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.

Council Under 16 Taonga Returns To Its Turangawaewae

For the first time in a decade, the Council’s prestigious Under 16 Boys’ Tournament returns to Playford Park in Levin next week. Horowhenua Kapiti RFU last hosted the Tournament in 2015, when it finished third overall in Division B (the Saracen’s Cup).

In 2015, Wellington RFU won both divisions of the Tournament and in 2024 will return with the Don Broughton Shield which they won in Hawkes Bay last year (won by the . Hawkes Bay Development are the defending Division B title holders and will start their campaign to retain the Saracen’s Cup against Whanganui RFU on Monday.

Of particular note, Horowhenua Kapiti RFU is the spiritual home of the Don Broughton Shield, which was first competed for in 1972. You can read more about the history of the Shield, here.

Since it was first played for, Hawkes Bay have won the Don Broughton Shield 23 times, Wellington 18 times, Manawatu 4 times, Ngati Porou East Coast and Poverty Bay 2 times each, while both Horowhenua Kapiti and Taranaki have won the Shield once.

Since the Saracens Cup was introduced in 2005 for Division B, Wellington Development have won the Cup 12 times, Poverty Bay 5 times and Hawkes Bay Development, once. The Manaaki Tangata Trophy has been won twice by Hawkes Bay, Horowhenua Kapiti and Taranaki. Manawatu, Ngati Porou East Coast, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa Bush and Whanganui have all won the trophy once.

(Published: 28/09/24)