Touch: National selection eases pain of loss

Tayla Stone, 15 (left), Caleb Piua, 15, Kienan McCollum, 14, Siobahn Taute-Collier, 16, Ema Pirika, 14, Kahlia Kiel, 16, and Ceiza James, 15.

Feelings of disappointment have turned to delight for eight members of the Bay of Plenty mixed under-16 touch team and their coach.

The team had just missed out on a place in the final of the national touch championships when they were told eight of their team, seven of them from Rotorua, had been selected to represent New Zealand.

Coach Rongo Piua was also invited to co-coach the national side.

"We were at the junior nationals and we did well, but we didn't finish where we wanted to. We ended up fourth," Piua said.

"[The news] was hard to accept because we had just lost a semi and when I was told it didn't hit me until I found out the kids got selected and then it overwhelmed all of us."

Twelve of the 15 players in the Bay of Plenty team are from Rotorua, with one each from Tauranga, Taupo and Kawerau.

The seven Rotorua players selected are Ema Pirika, 14, Siobahn Taute-Collier, 16, Tayla Stone, 15, Kahlia Kiel, 16, Dawson Smith, 13, Caleb Piua, 15, and Kienan McCollum, 14.

Calais Adams, 16, from Taupo is also in the team that will head to the Gold Coast in September to play local club and school sides. They will also attend a New Zealand national camp in July in Auckland.

Also from the team, Ceiza James, 15, has been chosen for the Touch NZ training academy to be held in Rotorua in October.

"It was pretty amazing. I've never heard of that many people making the New Zealand team before," Piua said.

"They play for various teams, high school teams and family teams and play together on a Thursday, but they only play as Bay of Plenty for the junior nationals."

He refused to take any credit for the players' achievement.

''When the kids were clapping for me I was thinking 'I can't have you guys cheering me; you guys made me stand out'. All credit goes to the team, our team bond is the strength.

''Overall, from my team, pretty much the whole team had the potential to be selected. To their credit, they didn't concentrate on getting selected [at the tournament] and that's why they played their best.''

Piua has been coaching touch for 10 years and has also coached basketball.