Westlake Boys High School 10s rugby team had a successful day at the 2016 Westie Pie Invitation Secondary School 10s Tournament on Saturday 2 April. The competition, hosted by the Blues and North Harbour Rugby at North Harbour Stadium, attracted 27 schools, a significant increase from the inaugural competition last year.
Despite a disappointing finish in the final against a well organised and classy Mt Albert Grammar team, the day saw our young men achieve more than was anticipated. Winning fixtures against Orewa College 36-0, Mt Roskill Grammar 19-0, Tangaroa College 26-7 and De La Salle College (2) 55-0 was a tremendous achievement. A hard fought semi-final win against De La Salle (1) 17-5 saw the team reach levels the school has not been in many years.
Stand out players throughout the day were Leon Thambiran, Jack Heighton, Fine Inisi, Casey Smith and Jake Katipa, but were well supported by Tupou Afungia, Baylee Katipa and Finlay Brewis. The team played a very good brand of 10’s rugby with Coaches Aaron Katipa and Hamish McKerrow leading the way.
Unfortunately the boys could not maintain the high standards they had set during the lead up games and wilted in the final. Nevertheless they should be proud of their achievement and have now set a benchmark for next year’s tournament.