Touch kids trekked 3km over hills and rough terrain to reach a ride out of the area so they could make a Rotorua touch tournament.
Slips closed the roads in and out of Whangamatā, but a hearty bunch of kids determined on making it to a Rotorua touch tournament didn’t let that stop them.
The six children and their coach threw their rugby boots in a backpack along with clothes to lasta few days and trekked 3km over rough terrain.
Their mission was to bypass one of 20 slips that closed State Highway 25 to Whangamatā by navigating farmland, climbing up steep hills and over fences.
But without them, the under-14 boys’ representative team, at least, would have had to pull out.
Whangamatā children in Thames Valley touch teams trekked 3km over farmland to get to a Rotorua touch rugby tournament after wild weather closed roads. Photo / Supplied
Knowing how hard the players had trained all summer, U14 boys’ coach Rory Mulrennan came up with an idea.
He knew a farmer whose paddocks bordered the area where the roads were closed, and a plan was hatched to walk over the farmland to get to a road that would take them out.
Mulrennan and his two children, Kobe, 12, and Akiyah, 9, set off with four other players – Maddox Smith, 13, Zeb Smith, 11, Brody Hohaia, 12, and Kobi Rose, 13.
Their mission was to meet fellow coach Nick Hewlett, who was waiting on the other side of the hills with a van the Waihi Athletic Rugby Club had supplied.
The group at the road cordon.
Rory Mulrennan’s wife, Jess, said four of the players were from the U14 boys’ team, while the other two played in the U12 girls’ and U12 boys’ Thames Valley teams.
She said they had been watching the weather forecasts and road closures and were getting sad that they might not make it out.
She said the parents even thought about getting a helicopter.
The players trekking over the farmland.
The children’s hopes rose when they realised it could be possible to trek over farmland to get out on the Friday before the tournament, she said.
“They said they can’t believe they were on their way to Rotorua.”
Jess Mulrennan said they were really proud of the players, and they would now have a memory that would last a long time.
“They are pretty dedicated to their sports, and if you commit to a team, it’s just what you do.”
Kim Watson‑Tanga, of the He Whetu Anamata – Our Future Starts Touch Tournament organising committee, had “huge respect” for the players.
“That’s heart. That’s grit. That’s next-level commitment. That’s the future of our game. Absolute champions, every one of them.”
Watson-Tanga said the tournament, held in memory of rugby referee Andrew “Rowdy” Timoti, attracted 67 teams, including four from the Gold Coast.
More than 1000 children aged between 9 and 14 came from all over the North Island.
State Highway 25 at Whangamatā to Whiritoa reopened on Friday morning – more than a week after it was closed.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi reminded anyone planning to travel to the Coromandel this weekend to allow extra time and expect to see traffic management and speed restrictions.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
