 Manawatū U16
HB U16 Dev 21 - 55 Poverty Bay U16 (played on Monday)Jaysus, Hawkes Bay rugby really shat the bed on the weekend. Losing to a Poverty Bay team, even as a development team shouldn't ever happen.
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So the 2022 edition of our U16s isn't great. The HB U16s won the tournament, last year. This year, they won't even make the final; in either division.
Results Mon 3/10:HB U16 'A' 13 -20 Wellington U16 Gold (division A)
HB U16 Dev 10 - 17 Whanganui U16 (division B - non-competition game)
Results Tue 4/10:HB U16 'A' 17 - 20 Wellington U16 Black (division A)
HB U16 Dev 41 - 24 Horowhenua-Kapiti U16 (division B )
Finals day - Thu 6/10:Division A:
Wellington Black (3) v HB U16 'A' (4)The Final is between Manawatū and Wellington Gold.
Division B:
HB U16 Dev (3) v Ngati Porou East Coast (4)The Final is between Poverty Bay and Wairarapa Bush.
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From a pay-walled article about halfback Kahlia Awa, who made her debut for the Tui, this year.
A Hawke's Bay Tui player in the Farah Palmer Cup and New Zealand Secondary Schools' netballer, life's a juggle for the Hastings Girls' High School Year 13 student.
"During the week it's training in the morning, school, training, back home again at eight o'clock, sleep and just repeat," Awa said.
Saturday means matches and this weekend is no different.
The talented midcourter is trialling for the Central Manawa, who are the feeder side for the Central Pulse franchise.
In January, there are trials to make the Hurricanes Poua team for Super Rugby Aupiki.
Wellington will end up being Awa's destination for 2023, but whether she'll spend it in a dress or a rugby jumper remains up in the air.There's some gentle pressure being applied from both sides but, thankfully, none from parents Duane and Shontelle, nor coaches such as Emma Jensen.
Jensen's been in a similar position herself. A New Zealand age-group hockey player, who went on to win three Rugby World Cups with the Black Ferns, she is now the deputy principal at Hastings Girls' and the 1st XV coach.
"There's a lot of things she has to weigh up, because she could make it in any sport she tries," Jensen said.
"I know netball are after her, but I also know that the Black Ferns will look at her as well and the Hurricanes have already mooted that she's a player on their radar and that she's likely to pick up a Super Rugby contract within the next couple of years.
"It's about having some fun and finding what she enjoys the most and that's pretty much the advice that I've given her. She just needs to make the right decision for herself, because you'll have a lifelong career in it if you're happy."
Awa has always excelled in most things. A prodigiously-talented basketballer, she's also a Ross Shield-winning captain, touch and rugby league player.
But now we're down to two sports where the professional ranks beckon, both of which appeal in slightly different ways.Awa was Jensen's understudy as Tui halfback this year but, with the latter having recently retired, the Hawke's Bay No 9 jersey is hers - should she opt for rugby.
Netball or rugby? The juggling act of Flaxmere's rising sporting star
Kahlia Awa's a Tui and could be a Hurricane. But the Pulse could come calling too.
