Rugby league’s Mini Mod
On Sunday April 8 Dannevirke Tigers hosted the Manawatu Rugby League Mini Mod competition as well as the MRL Youth games, and what an amazing day we had.
The weather was perfect and Coronation Park was once again covered in black and orange with many games of rugby league.
Dannevirke Tigers have nine teams entered into the Manawatu Rugby League Competition for 2018. These consist of an Under 7s, three Under 9s, an Under 11s all in the Mini Mod programme and four youth teams, an Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 17s and for the first time a ko¯ tiro [girls] team.
We hosted Linton Cobras, Kia Ora Warriors, Foxton Rebels, Outkast Mana, Tu Toa and Manukura. There were over 25 teams participating in the day’s event and over a thousand people from as far as Foxton, Palmerston North, Masterton to Waipawa and O¯ tane were there. Many former Tigers were up at the fields supporting the kids and enjoying watching their grandchildren wearing the black and orange.
Thank you to all the parents who were walking around the field promoting and encouraging good sideline behaviour. This is part of the Be a Sport, Just Support campaign, which we view as an important part of the game and something Manawatu Rugby League is really pushing. We received positive feedback about the grounds and how the day was set up.
It was such a successful day and well received by all the clubs, who have ask for it to be an annual event and part of the MRL calendar.
We will continue to work closely with MRL to create alternative pathways for our kids. It is a well-organised and run competition. We see our Under 13s 15s and 17s all in the Grand Final this coming Sunday. Our Mini Mod teams had their final day on May 6 with a tournament where they competed for three age group cups.
At the end of the competition our Under 15s and Under 17s boys teams along with the Under 17s Ko¯ tiro team will be travelling to Rotorua on Queen’s Birthday weekend to represent the Tararua as Dannevirke Tigers at the Rangatahi Tournament, where boys and girls can be selected for further rep teams.
We are very lucky to have great support from families here and even from Central Hawke’s Bay that has made this club successful in so many ways. We are very lucky to have great coaches, managers, match managers, trainers, committee members and club supporters willing to be a part of our Club. It is because of all these individuals we were named as one of three finalists for Club of the Year at the NZRL Annual Awards.
The next big event is in November, where we will be running the Anthony Gray and Faith Chase Touch Tournament at Coronation Park.