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 Under 19 Snatch Victory From Hawkes Bay’s Grasp

In a last gasp dive for the right-hand corner, Wellington scored an unconverted try deep into “referee’s time” to win a thrilling match by one point in Round 2 of the Central Region Shield played at Rugby League Park in warm spring conditions in Wellington earlier today.

(Connor Tuifao, wearing headgear, congratulates Junior Paulo Paulo on his match-winning try)

Leading by four points with time-up on the clock, Hawkes Bay withstood a repeated barrage of attacks from Wellington on their goal-line, only for the visiting spectator’s hearts to be broken as Junior Paulo Paulo scored the match-winner in a last throw of the dice.

Earlier, Hawkes Bay went into the half-time break leading the game by 19 points to 12, extending that lead to 26 to 12 mid-way through the second-half. A missed penalty goal in front of the posts proved costly for Hawkes Bay, as Wellington came roaring back to score 15 points in the last 10 minutes of the match.

Elsewhere, the Hurricanes Heartland team enjoyed their first victory with a comprehensive 34 points to 10 win over Manawatu in Palmerston North. The Heartland side more than doubled their half-time score leading by five at the break, while keeping Manawatu scoreless in the second-half of the match.

The championship points table heading into next week's final round is now: Wellington RFU, 10; Hawkes Bay RFU, 7; Hurricanes Heartland, 5; and Manawatu RFU, 0.

(Published: 02/09/23)