Go to our Facebook page to view all photographs from the event.
10 Primary Schools – 20 teams and over 300 Primary School students participated in the inaugural Muriwhenua Primary Schools Modified Rugby League Competition last week.
The competition was played at Kaitaia College and was organised by the Kaitaia College Year 13, Leadership through League Class. Gary Shortland’s Year 13 class has been doing the Leadership through League program throughout Term 1. As part of the program they coached both Pompallier and Kaitaia Primary School kids FUNdamental League skills – in total coaching over 450 students.
The end of the program was celebrated with the modified League festival. The Festival was played in two grades, Years 4 – 6 and Years 7 and 8. The rules are predominately League rules with some modifications to encourage learning game sense. For example, there must be two passes completed on each play otherwise there is a turnover. “It’s a great game to teach movement patterns of League and Rugby, the two passes means that players have to learn positioning, having to play the ball and a definite tackle zone, means that the referee can control the tackle but also it means that teams are separated. Tthe game is broken down in stages which will allow young people a real chance to learn Rugby of both codes.” Alex Smits General Manager of RLN said.
To have 10 primary schools playing league is quite special in a small population base like Kaitaia. The success of the tournament was on the back of work of new RLN Development Officer Paparangi Pirini who went into many of the schools to deliver coaching. The schools who attended were, Kaitaia, Pompallier, Oturu, Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, Awanui, Ahipara, Pamapuria, Paparore, Pukemiro and Kaitaia Intermediate.
Pompallier won the Year 4 -6 division and Pukemiro won the Year 7-8 division. Both teams now qualify for the Northland wide championship in term 4.
