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.

Secondary School Rugby A Key Focus For Our National Game

New Zealand Rugby’s new focus on rugby outside of the “elite game” at secondary schools will be welcomed by many as a key step toward rejeuvenating the game for teenagers. A goal of the new strategy is to diminish the shadow cast by high-performance over wider participation, across all groups of students whether they be male, female, Maori or of Pacific island heritage.

Speaking with the Council’s Chairman on “The Footy Show” (a weekly radio programme supported by the Council and the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association on Te Upoko o te Ika), New Zealand Rugby’s Secondary School Manager Callum McNair said “getting people back in love with game and providing opportunities” is central to New Zealand Rugby’s strategy, with the goal of providing “the game that they want to play, in an environment they wish to play in, in formats that suits their needs”.

You can listen to the full interview, on the Media Player below.