default-output-block.skip-main
Regional | Tai Tokerau

Touch teams fight it out for U17 national titles

At the Junior National Touch Competition held in Papakura over the weekend, the U17 section was the grade to watch.

Te Tai Tokerau made the final against Auckland in the mixed grade, and the Bay of Plenty was up against Waikato in the boys' grade, but who won both finals?

Mixed U17 final results:

Auckland was out for revenge this year after losing against Whanganui in the mixed finals last year.

This year, their opponent was Te Tai Tokerau.

They were always going to make it hard, scoring the first try of the match.

However, Auckland showed their experience, equalling the score.

It wasn't long before Te Tai Tokerau was back at the Auckland line, scoring easily.

But Auckland came back again and scored their second try to equal the score once more at 2-all.

Auckland took the lead for the first time in the match after their third try.

But fast feet by Te Tai Tokerau got their team to three just before the break.

Te Tai Tokerau scored the first three tries of the second half, taking the lead by three points.

Despite Auckland coming back to score once, it wasn't enough, Te Tai Tokerau winning the U17 mixed grade title, 6-4.

Boys U17 final results:

Bay of Plenty were looking for gold, while last year's winners, Waikato, were back to defend their title.

But it was the defending champs who scored the first two tries.

The Bay of Plenty came back to score though.

In the last minutes of the half, both teams scored twice, one after another, to take the score to 4-3 to Waikato.

In the second half, both teams scored three tries each.

In the end, Waikato won by one point.

The full-time score was 7-6.