Napier claims third Ross Shield title in a row, Wairoa and Dannevirke players get tournament MVP prizes

The winners after Napier claimed the Ross Shield for a third year in a row with five wins in five games at the annual primary schools sub-unions representative tournament that ended in Waipukurau on Saturday.

Napier continued its domination of the Ross Shield Hawke’s Bay Primary Schools rugby tournament when it beat fellow previously unbeaten Hastings West 22-14 on the last day in Waipukurau on Saturday.

The winners after Napier claimed the Ross Shield for a third year in a row with five wins in five games at the annual primary schools sub-unions representative tournament that ended in Waipukurau in Saturday.

Taking charge after it was 7-7 at halftime, Napier claimed the title for a third year in a row, and has had 19 consecutive tournament match wins since being beaten by Hastings East in the opening round of the 2021 tournament in Hastings.

Having been particularly dominant when winning the tournament in 2023, the showdown on Saturday was Napier’s closest call in the tournament of a match each day for five days, having previously beaten Wairoa 80-0 on the opening day last Tuesday, then Dannevirke 48-0, hosts Central Hawke’s Bay 50-7 and Hastings East 45-0.

West claimed second place, having beaten CHB 20-7, Hastings East 17-0, Dannevirke 28-8, and Wairoa 24-19.

It was a big week for CHB, who, having already beaten Wairoa and Dannevirke to claim retain country sub-unions prize the Life Members’ Salver, climaxed the week with a 24-19 win over Hastings West on Saturday and claim third place overall. It was 12-12 at halftime.

In Saturday’s other match, Wairoa completed the week with a 38-17 win over Dannevirke, after leading 24-0 at halftime.

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The Taupō Shield for the male Player of the Tournament went to Wairoa loose forward Isaiah Te Kahika, the first Wairoa winner since 2008 and a name to be added alongside such other winners as Israel Dagg (2001), and fellow Hawke’s Bay Magpies and Super Rugby stars Matthew Berquist (1995) and Richard Buckman (2002).

The Jarrod Cunningham Trophy for best girl in the tournament went to Dannevirke No 8 Erin Allison.

The Napier team, coached by Willie Tran, “J.R.” Ross, Ted Symes and Tom Symes, and managed by Bec Symes, was presented with the Ron Pierce Trophy, for best all-round performance and behaviour.

The tournament team for 2024 is: Frank Sweet, Konnahr-Phaze Kingi, Kayno Beamsley, Chance Kingi, and Darren Faiga (all Napier); Hikatoa Araia-Chadwick, Tahuwaka Kupa, Harlem-Ray Ratana, and Asha Rose Waerea (Hastings West); Harlem Lloyd, Isaiah Te Kahika, T J King, and Kustom King-Paul (Wairoa); Zack Gore, Kyan Quigan, Erin Allison, and Jearrad Stephenson (Dannevirke); Hori Bartlett, Matekairoa Makoare, and Blaze Parker (Central Hawke’s Bay); Dontay Renata-Munro and Sam Nelson (Hastings East).

The Napier team (intermediate schools unless otherwise: with their schools in brackets): Aiden Frommherz (Tamatea), Akio Crofskey (Eskdale Primary), Archie Hooper (Taradale), Baxtar MacInnes (Eskdale Primary), Campbell Johnson (Taradale), Ceza Albert-Dixon (Maraenui Bilingual), Chance Kingi (Napier), Cheylarrel Ropitini (Maraenui Bilingual), Chris Magele (Tamatea), Chris-Keil Gemmell (Napier), Darren Faiga (Napier), Dharrius-Qyaud Ramea-Brown (Napier), Franklin Sweet (Tamatea), Izzy Seerden (Tamatea), Jaxon Bound (St Patrick’s), Kayno Beamsley (Maraenui Bilingual), Kepa Symes (St Patrick’s), Konnahr-Phayze Kingi (Tamatea), Liam O’Neill (St Patrick’s), Martin Matauli (St Patrick’s), Melody Savai’I (Tamatea), Noah Walls (Taradale), Oliver Herbert (Tamatea), Ollie Mckie-Guild (St Patrick’s), Samson Sherriff (Eskdale Primary), Tai Lyver (Tamatea), Tom Tasi (Napier), Zak Edmonds (Tamatea).

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.