Rangiora High School Rugby Club’s season grew from strength to strength through 2018

The Rangiora High School Rugby Club has had an outstanding season this year with excellent results throughout the club . The Junior Gold Midweek team competed in their competition’s final after besting the Junior Green in the Semi’s. The Girls 1st XV UC Cup squad won their section Final and the Under 15 tournament team took part in the annual Tournament week competition. The 2nd XV continued to grow and develop in the Under 18 Metro Competition and made the North Canterbury Finals' Day competition.

Our season was topped off by the successes of the 1st XV UC Championship team. This was a season of firsts for the team. It was the first time we have beaten Christchurch Boys' High School. It was the first time we had been in contention for the UC Championship title, and the first time we made the Top 4 weekend in Palmerston North after finishing 1st as South Island Co-ed Cup holders. Ultimately the team finished 2nd in the NZ National Barbarians Championship Co-ed Competition.

MIDWEEK

Unfortunately, the Midweek competitions this year were fraught with ground closures and postponements due to weather but this didn’t stop the Girls' 1st XV and the Junior Boys' teams training hard and working on their set play. The Green and Gold match ups during the year were energetic and very competitive, each team trying their best to outplay the other. Gold successfully won that battle in their last match up of the season, being the midweek Semi Final game.

Our Girls' 1st XV combined with players from Kaiapoi HS and Rangiora New Life School to compete in the premiere section of the UC Cup competition, winning the Plate in their section. The CRFU initiative “Let Her Play” has seen an increase in the number of girls interested in rugby grow. This is great progress for the sport, especially when we see how well our professional rugby teams are performing on the world stage. Congratulations to Brittany O’Kane and Emily Winter who have been named in the Secondary Schools' Girls' squads for 2018.

UNDER 15 TOURNAMENT

The Under 15 Tournament Squad competed in Queenstown in the beginning of September. They drew a tough pool and had mixed results across their three day schedule. They beat Westland and Gore HS whose 1st XV had played ours only a few days before in the Co-Ed Cup match. The team learnt the value of “being hungry” for the win and came away from the tournament with new determination. Cameron Baynon was named in the Under 15 Tournament Team for 2018.

2nd XV

This team once again competed in the Metro under 18 competition along with two other teams from North Canterbury. It was a mixed season with highs and lows but the team played with considerable heart when they found themselves at times the smaller team on the field.

Ashley under 18 were our rivals in the North Canterbury Rounds this season. We met them with changing luck over the season, a loss, a draw and a win and then, in the North Canterbury Finals Day match up we lost out to a more determined Ashley team.

1st XV

The win over Chch Boys' High School saw us lift the Trustbank Cup high. This trophy is the South Island School equivalent to the Ranfurly Shield. It is the first time RHS have won this cup and to do so on a nail-biting, adrenaline-filled game was a bonus. It was the first loss CBHS had faced in 21 games!

With a win the following week against Roncalli Combined, the team finished in the top 4 and would face CBHS again in the Semi Finals. The community came onboard and the support and kind wishes sent to the team were much appreciated. Going up against a determined Christchurch Boys' squad was always going to be difficult but self-belief goes a long way and these players were focused on the task at hand. Unfortunately it did not go our way on the day, but the players all had heart and the green and gold clad crowd was an encouraging sight.

Following on from this game the team could have let their heads drop, but they had a new target in their sights … the Highlanders region top Co-ed school. On September 1st we played to win, out maneuvering the Gore HS team to become the South Island Co-ed cup title holder, which then meant the team would contend the National Co-ed Title.

Representing the South Island in this competition was an honour and the team played with a grit and determination many who didn’t know them already, may not have known they possessed. Their first opponents were Feilding High School – a strong contender and possibly a favourite to reach the finals – we did, however, win this match and moved on to the Final against title holders, St Peter’s College, Cambridge.

If any game can be described as a game of two halves this season, it was this one. St Peter’s strength and experience saw them up at half time 26-7. In the second half though, our gutsy efforts were rewarded. Our defence held strong and our attacking play saw us level the score at 26 all with only 11 minutes to play. The supporters from both sides rousing their teams to do their best. Rangiora did not win this game, but they won the hearts of those who watched, whether it was from the sideline, the television or the commentary box, Rangiora High School 1st XV have made a name for themselves and we are very proud of them.

Representatives

Congratulations to all the players who have made North Canterbury and Canterbury Country representative teams in 2018. Special mention must go to Angus Fletcher, George Prain and Jermaine Pepe who all made the starting 15 in the Crusaders Junior Knights game against the Chiefs Under 18 team which played in Hamilton on July 14. This came after the Junior Knights Camp in Christchurch, which Jordan Haywood and Lachie James also attended.

George Prain has also been named in the NZ Secondary Schools' Training camp to be held in Palmerston North later this month. From this camp he was selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools' Rugby Team. The team will face: Tonga Schools; Australian Barbarians Schools; and Australia Schools in Brisbane over the holidays.