Rugby: Huge junior tournament to be held

Taupo is set to host a junior rugby tournament with an international flavour.

The first leg of the country's biggest interprovincial club tournament will be held in Taupo from September 22 to 23.

Known as the New Zealand Junior Rugby Festival the event host some of the top New Zealand clubs from around the country. This year, the tournament has an international flavour with a touring South African under-13 team from Cape Town taking part.

"For us, the tour is mainly about the experience, but you can bet my boys won't want to lose a single game," Primrose under-13 coach Abdus Samad said.

"It will be the first tour for the boys, many of whom have never left Cape Town."

Tournament director Tyrone Campbell is excited about the prospect of providing international opposition for some of New Zealand's junior club rugby teams. "They are one of the best junior teams in the Western Province and it will add to an already special event - and it will also hopefully help in finding a naming sponsor for the tournament."

The festival is for all junior rugby playing kids, not only representative players. "The tournament is not just about winning and losing, it's about the whole experience.

"The camaraderie, singing, laughing, and ribbing that takes place on the bus trip down, rooming with your team-mates and having the times of their lives; it's just a good old-fashioned rugby tour."

Campbell said the main concept for the festival was to offer all New Zealand junior players a tournament experience, not just those in the top teams.

It is the third year the tournament has been held with more than 2300 youngsters from 112 teams and 19 unions having already taken part.

There were still a few places open for a couple of Bay of Plenty teams to participate in this year's festival being held in Taupo in September and Queenstown on October 29 and 30.

More information: www.juniorrugbytournament.com or email tyrone@globalgames.co.nz