The Dannevirke under-9 representative rugby team, winners of the Mainfreight Marist junior 7s tournament in Palmerston North. Photo / Sheryl Augustine
The Dannevirke under-9 representative rugby team, winners of the Mainfreight Marist junior 7s tournament in Palmerston North. Photo / Sheryl Augustine
Rugby coach Quinny Olsen says his under-9 Dannevirke representative team are true champions with an unbeaten record this season.
"These guys are just 8 and, for their age, they're exceptional," he told the Dannevirke News.
"We've done what I believe no other Dannevirke primary school representative team has done, takenout back-to-back sevens tournaments and gone through the season unbeaten.
"They're a massive little team and the more they played, the better they became."
Last Sunday, the Dannevirke under-9 team took on Freyberg in the finals of the Mainfreight Marist Junior 7s tournament at Ongley Park in Palmerston North where 73 teams competed in a number of grades.
"We smoked them," Olsen said. "We did this win a lot easier than our win in the Rahui 7s at Otaki earlier. Our boys did it for Dannevirke and I never doubted they would win."
However, Olsen admits this is probably the sort of team a coach would only get once in a while and it's now his ambition to take them through to the under-13 level where they could be considered for Ross Shield caps.
"The Prouting boys came to us via Canterbury and they're big boys, something we don't usually have in our young teams here."
Olsen said last weekend Tamati Rautahi was a standout. "He was awesome," he said.
"But Chance Sherrard-Chase, Josh Augustine and Rico Castles also played well, as did Jarvis Kerr and the Prouting boys.
"I'm rapt with how they've gone and so proud of the team and the way they've performed this season.
The Dannevirke under-9 representative rugby team, winners of the Mainfreight Marist junior 7s tournament in Palmerston North. Photo / Sheryl Augustine
"From 11 games, we've won 10 and drawn just one against Central Hawke's Bay. We're going to have a great under-13 team if they all stick to it."
At the Marist 7s, Dannevirke played five games to get into the final and, in the semifinals, faced Marist Black who had beaten them last year.
"We won 11 tries to one," Olsen said.
"We went on to the finals and defeated Freyberg 12 tries to two and other than a tough game against Kia Toa, we cruised through. Our kids were stoked. Our defence was exceptional, even though the kids went to sleep a bit in the middle, because it had been such a big day."
The key to his team's success was working hard at practice, Olsen said.
"They know they're a really good team, but they work at it."
