Girls rugby wrap up!
After a fantastic season last year, the girls rugby team missed the 10 or so year 13 players from last year with none in the team this year.
The girls came together for a preseason camp and were lucky enough to have Sarah Hirini and Renee Woodman-Wickliffe come to Taupō and take a training session as part of the Hirini Academy. This was super inspiring for the girls.
Continuing to play in the Chiefs Manawa super 8 type competition saw this junior team almost all u16s do it tough. The team was a mix again like previous years however missing girls from Tūrangi this year and only girls from Nui and Tauhara playing in the Chiefs Manawa.
Growth in the junior numbers saw a year 9&10 10s team enter in the Bay of Plenty competition. Also mixed with girls from Nui, Tauhara and Tongariro. This was great for our new girls coming through to play each week and learn the game. Big ups to the girls who played both it was a big commitment.
Even lacking valuable seniors in the team we always knew this was a build year and be a tough one. The girls fronted each week and put their bodies on the line for each other. New players emerged and some found and new found love of the game.
A big thank you to Jamie Keehan for sponsoring the number 1 blazers the girls wore at all games for hosting. This made our girls feel and look the part despite the score.
The girls fundraised hard to keep fees down and continued to run Tiny Blacks, a first rugby programme for 3-6 year olds. Having the girls rugby players visible to younger players hopefully will help grow the women’s game.
This year we were lucky enough to play/host different travelling teams from Canada and NSW. It is always awesome to see girls rugby teams from other parts of the world visit New Zealand and play us in Taupō. One Canadian team was pre season and the other post season. The Carson Graham team from Canada we used as a preseason run, just squeezing out a win. The NSW game was a 7s team which saw a mixture of players from across the King County play. We were not in 7s season and it was a tough game against the Aussies. The post season game against the Taber girls from Canada saw an awesome display of rugby where the girls put into practice everything they had learned all season into place. Despite only having 16 players the girls took a 60-0 win over the Canadians, this was a great way to finish the season. The girls hosted well and showed the great New Zealand manaakitanga.
Thank you to Tranzit and all those who have supported this year.
All of this could not have been possible without Josh and Rose Prisk they go above and beyond to make sure the girls rugby programme is successful and meaningful each year.
Thank you Josh and Rose.
