School Sport: Carnival time for players

Wiremu Toma (left), Jade Heke, Kaydin Budd, Rikkie Gardiner (team manager), Te Ririnui Kakau, Ereatara Smallman, Wiremu Ngatai and Tanati Bidois, Year 13 members of the Te Wharekura o Mauao First XV. Photo / Peter White

Bethlehem's Te Wharekura o Mauao continues to break new ground in rugby in 2015.

The school's First XV is proving to be competitive in their first season in the Bay of Plenty Division One competition, with one loss to Western Heights from four games.

And now the players are settling into Surfers Paradise at their base for 10 days on the school's first overseas trip.

They will compete in a rugby carnival on the Gold Coast that has attracted teams from across the Oceania region.

It has been a big effort for the small school's community to come up with the funds required to attend the event but they have raised more than $60,000 since December.

Teacher in charge of rugby, Heywood Kuka, said it had been a lot of hard work.

"You name it, and we did it," Kuka said. "Chopping wood on Saturday and Sundays. The boys would play their game and go straight out and chop wood and sell it. Our school is more than just a school - we are all a community family. Families muck in for each other."

Two players not in Australia are team captain Kaydin Budd and Te Hira Roberts, who were selected to attend a Chiefs Under-18 camp at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton from tomorrow through to Saturday.

Bay of Plenty only had eight players selected, with four from Tauranga Boys' and one each from Western Heights and Opotiki, so for two to come from such a small school as Te Wharekura is quite something.

Kuka says the First XV has been together since under-14 days or earlier.

"It really is a continuation of all that hard work at the beginning. We have focused on our academic results and they have been outstanding lately. On the sports field we have approached it the same.

"We want to build a rounded citizen when these boys leave. Hard work is a big part of it and that translates over to rugby where the fruits of the labour will come."