Northcross sent 3 boys rugby teams to the NH Champs Rugby Zone day held at Freyburg Park, Browns Bay.
The U45kg grade unfortunately only had 3 teams in it, but that did not stop the boys from being involved in some very tight games. In fact, the two finalists were not determined until the final minute of the last round robin game! NX drew with Rosmini first up, then drew with Belmont. A loss to Rosmini meant the boys had to beat Belmont to face Rosmini again in the final. A last gasp try saw them win a thriller. However, Rosmini were too good in the final and won comfortably after a tight start. A massive thank you to Leon Viljoen for coaching the boys this year too.
In the U55kg grade you almost needed a degree in mathematics to work out the Semi Finalists. Our boys had two draws and a win which got them through to the Semi Finals against TNIS. This was a tight encounter and finished in a 5-5 draw. NX went through on scoring the first try. In the final, Rosmini and NX faced off again and another tight battle ensued. NX’s great team spirit and awesome defence saw them run out eventual winners 5-0 and earn a trip to Auckland Champs. Well done to Kaleb McNeil for all his coaching efforts with the boys.
In the Open Weight Grade our boys played Birkdale, Whangaparaoa and Glenfield in round robin play before playing against Rosmini in the final. The boys were pretty keen to square things up after Rosmini beat us in the 7’s Final. NX got off to a fast start with a quick early try before a piece of individual brilliance by Matt Fleming (chip, chase and regather) saw the lead increased to 10-0. Rosmini fought back with a try and a true nail biter followed. Our defence held and a 10-5 win meant a well earned trip to Auckland Champs and claimed the North Harbour Title.
Tuesday 21st June saw Northcross return to Auckland Champs for Boys Rugby. Having not been to this tournament for over 10 years because it clashed with Sports Camp, meant it was exciting to be back and have the opportunity to compete.
Our U55kg team qualified and played in some tough and very close games that literally could have gone either way. What was clearly evident in this team was it’s team spirit. A close bond has been built up over the season and this showed on the field as they threw themselves into battle, never giving up all day. They kicked off the tournament with two draws, a loss to eventual winners Glen Eden, followed by an inspiring win over the top team at the time Ponsonby and a close loss to De La Salle. A 4th placing at Auckland Champs is a fine effort indeed lads!
Our Open Weight Team played with enormous pride in a grade with some rather large human beings! Kelston was first up and despite Kelston playing with 16 for the whole first half we were only down 7-12. Unfortunately, Kelston scored some late tries to eventually win 19-7. However, this did not deter the boys and with increased self belief they knocked over Dilworth, Manurewa and Sir Edmund Hillary College. A heart breaking loss to St. Peters in the final minute meant the boys finished 3rd overall, which is a fantastic effort considering this is the first time we have sent an Open Weight Team to Auckland Champs. A massive thank you to our parent help, you guys were amazing supporters!
