Click this link to get access to the 2016 RLN Club Calendar. Clubs can use this calendar for your own planning purposes regarding musters, linking in with league events in your region and marking up the submission dates for funding applications.
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Northlander to represent Kiwi Ferns in upcoming Anzac TestNorthlander to represent Kiwi Ferns in upcoming Anzac Test
Krystal Murray of the Kiwi Ferns makes a run against the Jillaroos during Day 1 of the NRL Auckland Nines Rugby League Tournament, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Saturday 31 January 2015. Copyright Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / www.photosport.co.nz
Kaitaia’s Krystal Murray has been selected to represent the New Zealand Women’s rugby league team, the Kiwi Ferns, for the curtain raiser match against archrivals the Australian Jillaroos. The match will be played in Newcastle as undercard to the Downer ANZAC test Friday 6 May. Krystal has represented the Kiwi Ferns since 2014 and was selected in her first year of playing rugby league. Based at Linton Military camp in the Manawatu and serving as soldier at the time for the New Zealand Logistics Regiment she attended the NZRL National Women’s tournament representing the Mid-Central Zone. Krystal left the Army in 2015 and moved home to Kaitaia to provide family support and has been travelling to Auckland to play club rugby league for Papakura to remain eligible for national selection. Krystal made mention of the improved structure in the team with the build up for this test match and that it would be great for Northland to have its own Women’s competition in the future.
Coach Alan Jackson has named five test newcomers in his 18-strong group to take on Australia. Jackson admits the selection of this outfit presented some tough challenges.
“The selectors and I had a number of sleepless nights picking this team,” he says. “The quality of the players we have in the game in New Zealand at the moment is very, very good, making this a hard job, but we’re very happy with the 18 that we have. “The Aussies have very fast backs and very strong forwards that keep working all day, so it’s going to be a real challenge. They beat us by eight last year, so we’re looking for a little bit of revenge.” The Kiwi Ferns muster in Auckland this Sunday and fly to Sydney on Tuesday for the Friday night fixture that will be televised.
Cross Code Support for Rugby League at the Best of the Best FestivalCross Code Support for Rugby League at the Best of the Best Festival
From left to right: Maddie Gillingham – Jetts Fitness Whangarei , Jarrod Calkin from Westpac, Alister Gates iSport Foundation, Alex Smits Rugby League Northland, Nga-Atawhainga Manukau – Jetts Fitness Whangarei
Currently the name Richie McCaw and Dan Carter would bring only visions of victory in Sundays World Cup final, however to Rugby League in Northland it brings a picture of generosity as the iSport Foundation a foundation set up by McCaw, Carter and Ali Williams was responsible for supplying Primary Schools with Rugby League balls yesterday at Rugby League Northlands best of the best festival.
Yesterday’s Best of the Best Rugby League festival was a culmination of a number of festivals played throughout Northland in 2015. In total over 40 Primary Schools (Years 4- 6 and 7-8) played Rugby league from Ruawai in Kaipara to Paparore in the Far North. All the festivals are run on the back of the Leadership through League Program that sees the Maori teaching philosophy of Tuakana Teina in action, with older siblings coaching younger siblings, as College students earn credits for coaching in Primary schools and organizing festivals for the schools to participate in.
It was a great spectacle to see so many young students with a high skill level displaying their wares. It was also fantastic to see so many young girls mixing it up with the boys and showing that they have got the goods to compete at a high level too, in fact, some of the female players were the stand out players of the tournament. Particular mention has to go to Sheridan Kera and Meadow Cook from Dargaville Intermediate.
All games were closely contested all the way through to the finals series. Several of these games in fact went into golden point, which goes to show the Far North students know how to close out games. All regions of the North had representation in the final series. It was very pleasing to see teams outside of Whangarei, pushing the city based schools.
2015 is the second year that Rugby League Northland has run the Best of the Best festivals. Played in two grades, Year 4- 6 and 7-8. Eventual winners in both grades BOTH successfully defended their 2014 titles. Year 4 – 6 Whau Valley. Year 7 – 8 Whangarei Intermediate!
Click Facebook link to see a range of photographs from the Festival
Year 4-6
Championship Winners – Whau Valley
Championship Runners Up – Kaikohe West
Plate Winners – Ohaeawai
Plate Runners Up – Dargaville
Year 7-8
Championship Winners – Whangarei Intermediate School.
Championship Runners Up – Dargaville
Plate Winners – Okaihau
Plate Runners up – Tautoro
RLN Grand Finals – 13s – Toll Stadium – Sunday 31st AugustRLN Grand Finals – 13s – Toll Stadium – Sunday 31st August
Champions Final Portland Panthers v Otangarei Knights – Kick off 1:15pm
This should be a cracker of a game, both teams did it very hard last year as younger blokes in the 13s 2013 competition, losing many of games by heavy defeats, but as the old saying goes “What doesn’t break you can only make you stronger”. Which seems to be the case, as the Panthers and the Knights have been the form teams throughout a long season in the 13s grade.
This game would be very hard to pick as it will come down to whichever team wants it on the day and plays best.
Portland have a very powerfull forward park with the likes of Riki Shelford jnr, son of the coach and ex Northland hardman Riki Shelford, also backed up with boy mountain, Richmond Patua and hard running forwards Manny Snooks, Tirai Pitman-Clark and Dante Poasa to name a few. They also have the players in Kiarni Ranui, Kawai Wihongi and Haki Thompson who will look to feed off and complement the platform that the forwards will look to lay with speed and x factor.
Otangarei Knights have been playing a very well structured type game all year. Based on teamwork applied footy, they have been dissecting other teams to pieces by moving the opposition around, with hard running forward, Neihana Marsh and strong defender, Rangatira Keerako. This team runs good attacking shapes that some premier teams would look second to, lead around by their little General, Xavier Mexted, son of the Otangarei coach Neville Radovanovich and has some very good outside backs running off him in Tane Mackie, Ethan Hodge and Elijah Cherrington.
Rugby League Northland will be sitting on the fence in regards to favourites, but this will be an awesome game to watch as both these teams have beaten each other quiet convincely this Year.
Plate Final Horahora Broncos vs Manaia View – Kick off 12:00pm
This game will also be another good game between 2 evenly matched Teams. Manaia have a very young team and will look to be a dominant force in this grade next year.
Horahora also have a young side with alot of players new to the game and will also be a force next year if they stay together.But both teams will be looking at going out with intentions to be crowned Plate Champions.