First XV Rugby: Rotorua Girls' High School march on

Rotorua Girls' High School first XV captain Kataraina Rauwhero-Stainton was a standout against New Plymouth Girls' High School on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Rotorua Girls' High School first XV are proving to be an unstoppable force this year. Last weekend, they beat Te Wharekura o Mauao 44-20 in the Baywide Girls' First XV Championship final to round out an unbeaten season and claim the title for the second consecutive year. That win was their ticket to a Chiefs region semifinal against New Plymouth Girls' High School on Saturday, the first step on what they hoped would be the pathway to a spot at the New Zealand First XV Top Four Girls' tournament later this year. Sports reporter David Beck was there.Next weekend, Rotorua Girls' High School will put it all on the line as they play Hamilton Girls' High School in the Chiefs region final for a spot at Top Four nationals.

In the semifinal on Saturday, they were dominant as they cruised to a 27-7 win over New Plymouth Girls' High School in Rotorua. Hamilton Girls' beat Manurewa High School 48-0 in the other semifinal.

Rotorua Girls' High School first XV captain Kataraina Rauwhero-Stainton was a standout against New Plymouth Girls' High School on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

The win was particularly meaningful for Rotorua Girls' captain Kataraina Rauwhero-Stainton, who is in her last year at the school. Being knockout rugby now, the next time her side loses will spell the end of her high school rugby career.

"It's a pretty cool feeling to know my season isn't over yet, even thought it is coming to an end which is pretty sad. It's been an absolute privilege to play for this school and play rugby with my best mates - we're more sisters than we are friends.

"It's a pretty overwhelming feeling, it's pretty cool to know all our hard work is paying off. I think the team did really, really good, there was a bit of pressure put on us during the game, we were getting tired and things were getting harder."

Rotorua Girls' were put under immense pressure on their own line during the game but their goal line defence was up to the task.

"I reckon our defence is the best it has ever been in the last few years of rugby."

Rotorua Girls' High School's Casey Flavell-Campbell sprints past a would-be tackler. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua Girls' withstood some early pressure on Saturday before opening the scoring through prop Rohakino Niupalau who dragged several defenders across the line with a rampaging run from 20m out.

Minutes later her sister, No 8 Kaimoana Niupalau got in the act, scoring off the back of a tap 5m out.

Rotorua Girls' led 17-0 at halftime after centre Casey Flavell-Campbell extended the lead. A big hit on a New Plymouth player forced the ball loose and she scooped it up to race away and score.

The home side scored again early in the second half, through winger Kishona Thapa Chettri, on the back of a superb offload by Rauwhero-Stainton, to make it 22-0.

New Plymouth proved they were still up for the fight, throwing everything at their opposition and finally breaking through a seemingly impenetrable defence to make it 22-7 with about 20 minutes left to play.

It's been an absolute privilege to play for this school and play rugby with my best mates - we're more sisters than we are friends.

Rauwhero-Stainton scored herself, slicing through a gap on the right hand side, to make the final score 27-7.

Despite the win, Rotorua Girls' coach Jimi McLean said it was his side's best performance.

"I just thought it was really messy. We put a lot of focus on the Baywide final last week. I think we could've done better but at the end of the day, to come out with the win and go forward into next week is a bonus."

Rotorua Girls' will play Hamilton Girls' on Saturday, the venue is still to be decided.

Chiefs region semifinal results:

Hamilton Girls' High School 48 Manurewa High School 0
Rotorua Girls' High School 27 New Plymouth Girls' High School 7