Schools rugby: Ross Shield lives up to brightest of billings

Oryn Fasso on his way to a try for Wairoa versus Central Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

Ross Shield primary schools rugby lived up to its brightest of billings as up to 1000 people crowded Rugby Park in Dannevirke on Wednesday, captivated by a draw between the two Hastings sides that have dominated the annual tournament since 2018.

Playing the last of the second day's three matches, defending champions Hastings East had to pull out everything after battling almost an hour without scoring before a converted try led to the final score – a 7-7 draw with Hastings West, who won in 2017-2019. There was no tournament in 2020.

CHB score courtesy of Konnah Hema, despite defence from Wairoa's Laverda Huata. Photo / Paul Taylor

The draw enabled Napier to claim the early tournament lead, with a 12-0 win over Dannevirke making it two from two after Tuesday's 42-7 win over Central Hawke's Bay.

With conditions deteriorating rapidly from soon after the start of the game, the second of the day, there were courageous efforts from both sides, and a particularly plucky input from Dannevirke, a country sub-union hassling the city giants for a second time in two days, having on Tuesday gone down by another 12-0 scoreline, to Hastings East.

In the day's opening game, Central Hawke's Bay beat Wairoa 39-5 to claim the Tino Amato Shield, which is on the line each time the sides meet at the tournament.

Hastings West team suss out the opposition. Photo Paul Taylor

Napier, who won the Ross Shield last time the tournament was in Dannevirke, in 2016, face their toughest game to date, against Hastings East in the 1pm day's opener on Thursday. Hastings West play CHB at 2pm, and Dannevirke and Wairoa play the north-south match starting at 3pm, with all three expected to be live-streamed.