#SportSpotlight – Touch Rugby
Touch Rugby at Auckland Grammar School provides a range of opportunities for students to participate and compete, from Auckland and national-level elite competitions to social ‘have-a-go’ games. The Premier team compete in Term 1, while junior teams have to wait until Term 4 for their chance in the Auckland competition.
At the elite level, Grammar players with highly developed running, passing and evasions skills compete with the best in the country, including at the annual New Zealand Secondary Schools Touch Rugby Championships in December. In 2023, the Premier team finished ninth and will look to improve on that result this year.
2024’s team includes some 1st XV rugby players, as well as some who are more Touch Rugby ‘specialists’, and is captained by Form 7 student P. J. N. Broadhurst who has been playing the sport for the past four years. He has earned representative honours as captain of the New Zealand Under 16 team, captain of the Auckland Under 18 team who were recently crowned National Champions, and he is a current member of the Auckland Open Mixed Touch team.
The Premier team is fortunate to have the services of current parent Le Toia Tainui who is assisting with coaching this year. Le Toia brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team, and she currently coaches both the Auckland and New Zealand representative sides.
In addition to the competitive teams, there is a social Touch Rugby competition which takes places on Friday afternoons and provides an opportunity for students across all year levels and abilities to participate. It is a great way for Rugby players to keep up their fitness skills ahead of the winter season, while others are there to spend time with their mates and earn bragging rights over their rivals. Players of all skill levels are welcome in this competition.
If students are interested in playing Touch Rugby for the School or finding out more, they can talk with Master in Charge G. Pope in the Commerce department during the School day or contact him via email.