Manukura girls share national title
Palmerston North school Manukura have won the national girls rugby title for the first time, but they have to share it.
Manukura drew 19-all with Christchurch Girls’ High School in the national top four at the Sport and Rugby Institute in Palmerston North yesterday.
During the qualifying matches when games are tied at fulltime no extra time is played and the winner is determined by who has scored the most tries and if that is equal, then it is the team that scores the first try.
But in the final, if the scores are level at fulltime, the title is shared.
Manukura had led 19-0 in the second half, but Christchurch fought back in the last 15 minutes with three tries of their own.
With time up Manukura kicked the ball out to end the game and some were celebrating believing they had won under the tries rules, while others hadn’t realised what had happened.
It took a couple of minutes with people furiously going through the rules to check what the outcomewas.
After the game Manukura coach Kristina Sue had mixed emotions. ‘‘We haven’t won it before. We’re humblewith that win, we can still say we’re national champions.’’
She said they had thought they had won the game based on the tries rule. But she said it was a massive achievement to get to the final and to share the win.
The school has a tiny roll compared with the other teams in the top four. Manukura has about 185 students and just 27 in its girls rugby programme.
Christchurch has a roll of about 1200, Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, who Manukura beat in the semifinal, have about 1000, and the other semifinalist Manurewa High School, which is co-ed, has a roll of about 2100.
Sue lamented other scoring opportunities but said it was what it was.
Manukura spent the last 10 minutes with 14 players after flanker Huia WhakatihiHeremaia was yellow carded as they conceded a mass of penalties on their line.
Christchurch had a player sin binned in the first half for similar reasons.
Manukura had missed two second-half penalties in the second half which could have won the game, but were still leading at that stage.
They almost scored another try in the first half, but were bundled into touch in the corner.
One of Christchurch’s tries was from a long-range intercept.
Manukura had stars across the park, including No 8 Pounamu Wharehinga.
Hamilton Boys’ High School beat Napier Boys’ High School in the boys final 17-15.