Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments

[Dice]

Kelston has a lot representation at this tournament.

NZ Condors:
Senita Lauaki
Sam Howling
Xavier Tito- Harris
Francis Stowers (Head Coach)

NZ Barbarians:
Chris Vunipola (Captain)
Cephus Salaivao
Regan Brown
Seleti Esau
Jarrel Tuaimalo Vaega (Development)
Paula Luau (Development)
Matt Howling (Head Coach)
William Howling (Manager)
Mark Hooper (Ops Manager)

Tonga Barbarians:
Essendon Tuitupou
James Ah Hing
Sam Tuitupou

NZ Asian Barbarians:
Kobie Scutt
Star Sami

Samoans Barbarians:
Dom Gagaeolo

Fijian Barbarians:
Kaminieli Ratuibau
Junior Ratu Naborisi

NZ Warriors:
Ralphy Sio
Dj Forbes (Head Coach)
Grant Pocklington (Coach)
Athens Henare (Manager)

Niue Barbarians:
Dorian Gaugatao
Elijah Sami
Pegi Slade
Paddy Moala

Cook Islands:
Jarrell Luafalealo
Nate Brown
AJ John (Head Coach)
Joel Burns (Manager)

Kelston Boys' High School

This weekend a number of our students past and present are participating across multiple teams in the World School Sevens tournament in Pakuranga. @worldschools7s See the teams below and head out...

[Crucial]

@dice The teams are purely invitational. It's usually the coaches that get in first then select a team. Looks like the Kelston network is in full force setting up teams and distributing players.
Unfortunately this isn't a NZR tournament so there is no regional development or selection. You'll note that there are very few SI players. The only reason there is a 'Central' one is that the coach pro-actively made up a team (probably as much for his own coaching development).
Some comments from the ground yesterday were along the lines of 'what are you lot doing here playing in our tournament'

[Bovidae]

I'll add that I wish the commentators would stop calling it the "World Schools Sevens" because clearly it's not with no overseas teams.

I also noted that there have been some changes to original team selections. Essendon Tuitupou, for example, was in the Condors team.

[Steven Harris]

Really impressed with Cooper Flanders , gezz looks like hes already added on his size requirement even before hes turned proffessional .
Very accurate on the tackle and carries well.
Also been impressed with Gage Jackson, been the best in a disappointing NZ Babarians team..his offloads have been superb and has got pace for big lad
Definetly like the look of Xavier Tito Harris with his footwork and speed but it be fair to say there is slight tinge of bias ..Hopefully Xavier stays in rugby as i know he is leaning towards the 13 man code.

[Dice]

@bovidae Essendon gets to play with his brother in the Tongan team. Pretty easy to figure out who that is.

With Essendon representing Samoa last month, I'm guessing he switched to Tonga to keep the Tongan side of the family happy.

[Bovidae]

@dice said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

@bovidae Essendon gets to play with his brother in the Tongan team. Pretty easy to figure out who that is.

Fair enough. I was just pointing out that team selections for this tournament are fluid.

[Crucial]

Some of these kids don’t seem to have recovered well overnight. Lots of tired looking play so far on day two.
Expect to see the smarter coached teams from day one be there at the end.
Rotation on day one is critical.

[Crucial]

Girls final will be Condors v Central Storm
Storm won in an upset in the pool game but Condors have found their groove as the tournament has progressed.

[Bovidae]

The Asian Baabaas win in ET over Fiji so play the NZ Condors in the boys final.

[Bovidae]

@steven-harris said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

Really impressed with Cooper Flanders , gezz looks like hes already added on his size requirement even before hes turned proffessional .

He looks like big brother.

Flanders, Kemara and Vai are the key players for the Condors.

[Crucial]

Could be a Condors double yet again.

They are pretty well stacked teams and kind of get first dibs on players which gives them an advantage.

Good side of that is that it gives other teams an incentive to reach those levels

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

The Asian Baabaas win in ET over Fiji so play the NZ Condors in the boys final.

Value of good coaching. Must be invaluable to get Titch coaching your team.

