Rugby: Hapi makes history by being first female to make Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team

Charnika Hapi (at left in backrow) and her Hastings West teammates who made the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team. Photo/Supplied

Hastings West halfback Charnika Hapi created history at the Hawke's Bay Primary Schools Ross Shield rugby tournament which ended in Wairoa on Saturday.

The 13-year-old Peterhead School Year 8 student became the first female in the 117-year history of the Wattie's-sponsored event which caters for players 56kg and under to be selected in the Hawke's Bay side. Hapi was one of 12 players from the Hastings West team, which tasted Ross Shield glory for the third consecutive year, to be selected.

"While it feels good to be named it wasn't really a goal of mine when we travelled up to Wairoa," Hapi said.

Charnika Hapi has created history by making the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team. Photo/Supplied

One of 17 players from her Tamatea 12th grade team who played in Wairoa, Hapi has been playing rugby for five years. She started in three of West's matches last week and came off the subs bench in the other two.

A Hastings West Wakely Shield rep last year and former Hastings West C and D grade rep, Hapi, has yet to decide which secondary school she will attend next year. The fan of former All Black Jonah Lomu and All Black Sevens women's star Portia Woodman pointed out working as a team was the key to her West side's unbeaten run last week.

Her West captain, centre Kaden Makea, ticked off all but one of his goals on the final day of the tournament. Before travelling to Wairoa Makea said his main aims were to help West retain the shield, make the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team, be named captain of the side and capture the Taupo Trophy for player-of-the-tournament.

West retained the shield they shared with Napier last year and won outright in 2017 by completing an unbeaten run with a 52-0 victory against Dannevirke on Saturday.

"Our team played awesome all week and it feels great to win the Taupo Trophy," Makea said after the prizegiving at Lambton Square.

The 13-year-old Heretaunga Intermediate Year 8 student missed out on the Hawke's Bay captain's role. It went to West frontrower Joseph JJ Lilo-Iosefo.

"I'm happy for him," Makea said.

There was an ideal form of consolation for Makea, who represented New Zealand at basketball earlier this year in Melbourne and toured the United States and Canada with an International Softball Academy team a month later. The 18 tries he scored last week is a new tournament record beating the previous record of 15 scored by 2017 Hastings West player and Taupo Trophy winner James Craig.

The West side which was coached by Anthony Morley and Murdoch Paewai, scored 253 points in their five games and had 22 scored against them.

"I'm happy with what has been a successful campaign. They were a good team on the field and an excellent team off the field," head coach Morley said.

Both Morley and Paewai will be available to coach West again next year.

Hosts Wairoa won the Ron Pierce Trophy for the team displaying the best sportsmanship and behaviour on and off the field. They almost featured in a three-way tie for the Life Members' Salver for the best country team. They were leading Central 17-10 when Central made a late comeback to force the draw and capture the salver.

"As much as our guys deserved it I'm happy for Central," Wairoa coach Sid Ropitini said.

"I'm also happy that our team finished strong and did the town proud," Ropitini added.

The sole Wairoa player named in the Hawke's Bay team, No 8 Rakatoa Morris-Wallace, received the Jarrod Cunningham Trophy which enables him to attend an IRANZ course.

Hastings East beat Napier 35-12. This gave Hastings East second place, Napier finished third, Central fourth, Dannevirke fifth and Wairoa sixth.

The Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team to play the Hawke's Bay Primary Schools Barbarians at Napier's McLean Park on Saturday and the Southern North Island Primary Schools in Levin on August 19 is:
Joseph JJ Lilo-Iosefo (captain), Mike Brown, Creed Johnson-Whakaua, Reed Paewai, Jerome Prebble-Morrell, Jaedem Sidney, Hawaikirangi Jackson, Charnika Hapi, Frances Tevita, Noah Rogers, Kaden Makea, Iziah Matamata (all Hastings West), Chance Katene, Divaan Singh, Jonah Cooper (all Hastings East), Daniel Osooso Onasemu, Teina Robin, Isaac Edmonds, Iraia Roberts, Kendall Bush (all Napier), Jahmaige Reti-Young (Central), Rakatoa Morris-Wallace (Wairoa).