Focus is the name of the game. From back to front: Te Rarawa's (red) prop Hunter Mathews and lock Liana Brown next to City players Alex Timoko, Aria Kidd and Leilani Filipi. Photo / Adam Pearse
Focus is the name of the game. From back to front: Te Rarawa's (red) prop Hunter Mathews and lock Liana Brown next to City players Alex Timoko, Aria Kidd and Leilani Filipi. Photo / Adam Pearse
With Northland forming its first Farah Palmer Cup women's rugby team this year, some of the region's youngest female rugby players have made their claim as stars of the future in Northland's under-15 girls' rugby final on Monday.
Some of Northland's best young rugby talent was on show on Mondaynight as City and Te Rarawa played in the under-15 girls' rugby competition final at Pohe Island.
After going through the five rounds of competition unbeaten, City took the win, 62-20, surviving an early period of dominance from the northern visitors.
Over 100 people, who weren't discouraged by the winter evening chill, packed out the sidelines for the final which was an entertaining encounter by two talented teams. Many families from the Ahipara-based rugby club made the long drive to Whangārei to support their team.
Te Rarawa's Maani-Matire Marsden (with ball) passes from the ruck to number eight Aimee Harper as City's Destinee Mexted (right) chases the ball. Photo / Adam Pearse
Both teams had been the clear standouts in the under-15 competition, which also featured teams from Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Marist rugby clubs. City's closest game in the competition came against Te Rarawa in the second round, 49-24.
From kickoff, it looked like the visitors were on their way to a great upset, scoring two tries to City's one to lead 10-7 after about 15 minutes. Te Rarawa imposed their physical strength at the breakdown which helped them gain ascendancy in the early stages.
City winger Mya Simes (left) tries to escape the clutches of Te Rarawa's Aimee Harper. Photo / Adam Pearse
Unfortunately for the visitors, it was almost one-way traffic from there, City running in nine further tries while Te Rarawa only crossed the line twice more.
City's transition from defence to attack was near impossible to stop and the home side's offloading through the backline and in the tackle created space for their wingers to exploit.
City's Destinee Mexted was a standout in an already impressive display from all players. As a national age group touch rugby representative, Mexted looked a class above in her ability to break Te Rarawa's defensive line and her speed across the park.
As national age-group touch representative, Destinee Mexted (with ball) put in a game-winning performance on Monday for City's under-15 team. Photo / Adam Pearse
"Te Rarawa came hard at us in that first 10 minutes, they blew us off the park really," City coach William Kaipo said.
"I was really worried when they came out like that but our girls absorbed that pressure and then we started to play some rugby once we could get our hands on that ball."
With only about seven weeks of training, Kaipo said he was incredibly proud of his team who had learned quickly through the season and executed their game plan in the final of winning the ball at the ruck.
Kaipo commended young Mexted on her performance but said any number of players from both teams could go far in rugby.
"[Mexted] is definitely a player for the future in any code she plays, but there's some hugely talented girls here which bodes well for Northland."
Te Rarawa's team had shown great commitment to the competition, undertaking the six-hour round trip to Whangārei four times this season, sometimes getting back as late as 1am on a school night.
Te Rarawa prop Corina Blair braces for impact. Photo / Adam Pearse
Te Rarawa coach Dave Allen said he couldn't be prouder of the passion and skill his team showed in the final.
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the team's passion, I never thought we'd have a Te Rarawa junior girls team.
"They've learnt so much about rugby, about team culture, and about family because our team is pretty much like family."
Allen said trainings had attracted up to 20 players, which was more than most boys' teams of a similar age, and showed what potential there was in the region.
"This [competition] is what we've been looking for for a long time and I think these girls are going to be the pinnacle of our women's rugby."
Te Rarawa senior women's rugby coach Rawinia Everitt was on hand for her club as the water-girl and would run on at every opportunity to give advice to her young chargers.
Former Black Fern, Rawinia Everitt, was on hand as Te Rarawa's water-girl and proved a valuable resource for the young side. Photo / Adam Pearse
Everitt, a former Black Fern, said with the amount of raw talent on display in all teams, she could see a number of Black Ferns in the making.
"It's beautiful as a coach when you get those [raw] players because you just want them to express themselves as much as they can," she said.
"They are only young so we need to help them love [rugby] so they don't leave and stay in the sport, so if we give them the right support they will go a long way."
