NZ MARIST RUGBY FEDERATION -
North Island Marist
Sevens 2000
SUCCESSFUL REVIVAL OF NORTH ISLAND MARIST SEVENS
Saturday 30th September 2000
A well drilled Auckland Marist team capably led by skipper Bobby
Barsdell took out the 2000 DB Draught North Island Marist Sevens
title at Tremain Field, Napier on Saturday 30th September. Although
the 31-0 scoreline against Napier Old Boys Marist was convincing
it took Auckland's solid defence screen to hold their line intact
and snuff out many determined attacks from the host team.
Tournament winners Auckland received the DB Draught Cup and a
$1000 winners stake, while runners-up Napier were awarded with
a $500 consolation.
Following section play the results of the Cup section knockout were as follows:
Quarter finals saw an Invitation side 20 - Hastings Rugby & Sports 5, and Napier 24 - Palmerston North Marist 14. Semi-finals: Auckland 33 - Invitation 15, and Napier 15 - Hutt Old Boys Marist 10. Please Note: The Invitation side was brought in at short notice the day prior to the tournament so as not to create a bye in section play following the late withdrawal of an affiliate team.
In the Plate section Adrian Maney's Hutt Old Boys Marist (2) side recorded a 21 to 12 win over finalists Dale Guthrie's Wanganui Marist lineup. Hutt OBM received $500 for their efforts while Wanganui picked up $300.
The road through the knockout section quarter finals saw Wanganui 29 - Palmerston North (2) 21, and Hutt OBM 35 - Hastings Rugby & Sports (2) 7. The semi-finals saw: Wanganui 22 - Napier Old Boys Marist (3) 14, and Hutt OBM 21 - Napier Old Boys Marist (2) 7.
Other Tournament Awards were: Top Try Scorer - Bevan Gray (Palmerston North Marist) 10 tries. Furthest travelled team - Auckland Marist.
2000 North Island Marist Tournament team selected by Adam McDonald (Hastings Rugby & Sports and coach of the 2000 N.Z. Marist Sevens team to Western Samoa) and NZ Marist executive officer Tony Meachan.
Lotovale Iakopo, Cory Vainui (Hastings R & S), Bevan Gray, Cory Taylor (Palm.Nth. Marist), Willie Branie, Cory Wetini, Bobby Bardell (Auckland Marist), Iti Oliva, Johnathan Manu (Hutt OBM), Benny Trew (Napier OBM).
The selected team were presented with special tournament T-Shirts.
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Auckland Marist 'Cafe the Bar & Casino' Sevens team.
Winners of the Napier OB Marist hosted 2000 DB Draught North
Island Marist Sevens Tournament. |
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Tournament winning Auckland Marist Sevens Captain Bobby Barsdell is presented with the DB Draught Cup and a cheque for $1000 from Phil Beck, chairman of Napier OB Marist. |
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Clutching the runners-up $500 cheque, beaten finalist's Napier OB Marist's captain Richie Kupa acknowledges Auckland efforts in the DB Draught Sevens final. |
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Hutt OB Marist DB Draught Sevens Plate section winning team. |
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Members of the two team Hutt OB Marist contingent relax after the tournament |
Results of Section Play:
Pool 1 Auckland 49 - Napier (3) 0, Auckland 56 - Hastings (2) 3, Auckland 22 - Palm.Nth. 12, Palm.Nth. 42 - Hastings (2) 0, Palm.Nth. 33 - Napier (3) 7, Napier (3) 21 - Hastings (2) 17.
Pool 2 Hutt (2) 19 Wanganui 14, Invitation 22 - Wanganui 0, Hutt (2) 21 - Invitation 21, Napier 26 - Invitation 0, Napier 15 - Hutt (2) 5, Napier 36 - Wanganui 10.
Pool 3 Hutt 49 - Palm.Nth. (2) 0, Hutt 63 - Napier (2) 0, Hutt
26 - Hastings 19, Hastings 17 - Napier (2) 7, Hastings 34 - Palm.Nth.
(2) 7, Napier (2) 21 - Palm.Nth.
(2) 14.
TOURNAMENT'S FUTURE PROMISING
From initial response of teams attending the 2000 tournament there is a definite interest in the continuation of the North Island Marist Sevens around the same time and Napier Old Boys Marist have offered to continue to host the event. Details and dates of the 2001 tournament will be circulated to clubs early in the New Year. A number of the clubs who were not in attendance this year have already expressed interest in attending in future, indicating that the event has every chance of growing from the 12 team tournament in 2000.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Several of the clubs attending the 2000 tournament used the opportunity to integrate invited promising schoolboy prospects into their teams to give them a taste of playing alongside senior players as well as giving them an early introduction into the MARIST RUGBY culture.
As we well know, Marist Rugby offers many additional rugby opportunities for players including tournaments, and tours for national fifteens, colts and sevens selections that are unavailable to non affiliated clubs and this should be used as one of our most important marketing initiatives. Remember - If we don't promote ourselves no one else is going to be doing it for us.
Advance Notice -
The 2001 New Zealand Marist Sevens will be held in Wellington over the weekend 10th/11th February. Details will be forwarded to all affiliate clubs shortly.
Important - New Zealand Marist have secured preferential bookings for competing clubs to attend the coinciding International IRB Sevens be held at WestPac Stadium.
