Gis Int A coach Barry Huhu, in his second year at the 10-a-side tourney, was also delighted.
“Our focus was to stay calm under pressure, do the little things right and the results would come. I asked individuals to back themselves and know that we as a team supported each other,” he said.
“I'm stoked that these kids got to share their love of rugby on this stage, win with a golden-point try in the far corner, and be swamped by all 14 team members and the crowd.
“Charlie's a good boy. He's a leader in learning in class and transfers those skills into everything he does. The kids were amazing, great ambassadors for Gis Int and rugby. For some it may be the biggest game they play, for others it will be a stepping stone to higher honours.”
Coach Huhu reserved special praise for two players.
“Leilah Sadlier-Wyrill and Georgie Beaufoy were selected on their skill, passion and toughness and held their own, ran and tackled as hard as anyone. They'll be a force to be reckoned with should they stay on the pathway to women's rugby.”
Gisborne Intermediate principal Glen Udall spoke of the tremendous community response regarding billets, the participants' positive experience, the sportsmanship shown, the now-blazered chaperones' assistance of all eight teams and the support of staff.
One hundred and twelve Gisborne Intermediate students played in the fixture. With no provision in the rules for tied scores in the final, tournament co-ordinator Wayne Ensor — with the blessing of Barry Huhu and Tauranga coach Clayton Parai — made the call to play five extra minutes for the best reason imaginable: “Those teams — those players — deserved a winner.”
Tauranga's Putoko Thompson scored the first try in the final, and their captain Shima Fletcher spoke for the country's biggest middle school: “We had an awesome day playing rugby against tough opposition and although we didn't win the tournament, we did make some new friends. We'll learn from this experience, in preparation for our up-and-coming competition back home.”
Tauranga's tournament Most Valuable Player was Tommy Verran.
Terry Reeves did a tremendous job of refereeing a fast final, with Gisborne Boys' High School and Gisborne Girls' High School officials also involved. Udall thanked the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union referee/coach development manager Miah Nikora, as well as PBRFU player development manager Kahu Tamatea for their support. Both attended the event.
Games at the 12th annual tourney involving Poverty Bay (Gis Int A, Gis Int Taniwha, Gis Int Giants, Ilminster Intermediate) and Bay of Plenty (Tauranga, Te Puke, Taupo) teams played seven-minute halves, 14-minute games on the Gisborne Intermediate Blue, Red and Yellow Fields. This year Taradale, the sole entry from Hawke's Bay, also participated.
In Round 1, Gis Int A beat Taradale 3-0, Te Puke 2-0 and Gis Int Taniwha 8-0 in Pool A, then beat Taupo 5-1 in the semi-final.
In Pool A the Taniwha, coached by Wayne Ensor's fellow tournament co-ordinator Quentin Mill and led by Taine Poole and Oscar Hayward, lost 5-0 to Te Puke and 4-0 to Taradale before their clash with the A team, then lost the play-off for 7th-8th 5-2 to the Giants. In Pool B, Reg Namana's Giants, captained by Ollie Mackintosh, lost 2-1 to Taupo, 6-0 to Tauranga and 1-0 to Taupo before the play-offs.
Also in Pool B, under coach Rikki Terekia, the Jayduz Reeves-led Ilminster team lost 8-0 to Tauranga and 1-0 to Taupo before their win against the Giants propelled them into the game for 5th-6th. They beat Taradale 1-0 to come fifth.
The MVP Awards for each of the Poverty Bay teams were made to Charlie Denton (Gis Int A), Angus Thomas (Taniwha), Coen Theros-Brown and Mehaka Pohatu-Chaffey (Giants) and Jayduz Reeves (Ilminster).
