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.

Wellington Retain Central Region Shield In Eight Try Romp

For the second consecutive week, the Wellington Under 19 team pulled away from their opposition in the second-half, notching-up a half-century full-time score against the Junior Magpies at Jerry Collins Stadium (Porirua Park) in Wellington.

Ahead by 17 points to 0 at half-time, Wellington scored five second-half tries to secure top-seeding from the Hurricanes Region for the National Under 19 Tourament to be held in Taupo. The final score of 50 points to 7 does not acknowledge the effort by Hawkes Bay to break the host’s defensive line, but they only managed to score their solitary touch-down through an uncharacteristic Wellington defensive lapse.

(Wellington have now won the Central Region Shield 16 times since 1984)

At Palmerston North’s Bill Brown Park, the Hurricanes Heartland team put on a much improved and committed performance to narrowly lose by 14 points to 19 against Manawatu. The half-time margin of the half-time score (12-7 to Manawatu), was unchanged in the second-half with both teams scoring converted tries before the full-time whistle. The home side’s victory ensured their place in the Top 8 at the National Under 19 Tournament and consigned Hawkes Bay to the second-tier competition.

(The Hurricanes Heartland Under 20 team earned a Bonus Point from their 14-19 loss to Manawatu)

The Karaka Cafe Player-Of-The-Tournament award was won by Antonio Walker-Leawere from Manawatu RFU. A member of the University Rugby Club in Palmerston North and originally from Ngati-Porou East Coast RFU, Walker-Leawere is the brother of Hurricane, Isaiah and was selected in the Hurricanes Under 18 squad in 2018.

The Central Region Shield has been played for a total of 36 times since 1984. Hawkes Bay have won the Shield 15 times, Wellington 16 times, Taranaki 3 times and Manawatu twice. The Shield was donated by Hawkes Bay Rugby Legend, Peter Loomes, who died in 2014. Loomes coached 13 Hurricanes teams at the U16 and U18 level to Championship Titles, before becoming a Hurricanes Age-Group Selector. He was also a member of the Hawkes Bay Rugby Referees Association.

(Published : 01/09/19)

 

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