Twins set to make contest history

T-vahni Tuliau and sister Deijah at training with their Hastings West team mates.

Brother-and-sister twins are set to open another chapter in Hawke's Bay rugby history in next week's Ross Shield primary schools tournament in Hastings.

T-vahni Tuliau and sister Deijah have been named in the Hastings West team for the five-day tournament at Lindisfarne College, starting on Tuesday.

While it's more than 15 years since the 113-year-old tournament had its first female player, and there've been several sets of male twins, it's thought they're the first unisex twins.

Pupils of Peterhead School in Flaxmere, and just turned 13, the've played for MAC since the 5th grade, and played in Hastings West D and C grade representative teams.

Father and long-time senior club player Sanele "Narley" Tuliau said T-vahni and Daijah started this season playing for Flaxmere because MAC didn't have enough players in their grade.

But the youngsters soon regrouped and the two began playing for their chosen club again. Deijah, one of two girls in this year's Hastings West side, is a midfield back, and T-vahny an openside flanker.

They reached the near-ultimate Hawke's Bay school children's rugby goal when they were named for the Ross Shield in a Hastings West squad of 22.

On Saturday night they were able to meet with former Hastings West player Chris Eaton, just a few hours after Eaton played in a Ranfurly Shield defence against Bay of Plenty.

In a Napier City Council chambers function on Monday night, Napier Ross Shield team members had their tournament caps presented to them by another Magpie, All Black and Super Rugby player Zac Guildford.

While the 132 players in the tournament will, like their predecessor, all have goals, so too does the dad of a certain pair of twins.

Co-coach of MAC's Premier-Reserve grade side, Narley Tuliau, 37, said: "My goal is to play at least one senior game with my son."

Hastings West play Central Hawke's Bay in the opening game of next week's tournament.