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Mahurangi College’s J1 team is joining with Christchurch’s Waihora RFC to play in the Methven Junior Rugby Tournament on July 13-14. The players in the under 13s J1 team have been together for five seasons but after this year will be graduating to play for their respective colleges and so the club wanted to do something special, coach Chris Murphy says.
“Many of these kids haven’t ventured south of Auckland, let alone stepped on a plane. Methven is at the foot of the Southern Alps, so it will be a real winter experience for our northern kids.”
The tournament comprises six games over two days and Mahurangi will be the only North Island club playing. Murphy says the team is often the smallest in their open weight grade, being an average of 5kgs lighter, but has won five out of seven games this season including a 26-15 win against Silverdale on Saturday, June 15.
“The problem is that we lost important time to raise funds due to the tournament being in less than a month, rather than in September at the end of our season when we would typically play.
“The kids are working hard selling chocolates, raffles, and mandarins and one of the parents has set up a ‘Givealittle’ page and we ask that anyone who is willing to support view the page and assist.”
He says rugby has been more than just an opportunity to play a game for the kids, being a supportive environment in which they have been challenged to grow as individuals, but also learn to put a team first.
“The J1’s coaching team includes the coaching team that includes Fiona Mann as head coach, Vaughan Woodcock, Liam Boyd and Andrew Dunlop.”
