The following New Zealand squads were selected at the Under 15 & 17 National Touch Championship. Congratulations to all the selected players.
The 2011 Under 15 & 17 National Touch Championship culminated in Palmerston North with six big Finals and some massive match-ups. The big winner was the Counties Manukau province, the south Aucklanders taking three Blue Ribbons and featuring strongly across all the grades. The south of New Zealand was also well represented by the likes of Otago and Southland, the later breaking through for an impressive victory in the Under 17 Mixed grade.
The two top teams of the tournament playing it out on a perfect with a dry fast pitch; what more could you ask for?
For the second time in the day the two Auckland rivals region met in this, the Under 17 Girlds final. With a dry track and the sun on their backs both teams promised to provide some great entertainment for the festive crowd. Counties started brilliantly with a well worked try in the right hand corner within the first 20 seconds of the game.
This was a mouthwatering encounter that doubled as not only the Mixed Under 17 final but as a clash of the southerners, where the bragging rights for southern supremacy were on the line! Both teams had travelled a long way to get to Palmerston North, so neither squad was keen to be the bridesmaid today.
Counties were hot favourites for this one but the little men from Otago were worthy oponents.
The scene was set for an exhilarating encounter in the U15 Boys Final. This local derby involved the two most exciting teams of the grade, so the eager crowd was preparing to be thrilled.
Their encounter on Friday produced tight 2-2 draw and both teams knew that the differcne between victory and defeat was wafer-thin. Counties went the long way to make the final and North Harbour took the short cut, but both went through undefeated so this set up to be a good game.
Tomorrow’s finale at the Under 15 & 17 National Touch tournament is going to be a cracker. After another day of Touch that saw the young teams’ endurance tested throughout a total of 110 matches, the 24 semi-finalists across the six Grades have been set and there are some tantalizing encounters in the pipeline.
Fifty-two teams began their Under 15 & Under 17 National Touch Championship campaigns in Palmerston North this morning; 93 matches later the pecking orders within the six Grades on offer have been established and the competition is well and truly on.
A Fleet-Footed Showdown for New Zealand’s Best Junior Touch PlayersFriday 18th March to Sunday 20th March, 2011, Ashurst Domain, Palmerston North
The Touch New Zealand Under 15 and 17 Championships concluded on Sunday with fiercely contested Finals and no team content to go home runners up. North Harbour’s Under 15 Girls side was dominant in their 9-3 victory over Auckland, with the likes of Georgia Hale, Brooke Moka and Ruahei Lulu Demant all impressing the national selectors. The Under 15 Boys Final featured Waikato edging out Mainland Touch in a tight 3-2 scoreline.