Rugby: East: It's the mayor's shout

Hastings East celebrate their Ross Shield win in Wairoa on Saturday with ardent Wairoa supporter Gavin Jones, right in green, getting in on the act. PHOTO/GLEN SIMMERS, WAIROA STAR

It's dinner on the mayor!" This was the triumphant yell from members of the Laser Electrical Hastings East team after they captured the Ross Shield at the 113th edition of the Hawke's Bay Primary Schools rugby tournament in Wairoa on Saturday.

Hastings East finished the tournament unbeaten as they did when they last won the tournament in 2012 and ended their campaign with a 63-0 walloping of winless Scanpower Dannevirke.

Hastings East manager Ian Horsefield pointed out Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule had promised the entire squad dinner at Breakers in Hastings if they won and within 30 minutes of the final whistle in their game a text had been sent to the mayor to see which night this week would be appropriate.

Seven East players - captain Jordan Thompson-Dunn, Rob Slabbekorn, Art Thompson, Dallas Ashman, Latrell Ah Kiong, Marcus Moat and Henry Williams - were selected in the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team. Moat travelled home with the Taupo Trophy for player-of-the-tournament.

"It was pretty good to win that as I thought I was way out of the running. This is my first season as a loose forward and I used to be a winger," Havelock North Intermediate Year 8 student Moat explained afterwards.

He was full of praise for the work done by his Hastings Rugby and Sports club coach Travis Dorward to prepare him for his first Ross Shield tournament. Moat will attend Hastings Boys' High School next year.

Thompson-Dunn was a member of the East team which finished third last year and he was thrilled to captain them to title honours this year. He was looking forward to the Bay team's games against Poverty Bay and the Hawke's Bay under-13s.

Horsefield said both East coaches, Andrew Hui and Ford Panirau, and himself will return in an attempt to go back-to-back when Hastings host next year's tournament. Only one of their players, winger Art Thompson, will be eligible next year.

ISO Limited Napier centre Reece Akuhata finished the week with 13 tries to equal the tournament record, set by Napier's Shae Tucker in 2008, after scoring two tries in Saturday's 22-0 win against IMS Payroll Hastings West.

Silver Fern Farms Central were the big improvers during the week and finished their campaign with a 15-5 win against hosts Affco Wairoa to finish third overall.

Wairoa won the Ron Pierce Memorial Fair Play Trophy and their versatile centre-No8 Zinzan Ropitini was named captain of the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team.