Sevens: Rotorua on win-back bid

Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (with ball) will captain the Rotorua Boys' High School sevens team this weekend. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua Boys' High School sevens team will head to Auckland today on a mission to win back-to-back national sevens titles.

The Condor National Sevens competition is being held at Kelston Boys' High School this weekend, with 24 schools vying for the boys' open secondary schools title.

Rotorua won the title last year and boast a strong side to try and go back-to-back. They have been training hard and playing in a Baywide competition in the lead-in to the national competition.

Coach Scott Mayhew said they were not resting on their result last year.

"The way we're looking at it is the trophy has gone back to Auckland and as far as we are concerned we are not champions any more. We are going up to fight for it again."

He said they had lost five players from the winning side last year and would welcome in a few new players. "There are 14 boys coming up with us but we can only register 12," he said.

Among the Rotorua team is current All Black Sevens contracted player Isaac Te Aute, former Fijian U18s Sevens captain Ratu Uluiviti and Rotorua Boys' sevens captain Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

Rotorua are in a pool with hosts Kelston and Westlake Boys' High School. The top two sides in each pool progress to the round of 16.

Other Bay schools in action this weekend include Opotiki College (boys' open), Tauranga Boys' College (boys' open), Tauranga Girls' College (girls' open), Te Puke High School (girls' open), Rotorua Boys' (U15 boys), Taupo-nui-a-Tia College (U15 boys).