Hunterville will fly flag at nationals

The Hunterville School rippa rugby team will head to Wellington in December representing Wanganui in the national competition. Photo/Supplied

Hunterville School's year five and six rippa rugby team will represent Wanganui on the national stage after clinching the regional finals last month.

Hunterville were unbeaten, winning the Northern Wanganui tournament before the wider Wanganui finals to be selected from more than 20 teams to head to Wellington in September.

The nationals will include the top school side from each of the country's 26 unions.

Rippa rugby is a version of rugby in which players wear a set of strips velcroed to their shorts on each hip. A tackle is made by ripping the strip off an opponent.

The nationwide tournament is run by the New Zealand Rugby Union, which covers travel and accommodation. It is now in its fourth year.

Each province runs its own internal competition to find the top school to represent it at the national finals.

Hunterville School principal Stephen Lewis said he was proud of the team, who went one better on their second place finish last year.

Standout players were captain Zane Munn, George Simpson and Jade Guiniven, who sealed her team's win in the final game with an 80-metre break before diving over in the corner.

Hunterville School head of sport Shane Smith said it was a major achievement for the school: "It was an outstanding achievement for a small school like Hunterville.

"They'll be buzzing I'd say. I'd say when they get down there it'll start sinking in."

Mr Smith said the team would begin training for the national tournament when term three started.