JMB World Cup
The Eastern under-9s are strong contenders to bring home another rugby championship title to the Taipa club and follow on from the success of the senior team which won the Bell Shield earlier this month.
The side has only lost one game this season, and finished the first week - of a three-week campaign - in their 2012 Smoke Free Mangonui JMB World Cup competition last Saturday sitting second on the under-9 standings with 10 points, behind Takahue on 15.
The second round of the JMB World Cup takes place this Saturday and again sees the under-7s and -9s returning to play at Waipapakauri Domain, and the under-11s and -13s at Taipa. Play at both venues begins at 9am and continues until around 1pm.
The competition will be wrapped up on Saturday, August 25, on Arnold Rae Park.
Northland newsCoach Adriaan Ferris will unveil the Taniwha ITM Cup squad when Northland officially launches its national provincial championship campaign at Toll Stadium tomorrow (Friday) at 5.30pm.
The complete draw for the Taniwha featured in Tuesday's Age and showed the side begins its bottom tier (of seven teams) ITM Cup season on Saturday, August 25, away to an Otago side featuring Far North ex-pat Bronson Murray of Herekino.
Northland supporters will get a snapshot of what the Taniwha side may look like today, when it takes on top tier side, Auckland in a pre-season friendly for both teams at Maungakaramea. The match kicks off at 5pm and live scoring can also be followed on the side's Facebook page.
Meanwhile, many local commentators will be monitoring the naming of the Taniwha with interest, to see how many players from Far North sub-unions, the Bay of Islands at least, have been named in the side.
Stronger Far North representation will likely be found in the other 11 Northland sides including the Northland Bs, under-20s, under-18s and Viking, North Zone and South Zone sides in 16s and 14s, secondary schoolgirls and women's sevens sides. Most have been named.
Milers selectedFollowing a trial at Taipa last Sunday, several Far North players have won selection into Northland rep sides. They are, in the Northland under-18s: Mitchell Jurlina (90 Milers U18s), Josh Mane (Milers) and Alan Heighway (Milers); and Vikings under-18s: Eli Morrogh (Te Rarawa Snrs), Jordan Brown (Te Hapua Snrs), Cecil Peterson (Milers), Sean Windlebourne-Rawiri (Rarawa 16s) and Devron Phillips (Milers).
The Vikings and Northland U18s play each other at Farmlands Park in Dargaville this Saturday at 12pm. The match will be the curtainraiser before the Northland under-20s play a pre-season friendly.
Big game in Te HapuaThere's a big game of rugby on at Te Hapua this weekend, with the Waitemata under-21s playing a selection of local players aged under 21 from the Ngati Kuri and Aupouri senior club teams. Kick-off is 2.30pm, and Mat "Mat Talks" Radich has accepted the invitation to referee the match.
The Waitemata rugby side are enjoying their end of year trip in the Far North and were, apparently, staying at Waitiki Landing.