Aim to help players and coaches

REDS ON THE RUN: Poverty Bay under-13 prop Kitini Taihuka leads the charge against Hawke’s Bay at Rugby Park on Saturday. Poverty Bay won 34-30 in front of an appreciative crowd. Pictures by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

UNDER-13 rugby players in Poverty Bay will develop skills and game plans in a week-long series starting on Sunday.

What was once known as the McDonald’s Tournament — a two-day series of matches for u13 players weighing up to 56 kilograms — is now more about helping players and coaches improve their game.

The McDonald’s Under-13 Development Series has expanded to allow more time for skills drills and team training sessions and the series will end with games and awards at the Oval on Friday next week.

Poverty Bay Heartland coaches Tom Cairns and Miah Nikora will be among the tutors testing out the skills of the young players on Sunday and passing on tips.

Players will be weighed and then separated into teams.

They will have four 40-minute sessions — taking the ball into contact; run, catch and pass; tackling technique; and the breakdown.

Team training sessions will be run on Monday and Wednesday, with games on that Wednesday and Friday.

Players weighing more than 56kg may take part on Sunday only, unless enough registrations in the open category flow in to allow two more teams to go head to head.

Dwayne Russell, who has led the development of the series for the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union, said the event was modelled on an u14 camp in Taupo.

Those camps are held annually in July and are a joint project by Heartland unions.

“The kids will learn from volunteer coaches, learn rugby values and build on their core skills,” Russell said.

Traditionally, the tournament was held in the first week of school holidays after Term 2.

The junior rugby calendar had a revamp this year, enabling club rugby to be played within the school term and the McDonald’s series after that.

A representative team will not be named this year, as this was considered inconsistent with the development focus of the series.

Junior Advisory Board chairwoman Cara Haines said coaches also had a chance to step up and learn new things.

“It’s not just about developing players but coaches as well.”

McDonald’s provides the prizes, including sports biographies.

A review of the 2018 junior rugby season said the u13 tournament received mixed reviews from people surveyed.

Mixing the teams up — rather than splitting them along geographical lines — was “well received” but promotion and organisation of the event was criticised.

The use of “guest coaches” taking charge of the teams was also welcomed.

The union commented in the review that more support was needed for those coaches.

It has taken a more proactive approach this year, bringing in Cairns, Nikora and former Ngati Porou East Coast and Poverty Bay u18 coach Willie Waitoa.