Hawkes Bay Schoolboy Rugby
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This article is from Sunday, 7 August 2022:
Hastings' hopes snuffed out
Hastings beaten in big schools match, but Te Aute wins in smaller schools' clash
Edit: Te Aute prop Karleil Hewitt looks huge on the photo in that article! I wonder whether he's related to Norm?
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I just saw the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council fixture list and it seems they have changed the format of the Hurricanes Cup (qualifier for the Top 4).
It looks like the Wellington Premiership runner-up has been dropped from the format in favour of the 1st ranked Hurricanes team in the CNI (CNI champion Feilding HS is in this year's Hurricanes Cup schedule). That's a positive development as Wellington Premiership schools shouldn't automatically have two semi-final spots. Feilding HS will play in one of the semi-finals. The dodgy stuff is, however, in the placing of the other respective competition representatives in the semi-finals.
Traditionally, one of the semi-final spots is played for in a challenger match between the 2nd ranked Hurricanes team in the Super 8 (this year, Napier Boys') and a challenger team. That challenger match was originally intended to give schools from outside the main competitions (Super 8 and Wellington Premiership) - including rural schools - a chance to play for a spot in the Top 4. In practice, at least the last few years, the challenger match was, however, played for between the 2nd and 3rd ranked Hurricanes teams in the Super 8 (3rd ranked this year is again Palmy Boys'). I don't know why Feilding HS or Whanganui Collegiate didn't claim a spot in that match.
Under the old format, the winner of the challenger match played the Wellington Premiership winner in the semi-final. The other semi-final was played between the 1st ranked Hurricanes team in the Super 8 (this year, Hastings Boys') and the Wellington Premiership runner-up. Because the Super 8 teams have dominated the Wellington Premiership teams at least for the last 6 years, this resulted in all Hurricanes Super 8 finals, most of the time Hastings Boys' v Napier Boys'. This was fully based on merit.
So what have they done now? Instead of ensuring that the strongest schools and/or schools playing in the same competition (Super 8 ) are on opposite sides of the semifinal schedule, enabling the strongest possible final, they have now placed all Hurricanes Super 8 schools at the same side. So the winner of that challenger match no longer plays the Wellington Premiership winners, but the 1st ranked Hurricanes Super 8 school. This makes an all Hurricanes Super 8 final impossible!
If this is a conspiracy to give Wellington schools a better chance of reaching the Hurricanes Cup final, I hope Feilding beats whoever wins the Wellington comp!
I'm not sure this is the case, and whether this format is for 2022 only, or not, but it really should be a different schedule next year! If it remains the same, we'll never see an all Hurricanes Super 8/Hawke's Bay Final again! No more Hastings Boys v Napier Boys playing for the Hurricanes Cup!Anyway, the challenger match between Napier Boys and Palmy Boys is this Saturday, 20 August, in Napier. @Higgins might be interested?
For who prefers pictures, I made this graphic of the Hurricanes Cup format:
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By the way, I hope they'll do this, there is an opportunity to make the Hurricanes Cup semi-final between Hastings Boys' and the winner of the challenger match the curtain raiser of the Magpies v North Harbour Ranfurly Shield game on Sat 27 August. That would be awesome, especially if Napier Boys' win the challenger match. It may not be the Hurricanes Cup final (which will be played in Palmerston North, regardless of who the finalists are), but it may be a better game than that final.
Edit: there's even an opportunity for a triple header, as I think the FPC Championship quarter finals are played that day as well, and the Tui have a good chance to host one of those QFs.
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Again, a very close game between Napier Boys' and Palmy Boys'. At half time, the boys from the Poo were leading, but in the end, Napier Boys' finished on top. So, next week's Hurricanes Cup semi-final will be played between Hastings Boys' and Napier Boys'.
FT score: Napier Boys' 16 - 14 Palmerston North Boys' (HT: 7 - 8 )
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@Stargazer Excellent, now the chance to smoke some second rate wellington outift all over again. No doubt the powers that be will somehow deem the Wellington side to be the home team. Unless they use the Showgrounds in Palmy as a neutral venue like they have sometimes in the past.
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@Stargazer How on earth did they lose that lead?
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@Nepia I've noticed that - the last few years - Hastings Boys' switch off after the Super 8. Last year, Napier Boys' also beat Hastings Boys' in the Hurricanes Cup Final, while during the season, Hastings Boys' was clearly the better team. This year, there was less separating the teams. It's a coach killer, considering they had a big lead at half time.
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From the club rugby website:
There will be a new National Top Four First XV champion following the Hurricanes Regional semi-finals.
Defending National title holders Hastings Boys’ High School were upset by Napier Boys’ High School 20-17, rallying from 3-17 down at halftime. Hastings were the hosts and turned down the chance to play a curtain raiser to the Hawke’s Bay Ranfurly Shield match against North Harbour at McLean Park.
Napier play Silverstream next week to determine who will represent the Hurricanes region at the Top 4.I wonder why Hastings Boys' didn't want to play the game at McLean Park. It can't be to avoid scouts, who'll go to a match at the school anyway. Too much pressure coming from playing in a big stadium? Or because they expected more supporters at their home ground? (I know some clubs didn't really want to play their club finals at McLean Park for that reason.)
They also don't release team lists, don't announce games. Total radio silence on their FB page. This was different a few years ago. Is this a policy change, or just because the person who was the admin of their FB page has left and no one has taken over?
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Hurricanes Cup Final
Napier Boys' take on St Pat's Silverstream on Friday, 2 September 2022.
Why on earth is this Final played in Palmerston North as the curtain raiser of Manawatū v Ta$man? They could have played it before or after the Hawke's Bay Tui game at McLean Park in front of a home crowd!
Anyway, this game will be live on Sky Sport 1 from 4.30pm.
