Speed and flair seal deal for KC Kuaka

DEFINING MOMENT: Donald Boyd is just prevented from touching down for EHBAHF in the open final of the Top Field Touch Module by some desperate defence. KC Kuaka eventually emerged victorious.

KC Kuaka 6 EHBAHF 5: Eventually broke the deadlock with a late try, KC Kuaka held off a late offensive from EHBAHF to win an intensely contested final in the competitive grade of the Top Field Touch Module on Kaitaia College's top fields last Thursday evening.

Organiser Perry Hanara congratulated both the Kuaka and Broadwood squads for winning the social and competitive titles respectively in the annual grassroots tournament.

With a report on the social division champions featuring in Tuesday's edition, Hanara said the competitive final could have gone either way only for the younger side to score the winning points with five minutes left.

"KC Kuaka had to fight and defend a lot harder in their game against EHBAHF. EHBAHF had the experience and trickery but KC Kuaka with youth, speed and flair did enough to take out the top spot, albeit by only one try," said Hanara, noting there was no shortage of quality on display from either side and with EHBAHF featuring the New Zealand rugby team's U-20 triallist Hamish Pomare.

Elsewhere, Hanara said this year's event was the first time a Kaitaia touch module had been affiliated to New Zealand Touch.

He said the initiative was driven by Kaitaia College principal Jack Saxon and would enable the school to be represented at the 2016 secondary school touch nationals.

Meanwhile, with local demand for touch still high, particularly with only one tournament being run in Kaitaia this summer instead of the usual two, Hanara said he considering getting another under way in the new year, one which would also allow local players to get some pre-season training in before the Mangonui senior club rugby season started.