Celebrating 35-game winning streak

ANENDRA SINGH
Grant Boyes knows all about the politics of winning and losing.
The way the Hastings Rugby and Sports Club sixth grade coach looks at it is: if it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why keep scores?
His team agree. "Smoking" their opponents is what his 6- and 7-year-olds have been doing ever since they slipped on their navy blue, white and green hoop jerseys last season.
"People often say it's wrong to win all the time but I feel there's enough things out there in life to test us, so it's important that we learn to win things too," Boyes said. "It's often a long season for them starting from the first of May and through to the 31st of August. They have won all their 35 games in the two seasons."
One of the keys to the success of the team, made up predominantly of Twyford School pupils, is the strike rate of 90 per cent turnout for the 90-minute practice sessions.
But the 45-year-old bloodstock consultant said parents and principles were equally important.
"The parents are just great. They don't just drop them off at training and leave but actually stay to watch them, so the kids are always trying to impress them." Boyes admitted being blown away by the turnout to their last match last weekend when the children drew from siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles to grandparents on the sidelines to cheer them on.
The principles of sportsmanship- commitment, skill and passion - are the cornerstone of their team philosophy.
Of course, the club is instrumental in providing first aid kits, mouthguards and kit.
Reluctant to single out "stars", Boyes said there was a four-way tie in the top tryscorer stakes between Mitchell McLeod, Tyler Boyes, Tom Charteris and Luke Merwood.
"They are a happy bunch of boys and we're very proud of them."
What, no girls in the team?
"Nah, no sheilas," one of them yelled and the others chorused as parents stifled laughter on the sidelines.
The club grouped the children into one team in their inaugural fifth grade year because they went to the same school with Oscar Malpas, of Maraekakaho School, and Feofaaki (Offah to everyone else) Teu, of Flaxmere School, completing the make-up of 12. Lennard Kay had helped coach that year but this season had moved down one grade to help his other child.
Feofaaki could not be at yesterday's photo shoot because he was holidaying with his family in Rarotonga and also catching up on his heritage.
"He missed out on the [end-of-season team] photo too but it's also important that he knows where he comes from. He didn't score the most tries but he was very inspiring and the kids fed off him," said Boyes, emphasising that executing crunching tackles gave way to honing basic skills, such as passing and kicking, for the 40-minute matches.
So what do the children have to say in anticipation of next season's full-contact games?
Oscar, the heaviest at 29.5kg and boasting the "greatest manners you could ask of a child", said: "It's fun to smash people over."
Tyler says: "It's really fun hanging out with your mates."
Mitchell quips: "It's cool to play in the rain and mud."
Luke Kay, the lightest at 18kg, seems a little shy but sticks his thumbs up for good measure.