The National Touch Championships kicked off in Christchurch this weekend with Auckland and Horowhenua battling it out in the Open Mixed Finals to find this year’s champs.
Kapiti Horowhenua's defence line proved too weak for Auckland who continuously breezed through tries in the Open Mixed Finals at this year's National Touch Championships.
Stoked with their win, Auckland player Takoha Ropati says it was by no means a fluke.
"for a long time we have been training two days a week and its been a long hard road to get here."
He also says credit must go to the new young players who lifted the team's spirits.
In 2005 a lot of our players were ilder and couldn't exactly flitter back and forth up and down the field, now we have a young bunch that can zip all over the place."
Despite the final result, Ropati says Horowhenua will always be his idols.
"Horowhenua will always be the top team for me, they are next level in the Māori nationals in the Open Mixed side."