Clash of Titans here to stay
A dodgy forecast wasn’t enough to prevent dozens of local youth from taking part in the Clash of the Titans rugby league tournament on the Kaitaia College top fields on Saturday morning.
Event organiser Adrian Marsden said the inaugural Taitokerau Rugby League tournament represented the legitimate conclusion to the mini modules which had been run in Kaikohe and Kaitaia after school during Term 4 which were designed to raise the profile of the age grade game throughout the Far North.
“[We did it] To build the interest in the game . . . to start getting kids interested, in playing,” she said, noting both teams featured players from the outer communities of their respective districts.
“First time the TRL have started to move to get the kids game going. It’s really growing . . . [Everyone] couldn’t get over how much groundswell of interest there was for this.
“We’ve got some really good people coming through with coaching and managing,” she noted, adding another impressive aspect of the day was the way in which the community of league stalwarts pulled together to make sure it happened.
“All the people that stepped up . . . Everyone just came together to help, to make the day happen.”
Ngapuhi won the overall title by winning the U8, U10 and and U14 matches while Muriwhenua took out the U14 and and U6 divisions (the latter by default).
Next year’s event will be hosted by Ngapuhi.
■ Elsewhere, someone contributed the following to highlight the wha¯nau aspect of the event.
“I don’t think he’s [Ariki] ever played to the standard that he displayed today [earning the defensive POTD award for his team].
“He had the spectators gasping as he literally cut one of his opponents in half in the best tackle of the day.
“Left the poor kid on the ground clutching his ribs and struggling to stand on his feet.
“Ariki himself almost never got up either. But he could hear us cheering him on and told me later, ‘I could hear you all so I got up and went harder.’ And that he did. Along with the five tries he got in the match, Ariki also picked up Player of the Day for his stellar efforts. My proudest moment came when he came over with his prizes and said to me, ‘Papa, thank you for watching me play today. Can I come over to your place and can you teach me more?’ Oats, I will, my moko, I’ll turn you into a Kiwi of the deadliest kind, lol.
“Thank you TRL organisers, coaches, refs and nameless helpers at the back for getting this comp going. To all the parents and spectators that weathered the early morning downpour to turn up and support the games and kaupapa . . .
“Even when the weather decided to act bi-polar and let in sauna like conditions that sucked up all the oxygen at ground level and had us gasping for breath as well as having to remove all our winter clothes just to slow our sweating down.
“Kids had a great day and it was good to hear all the positive encouragement coming from the sideline from both Muriwhenua and Ngapuhi spectators.
“Waiting in eager[ness] to see your next game, my moko.”