Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments
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The commentators mentioned the French have indicated they would like to send a boys and girls national team next year. Throw in the Aussies, SA and true PI teams and the tournament will be much stronger. No reason there couldn't be a Māori team too.
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@bovidae its something that really irks me that Māori rugby has really fallen off the radar especially at provincial level..there use to be a brilliant preaseason tournament that included all the coronation shield districts , for those who dont know, Northland,North Harbour,Auckland,Counties Manukau,Bay of Plenty,Waikato and Thames Valley .
There would be senior and colts teams , i realise the advent of super rugby has played a part in the decline of tournments of this nature, but in my opinion it kept young Māori especially in the game ..the number of young lads have looked across the ditch to the NRL has been staggering ..Adam Blair and James Fisher Harris are just a couple of examples of kids that were age group players in Northland but followed the league path , not saying a one off tournament would have kept them but at least it was a pathway ..i know Bay of Plenty ,Northland ,and Hawkes Bay both have a high percentage of Māori in their respective club competions ..be great to see another avenue for these kids to aspire to.Must share a story about a Māori game i attended back in the day up at Moire park in Massey ,North Harboyr Māori playing at home , and they were practically the North Harbour provincial team including the great Buck Shelford..
The Bay of Plenty team ran out looking like they had met in the car park,different colour socks and the odd player wearing different colour shorts ..what harbour did not bank on was how fired up the bay team , they played like men possessed and knocked over the harbour team ,they only had one name player, Ron Preston ..?,at first five , and he steered their team around brilliantly .
This happened well over 30 years ago, but i can remember it like it was yeaterday , it was raining heavily a great leveler back in the day. -
@steven-harris I guess that comes down to the Māori Rugby Board and the provincial unions themselves.
There have been a few age-group teams selected like the Māori U18s in 2018, who played the NZ Schools Barbarians and Fiji Schools. A quick google shows the squad with some players who have since played NPC and SR.
Bailey Gordon, Western Heights High School, Te Arawa
Billy Priestly, Gisborne Boys' High School, 0 Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti
Chris Hemi, St Patrick's College Silverstream, Ngāti Kahungunu
Cortez-Lee Ratima, Hamilton Boys' High School, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tama
Damarus Hokianga, Hastings Boys' High School, Ngāti Kahungunu
Daniel Rona, New Plymouth Boys' High School, Te Atiawa
Jack Gray, Ponsonby Rugby Club, Ngāti Whakaue
Jayden Walker, Napier Boys' High School, Ngāti Kahungunu
Jordan Thompson-Dunn, Hastings Boys' High School, Ngāti Kahungunu
Kynan Stowers-Smith, St Bede's College, Ngāti Tama
Leo Ngatai-Tafau, St Peters College (Auckland), Ngāti Porou, Tainui
Leo Thompson, Napier Boys' High School, Ngai Tā Manuhiri, Ngāti Rangiwewehi
Niko Manaena, Southland Boys' Boys High School, Ngāti Porou, Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu
Nikora Broughton, Hato Paora College, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Te Āti Haunui ā Papaprangi
Oliver Parkinson, Auckland Grammar School, Te Arawa, Te Rarawa
Raniera Peterson, Upper Hutt Rams, Ngāti Kahungunu
Ruben Love, Palmerston Boys' High School, Te Atiawa
Samuel Sexton-Walton, Karamu High School, Ngāti Kahungunu
Taylor Dale, Otago Boys' High School, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whatua
Te Paea Cook-Savage, St Paul's Collegiate, Ngai Takato
Te Rama Reuben, Rotorua Boys' High School, Ngāti Awa, Ngati Rangi, Te Arawa
Terrell Peita, Mt Albert Grammar, Te Rarawa Kaiwhare
Thomas Murray-Edwards, New Plymouth Boys' High School, Ngati Whakaue
Tiaki Fabish, Napier Boys' High School, Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Whanau ā Apanui
Zach Ririnui, Rotorua Boys' High School, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui -
@steven-harris Now that is a player (Preston) who could control a game with his booming boot. Quite under-rated.
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@stargazer said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:
Awful jersey clash in the men's game. NZ wearing black (obviously); Fiji mostly black with some white (making it look dark grey).
It’s not hard NZ=black, Fiji=white, Oz=yellow, baabaas=red
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@stargazer said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:
BFs missing lots of players due to Aupiki.
Was Niall Williams back? Aust didn't send a team - a shame.
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Interesting score. The Aussie team has both newbies and experienced players (team naming).
