ON COURSE: Other Mangonui clubs will take little inspiration that current championships Awanui were well into their pre-season preparations ahead of the coming senior rugby winter campaign.
ON COURSE: Other Mangonui clubs will take little inspiration that current championships Awanui were well into their pre-season preparations ahead of the coming senior rugby winter campaign.
Awanui is representing Northland at the national club rugby sevens finals in Wellington this Saturday and Sunday.
The Far North club qualified for the two-day 2016 Middlesex National Club 7s Championship tournament at Wainuiomata as the top team in the province.
Despite finishing runners-up to overall champions Hikurangi (thanks inpart to missing the first of the three legs in the 2015 domestic series), Awanui were given the nod to represent Northland at the national final by dint of being the only local team to win a tournament outright in last year's championship (the third and final event at Kerikeri in mid-November).
It's the third consecutive year Awanui has represented Northland. In 2014, Awanui reached the semi finals at Pakuranga, and failed to progress from section play at the Mount last year (despite leading all their pool games at halftime)
The Awanui team named for the 2016 national club 7s is, Denny Windelborn (captain), Sean Windelborn Rawiri, Dane Subritzky, Xavier Dromgool, Hamish Pomare, Hayden Lloyd, Troy Harvey, Matthew Tuatagaloa, Kyle Thomson, Aporia Qata, Morgan Harvey, Isimeli Taqea and Waisea Lawebuka (as a dispensated guest player); along with Nathan Waipouri (water technician), Murray Blithe (manager) and Glen Subritzky (coach).
The side leaves tomorrow and is due to return on Monday. Manager Glen Subrtizky noted many of the players had collectively fundraised over the summer to help contribute to the cost involved in attending the event.
Awanui are the current holders of the Mangonui senior rugby club championship, and have won the Bell Shield for the past three seasons without suffering a single defeat or draw. The club also claimed two age grade titles at the 2016 Mangonui JMB World Cup tournament, while the Awanui women claimed Mangonui's premier netball title.
