Celebration day for the Napier Ross Shield team on Saturday at Park Island, Napier, fronted by captain William McFarland (from left) and vice-captains Kiato Buxton and Joseph Latu. Photo / Paul Taylor
Celebration day for the Napier Ross Shield team on Saturday at Park Island, Napier, fronted by captain William McFarland (from left) and vice-captains Kiato Buxton and Joseph Latu. Photo / Paul Taylor
Napier’s dominance of the 2023 Ross Shield primary schools rugby tournament came as a bit of a surprise for coach Willie Tran.
In his fifth year as the coach, he was confident he had the team to retain the Shield they won in Dannevirke last year, but after the five-day tournament ended on Saturday at Park Island, Napier, he said: “You can only prepare the best you can. We never really know how it will go until we get the tournament.”
As it happened, Napier scored 301 points - an average of just over 60 a game - winning all five matches in possibly the most dominant performance since the shield was first presented in 1902.
With a 71-0 win over Central Hawke’s Bay on Tuesday, a 59-0 win over Dannevirke on Wednesday and a 61-0 win over Hastings East on Thursday, Napier did not concede any points until an 81-12 win over Wairoa on Friday.
The honour of scoring the last try went to Napier wing Dharrius-Qyuad Ramea-Brown. Napier beat Hastings West 29-5 on Saturday to complete the Ross Shield tournament unbeaten for a second year in a row. Photo / Paul Taylor
With the Shield secured before the last day, Napier completed a second year unbeaten with a 29-5 victory over Hastings West in southwesterly conditions on Saturday. Hastings East beat Wairoa 44-0 to secure second place with three wins and two losses, and Central Hawke’s Bay and Dannevirke shared third place and country teams prize, the Life Members’ Salver, with a 17-17 draw.
The tournament is for players aged under 14 years with a maximum weight of 56kg, although exemptions allow for two players up to 58kg in the Central Hawke’s Bay, Dannevirke and Wairoa teams.
It was the sixth time Napier had won in the last 10 tournaments, which included sharing the trophy with Hastings West in 2018.
Napier captain and No 8 William McFarland won the Taupō Trophy as Player of the Tournament, and the Jarrad Cunningham Trophy for the best female player was awarded to Hastings East lock Meg Benefield, one of 14 girls who played in the tournament.
A large crowd braves the weather at the end of the Ross Shield Hawke's Bay primary schools representative rugby tournament in Napier on Saturday. Photo / Paul Taylor
The Ron Pierce Trophy for best-behaved and most sportsmanlike team was awarded to Wairoa.
There’s no sign of Tran tiring from the role or coaching a more senior group, saying a good combination had been built up with assistants Justin Ross, Ted Symes and Tom Symes, and manager Becs Symes.
“I do enjoy this age group,” he said. “They’re all sponges. When they came to us, they just wanted to learn.”
Napier had nine players selected in the tournament team of 22 players, but that team won’t play a game. The team: Carter Monaghan, Will Hogan (Dannevirke); Tommi Greaves-Seeds, Henry Mullany, Ritchie Neemia (Central Hawke’s Bay); Kyzlah Matchitt, Meg Benefield, Mapesone Mapesone, Mali Wynne Lewis (Hastings East); Jared Latu, Joseph Latu, Isaac Bennett, Deijah Savai’i, William McFarland, Arana McGlade, Kiato Buxton, Aratana Te Kahu, Hana Symes (Napier); Tumai Christy (Wairoa); Spencer Bruce, Paeraro Mikaele, Elijah Faagutu (Hastings West).
Meanwhile, the Under-14 years Wakely Shield tournament in Taradale, on Monday and ending on Friday, will have an all-female team for the first time.
Mana Kotiro are one of eight teams in the tournament.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
