Quality family time during the school holidays was tested for two Hawke's Bay families when the Wakely Shield rugby tournament began in Taradale yesterday.
Napier West captain Jack Lawson is used to playing in teams coached by his father Brett at the Taradale club. He did it for eight years before his father opted to take up refereeing this year.
"This was the first time we had been with opposing teams. It was pretty different but I could read all his team's moves," Jack said, after Napier West thrashed the Saracens 68-0 in the final game on day one of the 12th edition of the under-50kg event at Carters Arms Park.
"I thought the score would be a lot closer," he said, rubbing the victory into the old man a little more.
The 13-year-old third-year Wakely Shield player said the win was the start they wanted in their quest to prevent Hastings East from winning a third consecutive title. One of his props, Jack McCarthy, played against his younger brother, Saracens fullback Lachlan McCarthy, for the first time. They have been teammates throughout the grades and this season played together in the same 12th grade team as Lawson.