Top Maori rugby coming to Masterton
A tournament that helped give rise to some of New Zealand rugby’s most exciting talent in recent years is coming to Masterton next month.
More than 500 players from 16 teams will take part in the annual Te Tini a Maui Central Maori Rugby Tournament at Trust House Memorial Park over the weekend of 11th-12th March.
Competing teams come from the Hurricanes catchment and also includeTaranaki.
Rugby services manager for Te Tini a Maui Central Maori Rugby, Roger Graham,says the tournament is dedicated and committed to the advancement and development towards professional rugby with an emphasis for Maori rugby.
It has a proud heritage, he says, dating back 30 years.
All Blacks Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith and, most recently, Nehe Milner-Shudder have all played in previous tournaments.
Mr Graham says the tournament is a potential launching pad for players to make a go ofa career in rugby.
“I think people will be surprised at the talent that will be on-show over the weekend,”he says.
“The rugby is played with a huge amount of passion and flair.”
Mr Graham is also the Convenor of Selectors with a tournament team in each of the competitionsnamed at the end of the weekend.
Representative teams from Wellington, Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay, East Coast,Horowhenua Kapiti, Whanganui, Manawatu, Taranaki and Wairarapa-Bush willcontest Senior Men (Tane), Senior Women (Wahine), U20 (Rangatahi) and U18(Taiohi) divisions at the annual two-day tournament.
The senior men’s competition is split into two pools of four teams, (Wairarapa-Bush is in the division 2 pool); there are three teams in each of the other competitions.
Wairarapa-Bush also have a team in the Wahine and Taiohi competitions, with theformer the defending champions.
The men’s teams play for the Hikaia Amohia Trophy, named after the King Country Kaumatua for his dedication to Maori rugby. King Country hosted, and won, the first tournament in 1987. Wellington are defending champions.
The U20s will be contesting the Huri Maniapoto Taonga, the U18s winners will be presented with the Jimmy Aupouri Memorial Taonga and the Women are playing for the Toko Te Kani Taonga.
Last year the tournament was played in Whanganui, following a lengthy stint in Palmerston North.
Wairarapa-Bush bidded against two other provinces to host the tournament. Mr Graham says the facilities at Trust House Memorial Park were a big factor in Wairarapa-Bush being successful.
Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union (WBRU) chairman Tim Nathan says the tournament has a proud tradition and to host it is a huge privilege for local rugby.
Mr Nathan says all going to plan WBRU hope to host the tournament for another two years.
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