Rugby: Shield caps season to savour

Western Heights High School player Liam Membery scores a runaway try on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Western Heights High School 1st XV team have won the prized Te Kani Shield for the first time in 17 years after beating Aquinas College 28-0 at home.

Western Heights are undefeated this year and are enjoying their best season in recent history.

Along with winning the shield on Saturday, they have also won a place in the Chiefs Trophy competition for next year, following their top form earlier this season.

On Saturday, they went up against one of the better sides in the Bay of Plenty secondary schools first division. Aquinas were looking to retain the trophy which was gifted by Paora Te Kani's family after he died in battle in Tunisia in 1943. It has been played for ever since between Bay of Plenty secondary schools.

The first half was a real arm wrestle as the home side took a slim 3-0 lead into the break, courtesy of a Brad Munro penalty.

A rev-up at halftime triggered a much better second half for Western Heights, as they piled on a further 25 unanswered points. Hikairo Stewart-Reid got the ball rolling with a well taken try off the back of the ruck.

Munro slotted the conversion from out wide and also added two penalties early in the second period.

A chip kick down the right touchline took a wicked bounce and Dejae Adlam collected to score Heights' second try.

Liam Membery then scored the final try of the game when he plucked an intercept about 40m out from the try line, before scooting away to score under the posts. Aquinas had a late flurry of possession but couldn't find a way through Heights' defence.

Heights co-coach Steve Smith said it was special to pick up the Te Kani Shield. "It is the first time we have ever played for it I think, well at least not for a long time anyway."

The BOP Rugby Union reported WHHS last won the shield in 1998.

Smith said the team they had now was mainly Year 13 students, and they had been building for a while.

"It has been three years in the making. A lot of them were in the 1st XV at Year 11 when they were young, and we struggled. But we have tried to keep them together as a group."

Interestingly, Smith said they almost missed out on playing in the Bay of Plenty secondary schools first division this year. They had to win a playoff game against the Tauranga Boys' College 2nd XV at the start of the year just to secure a spot.

- Western Heights High School 28 (Hikairo Stewart-Reid, Dejae Adlam, Liam Membery tries; Brad Munro 2con, 3pen) Aquinas College 0. HT 3-0.