Rugby: Hastings East boys take top honours

CHAMPIONS: Hastings East boys' rugby team with the Wakely Shield. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

Hastings East prop and captain Blake Tressider was fired up at the start of this week's Wakely Shield rugby tournament in Taradale.

"I missed out on last year's Hastings East team and I wanted to make up for that this year," the Hastings Intermediate School Year 8 student explained yesterday.

Tressider, 12, couldn't have done much more on his make-up mission.

He led his side to title honours at the 11th edition of the tournament, which caters for players under 50kg, and he travelled home with the Josh Kronfeld Medal for player of the tournament.

With his team beating Hastings West 41-0 in yesterday's "Battle of Hastings" they joined the Hastings East Ross Shield team and C and D grade rep teams as East teams to win their respective competitions with unbeaten runs this year.

"Everything went pretty well," Tressider said.

The Hastings Rugby and Sports Club player, who ranks All Black captain Richie McCaw as his favourite player, has been playing rugby since he was five.

In addition to the prop role he can also play flanker and next year will attend Karamu High School.

"The long-term goal is to be a professional player," he said.

He was one of five Hastings East players to be named in the tournament team. The others were winger Wesley Akeripa, who won the tournament sprint trophy, lock Zac Strong, No8 Wharewaiata Rolls and first five-eighth Harry Mowat.

Hastings East coach Mark Solomon was named tournament coach. Solomon was also head coach of last year's title-winning Hastings East team and he said he is likely to be back next year to attempt a three-peat.

"It's been an awesome week and to get that many in the tournament team was tremendous," Solomon said before taking the team and parents to a celebration function.

Napier West secured second place with their 17-7 win against Napier East. Like Hastings East, Napier West, had five players selected in the tournament team.