“When we announced on Monday last week that things were starting up at the weekend, there was euphoria.”
Thirty-five juniors ran through skill relays, one-on-one and two-on-two attacking drills, tackling and clean-out drills and high-ball catching.
No sooner had the LRB crew returned from the East Coast at 12.45pm than guest coaches Gillies and Shiray Kaka were casting their critical eye over the Boys’ High first 15.
Tauranga-based former All Black Sevens fullback Gillies Kaka was impressed.
“They ripped into it and worked hard to learn new things — a bit of that was stuff we’d touched on up at Tolaga, but here it was dealt with in greater detail,” he said.
“We covered more ground on evasion — on changing the defensive picture — and played conditioning games, which were variations of touch.
“There’s a lot of talent over this way. The boys were sharp and made me work . . . one in particular was light on his feet.”
That player was hotstepper King Maxwell.
In the open session following the first 15 clinic, girls’ rugby emerging talent impressed, Rubi Hart and Gisborne Intermediate Year 7 student Hine Brooking prominent among them.
Hart, now in Year 9 at Gisborne Girls’ High, was captain of the all-conquering Gis Int girls’ team who won their Super 11 sevens tournament at Mt Maunganui last August. The 13-year-old second five-eighth was enthusiastic about the clinic.
“It was awesome,” she said.
“We had lots of one-on-one time with them. With Gillies, we did chip-kicks and grubber-kicks, and Shiray even refereed the game of touch we played to finish. Really it was just a relief to still be able to run.”
LRB director Luke Bradley was pleased with the day.
“We had 150 players through. It was a great experience for the kids. They saw that professional athletes are relatable, accessible and more than willing to share.”
