Tournament ‘biggest and best yet’

TRY TIME: Johnny Ika, of Hawke’s Bay team MAC, runs in for a try as Bumbles’ Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea tries to make a tackle and Lyric Baty-Akurangi follows up in the Turanga Sevens at Rugby Park on Saturday. Pictures by Liam Clayton

RUGBY SEVENS

This year’s Turanga Sevens tournament was the biggest and best yet, with 11 teams playing in a festival of rugby.

Hawke’s Bay team MAC beat Waikohu 19-17 in the final to win the tournament.

Campbell Hall, of Waikohu, was the tournament’s MVP (most valuable player), after putting in a standout performance for the Lee Bros Shield-winning club.

Poverty Bay Rugby’s community rugby manager Ray Noble said it was an “awesome” final, with both teams fighting hard to the final whistle.

His highlights of the day were the women’s games between Lytton under-19s and GMC, with the Lytton girls winning both highly competitive games.

Every men’s team played at least four times, with the finalists having six games over the day.

With a maximum of 14 players in a squad, teams had to make the most of their whole bench as the heat from the day took its toll.

Noble said the feedback had been really positive, with everyone happy to be out on the field playing in a carnival-style atmosphere.

“I saw a lot of fair play, like people going down with cramp and the opposition helping them (stretch it) out.”

On behalf of the union, he praised the work of the rugby referees who made the day happen.

“I want to give a plug to the referees — Mark Green, Isaac Hughes, Aaron Brown, Damien Macpherson and Hugh Fitzgerald.”

Noble says the union hopes the success of this year’s Turanga Sevens will foster the continued growth of the competition.

“It was quite a big day, and it was way bigger than last year.”