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Mahurangi College U12s tag rugby team.
Mahurangi College was a dark horse on the tag rugby scene this season, sending a team to the Tag Nationals for the first time.
The college assembled an under-12 girls team just months before the North Harbour zone intermediate tag tournament, earlier in the year, and won it on their first attempt.
This qualified them to attend the Auckland Champion of Champions event, but this was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Coach George Maginley has been coaching the girls in their lunch time on Mondays and Wednesdays.
After their stunning debut performance, coach Maginley was able to persuade NZ Tag to allow the team to attend Tag Nationals last weekend.
The team entered under the banner of Rodney District Sport, which is based in Millwater.
Maginley says the team played incredibly well, winning six out of seven games.
In their final match against Manukau Harbour, Mahurangi held the lead at 2-1 until the last five minutes, when Manukau snatched a game-winning two-pointer.
Despite the loss, Mahurangi got gold on the points differential for the total competition.
NZ Tag has already granted the new Mahurangi team a wild card entry into the Tag Nationals competition for the next two years in an effort to encourage growth in the area.
Next year will be a big step up for the fledgling team as the under-13s competition is officially considered “competitive”.
Coach Maginley partly puts the success of the new team down to some of the players having had experience with Tomarata Tag.
He says the new team fills a gap, as previously Warkworth players wanting to participate in Auckland Rugby League (ARL) tag competitions, had to sign up with Hibiscus Coast.
He is encouraging players wanting to get involved to make contact and says trials for the under-13s team will be held next season.
Contact George Maginley nzconcrete@gmail.com
