Rugby: Youngsters set to rip it up at nationals

Te Akau ki Papamoa School Rippa Rugby team. Front, Charlize Goldsmith (left), Imig Hawkins, Saffron Hose, Kayah Cowan, Tiana Webster. Back, Tane Bennett (left, coach), Tyresse Tipene, Corban Laban-Palme, Max Miller, Reef Newdick, Cooper Gibson, Kase Meyer (travelling reserve), Brad Fleming (coach).

Te Akau ki Papamoa School will represent Bay of Plenty at the National Rippa Rugby Tournament in Wellington in September.

The school made it through for the first time, after finishing in the top four out of 32 Year 5-6 teams at the Western Bay qualifiers two weeks ago, before winning the Bay of Plenty play-offs held in Paengaroa against the best teams from Central and Eastern Bay.

The students, coaches and support crew will fly down to the capital with travel and accommodation expenses covered by NZ Rugby.

Tane Bennett, deputy principal at Te Akau ki Papamoa School, coached the team alongside Brad Fleming.

He said the whole school community was thrilled with the success.

"We are extremely excited and very proud of our schools representative team after being runners-up on two previous occasions," Bennett said.

"The team played Selwyn Primary in the semifinal and won 6-4, and played Otonga in the final and won 7-2. I think it is a group of kids that Brad and myself have had under our wings since we started teaching together here, three-and-a-half years ago.

"We have had the chance to try and bring the best out of them in a sporting sense and I think we are seeing the fruits of that now."

Bennett said winning the Bay of Plenty tournament "would be one of the biggest achievements for the school, purely because the rewards in this sense is a trip to Wellington".

"We have had individual sportsmen who have done really well, like making New Zealand representation in basketball, and we still do dominate in basketball, but looking in the trophy cabinet, there is not one that would be up there with this as a team sport.

"Last year Opotiki Primary represented our region, finishing third overall. We hope to improve on this result."

Te Akau ki Papamoa, results: Westbrook Primary won 6-3, Otonga Primary drew 4-4, Malfroy Primary won 6-3, St Joseph's Whakatane won 7-2, Arataki Primary won 7-3, Semifinal v Selwyn Primary won 6-4, Final v Otonga won 7-2.