The Under 11 Dannevirke team with coaches on Saturday August 24.
Dannevirke wrapped up the junior rugby season for most of its players by hosting three games against Central Hawke’s Bay sides at Rugby Park on Saturday, August 24.
The Under-9, 11 and 13 teams have been playing representative fixtures in recent weeks to complement the regular Hawke’s Bay competition, and the Trevor White Memorial Trophy has been the regular finisher, hosted at alternative venues.
All games were played on the number 1 ground with the U9s playing across on the middle quarters.
Dannevirke Junior Rugby chairman Bryn Quigan said the idea was to give everyone a taste of the big time in front of a good crowd. Central had brought a large number of supporters to make the occasion more festive.
Games were pretty even but unfortunately for Dannevirke, the visitors prevailed in all three matches, although the Under-11s lost by only two points 26-24. Late tries in both the other two made the margins slightly larger but the games were great spectacles with lots of running rugby, especially in the U9s.
Central returned with the Trevor White Memorial Trophy but Dannevirke will look to reverse the result next year.
Both U13 sides look to be very well coached as they morph into the Ross Shield teams which play at the start of October in Waipukurau. Dannevirke’s team was announced on Sunday, August 25 and will be training hard to reverse Saturday’s result.
Both U11 and U13 Dannevirke sides had an extra taste of competition playing Bush in Pahiatua under lights on Tuesday evening, August 27.
Once again honours proved pretty even as Dannevirke won the U13 game in an exciting game 26-23 and Bush won the U11 in a game dominated by strong defence on both sides 5-0.
There have been four artists-in-residence at Rinitawa.