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 Win Central Region Shield For 20th Time

In warm spring conditions at Lyndhurst Park in Tawa today, Wellington won their third consecutive match in the Central Region Shield competition with a 48 points to 15 victory over a gutsy Manawatu side. In doing so, they retained the Shield which they have now won 20 times since the competition was first inaugurated in 1983.

In the 39th season of the Central Region Shield competition, Hawkes Bay earned their second victory with a gritty performance against the Hurricanes Heartland side at McLean Park in Napier, winning the match by 39 points to 27, after holding a five-point half-time lead, 22 points to 17.

(The victorious Wellington RFU U19 team)

It was a similar story ay Lyndhurst Park, where the margin for most of the first half was only 5 points in favour of the hosts, but that was a close as Manawatu got to victory. The final championship points were: Wellington RFU, 15; Hawkes Bay RFU, 11; Manawatu RFU, 5; and Hurricanes Heartland, 2.

In the second-round of the Trustbank Central Secondary School Shield competition for 2022, the big upset of the day occurred in Napier, where the Centurions RFC side from Wellington were soundly defeated by 28 points to 15 by Poverty Bay. Meanwhile, Hawkes Bay overwhelmed Wairarapa-Bush by 52 points to 13 and Wellington Samoa RFU enjoyed a rollicking match against Whanganui at Evans Bay Park, emerging victors by 46 points to 28. (Horowhenua-Kapiti RFU have withdrawn from the competition, with teams receiving a default earning 5 championship points).

(The Wellington Samoa RFU U18 team are contenders for the Shield Final)

Going into next week’s final seeding matches, five teams have a chance of making it to the Shield Final, with the prospect that the top-placed teams might be found on points-differential, depending on how next Saturday’s matches unfold.

(Published : 10/09/22)