Head coach Mike Lama said the Whanganui High School mixed touch team had a "mean improvement" at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Touch Championship. Photo / Touch NZ
Head coach Mike Lama said the Whanganui High School mixed touch team had a "mean improvement" at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Touch Championship. Photo / Touch NZ
This was Lama’s first season as head coach, after being involved with the team for six years.
High School got off to a comfortable start, brushing aside Te Kura Mana Māori o Whangaparāoa (6-0), Taupo-nui-a-Tia College (10-5) and Selwyn College (9-6).
Because of last year’s result, they were placed in “slightly weaker” pools, Lama said.
“We really wanted to get some good scores and, once we got into a comfortable lead, I allowed the kids to play what was in front of them,” he said.
The team had to settle for draws to Wakatipu High School (7-7) and St Andrew’s College (6-6) on day two, games Lama said the team were unlucky not to win.
“We spoke about the want to win, not just to do better than previous years but to try and get that gold,” he said.
“Against the ex-champs St Andrew’s, they scored right at the end to level it so we spoke about when we get those opportunities, we have really got to put teams away.”
The feedback appeared to work, with High School beating Botany Downs Secondary College (9-2) and Mount Maunganui College (7-3), before getting revenge on Wakatipu High School in the quarter-final (10-8).
Whanganui Collegiate School's Cruz Màlo with the ball and Sophie Bagrie in the background.
Lama said his proudest moment with the team came in the semi-final against Mt Albert Grammar School, which the team won 12-11.
The side lost to Mahurangi College in the final but Lama was proud of the team’s efforts.
“We kind of played our final against Mt Albert Grammar - we put a lot into that game,” Lama said.
“If we’d had a day’s rest before we played the final, it might have looked a bit different but that is tournament style, you’ve got to be able to have enough left in your tank to go all the way.
“Mahurangi were just a classy outfit; they were fire.”
Lama said they would try again next year, telling the team to “reflect and be proud of our achievement”.
This year was Whanganui Collegiate School’s first time at the championship.
The side had wins against Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui (8-5) and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau (10-2) but lost to Tikapa (Coromandel Area School and Te Wharekura o Manaia) in their final, finishing 38th overall.
Head coach Elise Niu, a former New Zealand touch representative, said it was beneficial for the team to be exposed to high-level touch rugby.
“Coming into a school where touch football is very fresh and new to them is really exciting for the future because I can see more and more kids wanting to play the sport,” Niu said.
“My goal is to nurture the sport within Collegiate and provide that pathway for students to come into the sport and learn how to play so they get to a level where we are good enough to be competitive at a New Zealand secondary schools touch competition.
“We would be wanting to come back every other year now because of how much enjoyment the students had.”
Niu and Lama said the support Collegiate showed High School in the semi-final was amazing to see.
Lama said Collegiate’s support gave his team the “lungs and legs to get over the line”.