[Crucial]

In the boys comp the idiots with more testosterone than brains get shown out easily.

[Crucial]

Double Condor wins as expected and deserved.

[Bovidae]

There are players in the other teams as good as those in the Condors teams but the rest of their team isn't at the same level. Both finals were fairly one-sided in the end.

[Bovidae]

Results from Day 2:

Boys

Rd 5
Tongan Barbarians 21 - NZ Barbarians 12
NZ Condors 24 - Samoan Barbarians 15
NZ Fijians 24 - NZ Niue 5
NZ Warriors 17 - Cook Islands 12

Plate Semi Finals
NZ Cavaliers 29 - NZ Warriors 17
Samoa Barbarians 26 - NZ Barbarians 33

Cup Semi Finals
NZ Condors 22 - Tongan Barbarians 5
NZ Fiji 17 - Asian Dragons 22

Bowl Final
Cook Islands 24 - NZ Niue 10

Plate Final
NZ Cavaliers 7 - NZ Barbarians 0

Cup Final
Asian Dragons 12 - NZ Condors 36

Girls
Plate Semi Finals
Samoan Barbarians 10 - Niue Fiti Pua 15
Cook Islands 22 - Tongan Barbarians 0

Cup Semi Finals
Central Storm 21 - NZ Cavaliers 12
NZ Barbarians 5 - NZ Condors 35

Bowl Final
Samoa Barbarians 30 - TBR Heilala 12

Plate Final
Niue Fiti Pua 7 - Cook Islands 34

3rd/4th Playoff
NZ Cavaliers 24 - NZ Barbarians 17

Cup Final
Central Storm 0 - NZ Condors 22

[Bovidae]

A tournament team was also named for the girls and boys.

Girls:
Reese Anderson - Cook Islands
Holly Williams - NZ Cavaliers
Dajian Brown - NZ Condors
Kelsey Teneti - NZ Condors
Keira Smith - Central Storm
Rangimarie Sturmey - Central Storm
Manea Waaka -NZ Condors

Boys:
Cody Vai - NZ Condors
Che Clark - NZ Condors
Cooper Flanders - NZ Condors
Sio Kali - NZ Warriors
Taha Kemara - NZ Condors
Francis Manuleleua - NZ Condors
Joshua Penney -NZ Cavaliers

MVPs were Reese Anderson and Cooper Flanders, respectively.

[Steven Harris]

Shame we did not see a NZ Māori team at this tournament ..

[Bovidae]

The commentators mentioned the French have indicated they would like to send a boys and girls national team next year. Throw in the Aussies, SA and true PI teams and the tournament will be much stronger. No reason there couldn't be a Māori team too.

[Steven Harris]

@bovidae its something that really irks me that Māori rugby has really fallen off the radar especially at provincial level..there use to be a brilliant preaseason tournament that included all the coronation shield districts , for those who dont know, Northland,North Harbour,Auckland,Counties Manukau,Bay of Plenty,Waikato and Thames Valley .
There would be senior and colts teams , i realise the advent of super rugby has played a part in the decline of tournments of this nature, but in my opinion it kept young Māori especially in the game ..the number of young lads have looked across the ditch to the NRL has been staggering ..Adam Blair and James Fisher Harris are just a couple of examples of kids that were age group players in Northland but followed the league path , not saying a one off tournament would have kept them but at least it was a pathway ..i know Bay of Plenty ,Northland ,and Hawkes Bay both have a high percentage of Māori in their respective club competions ..be great to see another avenue for these kids to aspire to.

Must share a story about a Māori game i attended back in the day up at Moire park in Massey ,North Harboyr Māori playing at home , and they were practically the North Harbour provincial team including the great Buck Shelford..
The Bay of Plenty team ran out looking like they had met in the car park,different colour socks and the odd player wearing different colour shorts ..what harbour did not bank on was how fired up the bay team , they played like men possessed and knocked over the harbour team ,they only had one name player, Ron Preston ..?,at first five , and he steered their team around brilliantly .
This happened well over 30 years ago, but i can remember it like it was yeaterday , it was raining heavily a great leveler back in the day.