Rotorua Boys to compete in Japan

Winning the National First XV Rugby Secondary Schools Championship last year earned the Rotorua Boys' High School team entry into the Sanix tournament in Japan. Photo/File

Rotorua Boys' High School will be representing New Zealand when they compete at the Sanix World Youth Rugby Tournament in Japan this month.

An annual event, the Sanix World Youth Rugby Tournament features top secondary schools teams from around the world as well as Japanese teams.

This is the third time Rotorua Boys' High School has represented New Zealand at this prestigious tournament and as the winners in 2003, Rotorua Boys' High School was the first New Zealand team to win the tournament.

They then followed this up with another win in 2004, becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.

Winning the National First XV Rugby Secondary Schools Championship in 2015 earned the Rotorua Boys' High School team entry into the Sanix tournament, where eight secondary school teams from around the world and eight teams from Japan will compete for the Sanix World Youth Rugby title.

Each team will play six 50-minute matches.

The Rotorua Boys' squad has been training since last November, and after several trials, the final squad of 30 has now been named.

The boys are all excited to be going to Sanix and are looking forward to some tough competitive rugby and a rich cultural experience.

Captain of the team, Matangireia Yates Francis, said he was extremely proud to be able to lead the team to the tournament.

"It is a great honour. I would like to extend a big thank you to Sanix for their wonderful support of schoolboy rugby and best wishes to all teams for an exciting and enjoyable tournament."

Following the tournament the team has been invited to play a match in the Iwate Prefecture, in the middle of the tsunami affected area in the north of Honshu.

Japan is already gearing up for the next Rugby World Cup, and this invitation offers the Rotorua Boys' High School team the opportunity to be hosted and play rugby in the city where one of the 2019 World Cup matches is scheduled.Submitted by Rotorua Boys' High School