Bay of Plenty Primary Schools rugby fun day
Congratulations, once again, to Ron Williams for a very successful primary schools rugby fun day, held for the first time in Bay of Plenty.
Ron ran the show with Kane Hames (Bay of Plenty Rugby development officer) and other Barbarians members.
The fun day was held at Paengaroa, at the Eastern Districts Rugby Club, on Wednesday June 26 with 20 Bay of Plenty primary schools taking part. The weather was fine, which was a blessing, and there was an excellent turnout of Baabaas.
Baabaa members gave support to the teachers and coaches and helped organise their teams throughout the day by ensuring the players were in the right place at the right time and were available for their photographs at the allocated time. The whole programme ran smoothly and to time.
Baabaa helpers came from North Harbour, Auckland, Counties, Waikato and Bay of Plenty and the number of Baabaas volunteers was excellent. Thanks very much to all those who attended. It was much appreciated and I understand, without exception, everyone enjoyed the day. We hope to do it again next year.
View the Bay of Plenty Times article, which gave us some good local media exposure.
NZ Barbarians Area Schools v Harlequins
This year, the NZ Area Schools (schools from new entrants to year 13 pupils and from isolated rural areas of New Zealand) will play a Harlequin RFC selection as a curtainraiser to the Waikato v Otago ITM game on August 23. The NZ Area Schools team will play as the NZ Barbarians Area Schools team.
For the first time, the NZ Barbarians are sponsoring the NZ Area Schools programme, having been invited to do so earlier this year when the Area Schools lost their funding support. The NZ Area Schools are not supported by the NZRU or by the NZ Secondary Schools Rugby Council, and all the good work that had been put in for the benefit of school rugby players in the isolated parts of New Zealand, would have been lost. The NZ Barbarians are very pleased to provide the support they need.
NZ Secondary Schools Top 4 Championship
The NZ Secondary Schools Top 4 boys and co-ed schools championship will, once again, be held in Rotorua during the weekend of September 6-8, with the final of the Top 4 (for the Barbarian Cup) to be decided on September 14 at a venue to be decided. The schedule of games is as follows:
- Friday September 6 – Top 4 co-ed schools semifinals
- Saturday September 7 – Top 4 boys schools semifinals
- Sunday September 8 – Top 4 co-ed schools final
- Saturday September 14 – Top 4 schools final
