Annual Under 15 Boys' Tournament

As part of Winter Tournament Week, the annual Under 15 Tournament comprises sixteen teams from secondary schools (on an invitational basis) who compete in a Cup and Plate section for the Rex Kerr Trophy.

Annual Under 16 Boys' Tournament

Every year in the third term school holidays, the Council holds New Zealand's premier tournament for Under 16 players, comprising teams from all member Provincial Unions, competing in two divisions for the Don Broughton Shield, the Saracens Cup and the Manaaki Tangata Trophy.

Annual Under 18 Boys' Competition

Every year in September, the Council holds a competition for Under 18 teams from member Provincial Unions, competing for the TrustBank Central Secondary Schools Shield first competed for in the 1990's.

Annual Under 19 Tournament

This competition comprises teams from Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu, and a Hurricanes Heartland Team (comprising players from the Council's member Heartland Provincial Unions), competing for the Central Region Shield on a home and away basis.

Annual Under 20 Heartland Development Series

Comprising teams from the regions Heartland Provincial Unions, the Heartland Development Series is held annually over two weeks, with teams competing for the Hurricanes Under 20 Cup.

Girls' Rugby Development Programmes

Every year, with the support of New Zealand Rugby, the Council provides Development Days, an Under 15 Tournament and an Under 18 Development Camp for young women within the Hurricanes Region.

Annual Hurricanes Sevens Tournament

The best secondary school Sevens players in the region (in Boys and Girls divisions) compete for the Hurricanes Secondary Schools Sevens Cup, hosted by Wairarapa-Bush.

2021 Programme Approved By The Council's Board

Following consultation with New Zealand Rugby and the Council's Provincial Union membership, the full programme of Council events for 2021 has now been approved by the Council's Board.

While it's 50 years since the Don Broughton Shield was first offered for competition between the top Under 16 boys teams from the Council's region (in 1972), 2021 will be the 49th year that the Shield has been competed for, (given the cancellation of all youth representative rugby owing to COVID-19 in 2020). Fittingly, the 49th competition in the Shield's 50 year history will be hosted by Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby in their centenary year, in October, in Ruatoria.

(New Zealand Rugby's 1973 North Island Under 16 Representative Rugby Team)

Other highlights of the 2021 programme include an expanded competition format for Under 18 Boys, featuring teams from Hawkes Bay and Manawatu, while a three-day Tournament for Under 18 Girls will be held in Napier, in early October.

Regular highlights of the Council's annual programme include the Tournament for Under 20 Men, following which a Heartland Provincial Union representative team will be selected to play matches against Under 19 Men's teams from Hawkes Bay, Manawatu and Wellington in the annual competition for the Central Region Shield.

(Members Of The 2019 Hurricanes Heartland Under 20 Team)

In association with College Sport Wellington, the annual Under 14 Festival and Under 15 Tournament for Boys will be held in 2021, with the finals for region's top secondary school teams (for the "Hurricanes Cup", "Co-Ed Cup", "Rex Kerr Cup" and "Life Members Cup") to be played in Palmerston North, in August. The Winter Tournament Week for Under 15 Girls hosted by Horowhenua-Kapiti RFU will be another highlight of the upcoming season. The Council's annual secondary school programme concludes with the Hurricanes Secondary School Sevens in October.

(The Hurricanes Under 14 Festival Returns In 2021)

Of note, the Council again welcomes the sponsorship of Karaka Cafe for the 2021 season. Paul and Keri Retimanu of Manaaki Management Limited (owners of Karaka Cafe) are passionate supporters of youth rugby in our region and the Council is delighted to have their support for another year.

You can download the full programme, by clicking here.