Central Vipers 17s in action at “Got A Trade?” NZRL Youth Nationals

Central Vipers 17s in action at “Got A Trade?” NZRL Youth Nationals
Central Vipers and Wellington Orcas hold the hopes of a nation, as they challenge an
Auckland domination at the “Got A Trade?” NZRL National Youth Tournament in Rotorua.
After the third and final day of
pool play at Puketawhero Park,
Akarana Falcons and Counties
Manukau Stingrays have
progressed unbeaten to semifinals in both the 15s and 17s
divisions of the event.
The champion Falcons 15s and
Stingrays 17s both scored big
wins over South Island Scorpions
on Day Three. Akarana enjoyed a
34-10 victory over their winless
rivals in the younger age group,
while Tamai Ioane-Niko crossed
four times, as Counties overran
the southerners 54-16 in the
older competition.
In the 17s, injury-plagued
Akarana trailed 20-8 just after
halftime against Auckland
Invitation, but rattled on three
tries to emerge 22-20 winners.
Both sides moved on to the
semis regardless.
For most, though, the real
interest lay in which other zones
would emerge from the wild
scramble for semi-final spots.
Players at the “Got A Trade?” NZRL Youth Nationals are
not just excelling on the field, they are also preparing for
life away from rugby league.
The Skills Organisation has been offering advice to the
teenagers on what careers are available to them after
they leave school.
And the young men have been very responsive to that
guidance – many now have a clearer idea of where their
futures lie.
Wellington also progressed to both sets of semi-finals, needing to pull out all stops for a
nailbiting 28-26 over home Wai-Coa-Bay in the older grade. The Colts jumped out to an
early 14-0 advantage and still lead 26-12 midway through the second half, but could not
hold off a furious Orcas comeback that produced three unanswered tries down the
stretch, including a winner after the final hooter.
In the 15s, Wellington cruising past Northern Swords 38-18 in pool play and will now
face Counties Manukau in the crossover.
Vipers locked down the fourth 15s vacancy against Akarana with a come-from-behind
19-12 result over Wai-Coa-Bay. Like their elders, the winless Colts seemed in control at
the break, running in four unconverted tries for a 12-6 advantage, but they could not
withstand the Vipers’ second-half response – two converted tries and a field goal from
five-eighth Joey Raukawa.
Wednesday, October 1
15s
Wellington Orcas 38 (Brian Smith 2, Rikeli Grey, Navada Koro, Montelle Leafa, Denzel
Leota & Gerard Akavi-Ahnau tries; Kienan Delarembwe 4 & Leafa goals) Northern
Swords 18 (Nikau Graham 2, Hoani Rogers-Brown & Rewi Windelborn-Clark tries;
Graham goal): HT: 18-8
Player of the match - Leafa
Akarana Falcons 34 (Dakota Fa’alelea, Liews Lio, Soane Hufanga, Daymon Abbey,
Hayes Okesene & Jolam Tagilima tries; Emanuel Tuimavave-Gerard 3, Cameron Iopu &
Fa’alelea goals) South Island Scorpions 10 (Joseph Taipari & Sua Aiiloilo tries; Taipari
goal); HT: 12-6
Player of the match - Taipari
Counties Manukau Stingrays 22 (Etene Nanai-Seturo 2, Ray Taumalolo & Alfred
Smalley tries; Nanai-Seturo, Regan Wilde & Dakota Edmonds-Taimani goals) Auckland
Invitation 0: HT: 6-0
Player of the match – Nanai-Seturo
Central Vipers 19 (Corey Lee Robertson, Hitaua Butler & Joey Lose tries; Maddy Fisher
2 & Jahlon Governor goals; Joe Raukawa field goal) Wai-Coa-Bay Colts 12 (Hopa Haika
2, Hayze Perham & Ken Charle Tuimaualuga tries): HT: 6-12
Player of the match – Hitaua Butler (Central)
17s
Wellington Orcas 28 (Obeda Silva, Lance Petaia, Enoch Tautolo, Emani Vaovasa &
Jordan Siamani tries; Luke Cummings 3 & Vaovasa goals) Wai-Coa-Bay Colts 26
(Morgan Harper, Wally Tipene, Donavan Briggs, Waikato Forbes & Reuben Taylor tries:
Taylor 2 & Harper goals): HT: 6-14
Man of the match – Tarquinn Alatipi (Wellington)
Counties Manukau 54 (Tamati Ioane-Niko 4, Kenese Kenese 2, Giovanni Silbery, Ezra
Tuli, Ethan Nukanuka & Vaipouli Anae-Edwards tries; Kirstian Petty 7 goals) South
Island Scorpions 16 (Joshua Aileone, Jayzin Cleghorn & Rory Ferguson tries; Logan
Woodham 2 goals): HT: 38-10
Man of the match - Kenese
Central Vipers 28 (Tre Te Wake 2, Jhai Atkin, Al Momoesea & Saxton Kennedy tries; Te
Oranga Hina 4 goals) Northern Swords 6 (Stele Kake try; Duncan McIvor goal): HT:
10-6
Player of the match - Hina
Akarana Falcons 22 (Zaylin Inu 2, Austin Masiutama, Dean Kouka-Smith, Sitili
Tupouniua tries; Don Broughton goal) Auckland Invitation 20 (Falaniko Manu 2, Lewis
Soosemea & Bostyn Hakaraia tries; Hakaraia & Fa’atupu Lisati goals): HT: 8-14
Player of the match – Lewis Soosemea (Auckland)
Thursday, October 2
15s
5th-8th
9.30am
Field 1
South Island Scorpions v Wai-Coa-Bay Colts (G1)
Referee – Mike West
9.45am
Field 2
Northern Swords v Auckland Invitation (G2)
Referee – Okena Simon
Semi-finals
10.45am
Field 5
Touch – Wyn McGregor & Kena Waikai
Touch – Logan Strange & N Barker Pringle
Akarana Falcons v Central Vipers (G3)
Referee – Brendan Tarawhiti
11.45am
Field 4
Touch – Mike West & Wyn McGregor
Wellington Orcas v Counties Manukau (G4)
Referee – Tane Kaiwai
Touch - Henare Chadwick & Hone Davis
17s
5th-8th
10am
Field 3
Wai-Coa-Bay Colts v Northern Swords (G5)
Referee – Caslo Winikerei
10.15am
Field 4
South Island Scorpions v Central Vipers (G6)
Referee – Puia Williams
Semi-finals
11.15am
Field 2
Touch – A Mudford & Henare Chadwick
Touch – Hone Davis & Tim Walker
Counties Manukau v Auckland Invitation (G7)
Referee – Nathan Barker Pringle
11.30am
Field 3
Touch – Logan Strange & Okena Simon
Wellington Orcas v Akarana Falcons (G8)
Referee – Kena Waikai
Touch – A Mudford & Henare Chadwick
NZ Rugby League would like to acknowledge
and thank our official youth
development partners - The Skills
Organisation & Competenz ("Got a
Trade? Got it Made!") and the
Vodafone Warriors - working
together to provide a bright future
for our young talent, on and off the field.

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