Rugby: Te Awamutu Sports’ juniors count down days until departure for France

Te Awamutu Sports junior rugby’s team of 15 boys and five coaches/managers head to France on September 2 to compete in the Tournoi Ovalive Terroirs of the World or “The Young People’s Rugby World Cup”.

Last Thursday night the players were presented with their kit at Te Awamutu Sports.

Te Awamutu Sports’ group of more than 40 members, including parents and siblings, will travel to represent New Zealand on the world stage at Maussane-les-Alpilles in southern France.

Te Awamutu will start with a pre-tournament match, before eight 10-a-side shortened games on September 8-9 as well as finals.

Their first match is against the French team — just like the official Rugby World Cup.

The players are grateful for the opportunity and look forward to playing their code abroad.

For many, it will be their first time leaving the country, including 11-year-old prop Travis Ahlers.

Ahlers has been with Te Awamutu Sports for four years and said they hoped to bring home the trophy.

“I thank everyone that’s chosen me and how I’ve been trained. It’s going to be a great experience.”

Usually a No. 8, Malakai Christie will play lock in the 10-a-side version of the game.

He thanked his coaches for giving him the opportunity to go to France.

With each player needing three sponsors, 45 local businesses have got on board.

There have been many other extra sponsors including Tyrone Mahe, of Cutthroat Barbers, who has sponsored the players with a pair of Asics boots each, and Wilks Penny Motorcycles, which donated $5 from every service in June and July to the players.

Murray Barclay, of Power Farming Te Awamutu, helped the team to get “an elaborate” kit, stepping in as their main sponsor.

Barclay told the tour management crew — Te Awamutu Sports junior rugby president Nick Gold, Kane “Pook” Osborne, Ange Gower, Larn Berge and Andrew Christie — that they have done a fantastic job.

“These young fellas are going to have the trip of a lifetime. In terms of, I haven’t been to a World Cup,” he said jokingly.

“Congratulations you guys. Representing the club is a big honour and I think you’ll do a fantastic job and do the club proud. Make sure you have a lot of fun and go hard.”

Gold said every sponsor had contributed to the great experience that was to come.

“You might have given these boys moral support or just your time. That means just as much to give these boys the confidence to perform their best on the other side of the world,” Gold said.

A lot of behind-the-scenes work has happened during the past 10 months, including fundraising through sausage sizzles and several other events.

Their June quiz night alone raked in more than $26,000.

Local farmers made donations to the trip as players covered 13 silage stacks.

“There were some extremely kind donations from farmers around the district. Most of them gave us a beefy that we put through Affco, some gave us three,” Gold says.

Humbled by the support of the community, Gold thanked everyone who had been involved in the lead-up.

Other acknowledgments went to the Te Awamutu Sports board, Mikaera Hemara for creating and teaching the haka, and to Sports head of rugby Travis Church who taught the forwards to competitively scrummage.

Gold also gave Te Awamutu Sports junior rugby tour treasurer Sarah Vincent plenty of praise for all the hard work she has put in and said none of it would have been possible without her.

Two weeks after the juniors return from France, it will be the senior side’s turn to travel to the inaugural Festival Mondial du Rugby Amateur (World Amateur Rugby Festival).

To stay up to date with the team’s progress, follow TA Sports Junior Rugby French Tour 2023 on Facebook, where all their games will be streamed live.