Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

AIMS Games: Tauranga Intermediate beat Te Puke to claim first rugby sevens title

David Beck
By David Beck
Multimedia sports journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
13 Sep, 2019 05:09 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Te Puke and Tauranga Intermediate students embrace after a hard fought AIMS Games Rugby Sevens final. Photo / David Beck

Te Puke and Tauranga Intermediate students embrace after a hard fought AIMS Games Rugby Sevens final. Photo / David Beck

The rivalry between Tauranga and Te Puke rugby teams has long been a fierce one.

That is proving true at all levels. Earlier this year, Tauranga West beat Te Puke in the Tai Mitchell final, a moment of redemption after losing to them in the previous year's final.

Many of those same players were in action again during the AIMS Games Rugby Sevens boys' final, at Blake Park today,as defending champions Te Puke Intermediate took on 2018 runners-up Tauranga Intermediate.

Once again it was the Tauranga side who gained redemption, beating their Te Puke counterparts 24-21 to shake the title of bridesmaids and emerge victorious.

That game, along with the girls' final beforehand, drew one of the biggest crowds of the AIMS Games. Wainuiomata Intermediate were in commanding form in the girls' final, beating Glen Eden Intermediate 17-7.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Te Puke and Tauranga Intermediate students embrace after a hard fought AIMS Games Rugby Sevens final. Photo / David Beck
Te Puke and Tauranga Intermediate students embrace after a hard fought AIMS Games Rugby Sevens final. Photo / David Beck

Tauranga assistant coach Atirau Ohia said he could not be prouder of the way his side played.

"I've been with this team since the beginning and they've never won here. This is the first time - we've been to the finals plenty of times but always been bridesmaids.

"This year I think it came down to a special group of players, a little bit of extra preparation and being well managed off the paddock."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said it was important to him and the other coaches to help the boys become good men, not just good rugby players. The message was clearly getting across to the boys as they consoled their heart broken Te Puke rivals after the game.

"They've been outstanding, not just on the field where they've played really well, but off the field as well. Their general behaviour, the camaraderie, how they've managed themselves away from games has been outstanding. Deserved winners I think.

Discover more

AIMS Games: Goals galore for Ōtūmoetai

09 Sep 07:30 AM

QuickRip a welcome addition to AIMS Games

09 Sep 05:21 AM

Para swimmer finding even more success in coaching role

18 Sep 02:14 AM

Roller Mills canned, what about Tai Mitchell?

24 Nov 06:30 PM
Tauranga Intermediate's Dylan Henderson makes a break against Te Puke Intermediate during the AIMS Games Rugby Sevens boys' final. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
Tauranga Intermediate's Dylan Henderson makes a break against Te Puke Intermediate during the AIMS Games Rugby Sevens boys' final. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

"These are memories they'll hold for life and it's not just the memories in the games, it's the memories they make with their brothers in the tent and walking around. They've been extremely grateful to referees and the opposition. I think they were humble winners and I'm really proud of the way they've held themselves."

He said Bay of Plenty locals were "very lucky" to have the AIMS Games in their backyard.

"I think one of the reasons that ourselves and Te Puke are here is because it's in Tauranga and I hope it never leaves."

AIMS Games Rugby Sevens Placings

Boys:
1st Tauranga Intermediate, 2nd Te Puke Intermediate, 3rd Manurewa Intermediate.

Girls:
1st Wainuiomata Intermediate, 2nd Glen Eden Intermediate, 3rd Holy Cross School (Papatoetoe).

Quick Rip:
1st Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, 2nd Orewa College, 3rd Kamo Intermediate.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Sport

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Whakarewarewa dominated Te Puna with a 57-10 win in Rotorua.

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM
'Horrible': Memorial for deaf, blind man killed in alleged hit-and-run is destroyed

'Horrible': Memorial for deaf, blind man killed in alleged hit-and-run is destroyed

08 Jul 10:50 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP