• Howick and Pakuranga Times
The Auckland Rugby competition for intermediate schoolboy players is steeped in tradition and runs in the July holidays.
Players were nominated for selection by local schools in May, and after trials the team was training twice a week for six weeks in the lead-up.
Manager Mark Hewetson says a number had played together before at club and school level, but not all as one team.
Coached by Shane Harris and Stu Ennor, the Pakuranga team went into the Walter Dickson Trophy with hopes of taking it out. They were not disappointed. Playing one game a day, the team put aside Mangere 15-10, Kelston 66-0 and Eden 29-0.
Pakuranga made easy work of their semi-final, beating Henderson 41-0, storming in seven tries. That set them up for the final against Mangere, the team they beat narrowly in their opening match.
“Before the final everyone including the coaches were nervous,” says Hewetson. “They knew they had to play hard to win against Mangere, as they had played them first and it was the hardest game.”
The team stepped up in the final, beating Mangere 20-0 to claim the Auckland Rugby Union Supporters Club Trophy as overall tournament winners. Dalton Papali’i of Sancta Maria College scored eight tries and was awarded the Deon Wagner Memorial Trophy as player of the tournament.
Pakuranga had 30 tries in their five games, finishing as top try-scoring team.
The Pakuranga team: Anuinaata Brown, Chris Savelio, Vai Thompson Faoofo, Brandon Tewao, Gordon Maava, Wesley Tameifuna, Ben Watene, CJ Sinclair, Jay K Edey, Liam Hill, Stanton Stevens, Matthew Horgan, Matthew Gorrie, Kenzel Faoofo, Matthew Smith, Braydon Ennor, Joshua Rees, Christian Rea, Jake Godfrey, Joseph Mafileo, Dalton Papali’i, Ian Vermeulen.
