League: Good lessons learnt for high school teams

Kamo's Tawai Brown, 14, makes a break. Photos / Michael Cunningham.

When it comes to getting rid of a little unwanted aggression, there's nothing like a physical game of rugby league to clear out the system.

Students from Kamo and Tikipunga's Tane Raakau Ora Initiative programme faced off in a match last week with the game the centre piece of their end-of-year function. The match was preceded by hangi and haka, but was part of a bigger lesson for the two groups of boys.

"The confrontational nature of rugby league teaches you to be disciplined within the terms of aggression but, above all, that you are brothers once the whistle goes to end the game," Rugby League Northland manager Alex Smits said.

Smits was involved with organising the game because the programme teaches the same values as the RLN ideal of "Brothers in League".

Ki A Ora Ngatiwai Health Trust runs the Tane Raakau Ora programme - which literally means stand strong like a tree and protect those beneath you - and it has been running successfully for two years.

Whanau Ora navigator and programme coordinator Clint Edwards said they have been working with Year 9 and 10 boys at the two colleges. "It's all about providing positive role models and leadership for at-risk boys to help them to understand what the role of males should be like in our community."

As well as providing contact with role models from the community, career advice is given and opportunities are offered to try to broaden the outlook of the students, some of whom have been raised in extreme poverty and social hardship.

The league match between the two colleges that host the programme - Kamo High School and Tikipunga was seen as a fitting end to the programme.

Edwards said over half of the boys had never played a game of league before and they had enjoyed the physical challenge. He said the programme has been well supported by both high schools and had helped give teachers the belief the boys can be engaged and taught.

Kamo High School won the encounter to level the scores at 1-1 after Tikipunga won the match last year.