Teens take on cops in touch rugby clash
There was a heavy police presence at Waimea College last week as students went head to head with men and women in blue for a touch football play-off.
Ten Nelson Bays police officers swapped their frontline uniforms for touch gear in a game designed to ‘‘break down the barriers’’ between youth and law enforcement.
Nelson community constable Jamein Bristowe, based in Stoke, said the game was the second in the region which helped show youth that police were ‘‘normal people’’.
‘‘Most of all, it’s about having fun.’’
He said the programme was the first of its kind for the region and there were hopes that the games would become a regular fixture.
Constable Bristowe said he also hoped to expand the sporting contests to all schools in the region.
He said the match attracted a good turnout of students, both those participating and watching the game that was held over their lunch hour. Fellow officers were cheering from the sidelines as well.
Before the match on Friday Bristowe said the police teams were feeling a little nervous. The school’s mixed team contained three of the top South Island players.
While the police team put up a decent fight the Waimea College students took the win 7-1.
Waimea College director of sport Daniel Hobbs said the victory was great but in the end the game was about the students seeing the police in the community and out of uniform.
‘‘To be fair the police had three subs and we had six or seven. Plus our players were a bit younger.’’
He said there was such a good response from students and police, the school was already working on a match-up with police in a different sport.
Last month a police team had its first match of touch against a Nayland College side.
Bristowe said the students enjoyed the game but were a little apprehensive to brush shoulders with the officers at first.
‘‘But as the game went on they lit up and really got into it,’’ Bristowe said.
He said it was a tight contest, but the police team scraped home with a last-minuted touchdown.