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E Grade Red

The season started with 3 grading games. We lost our first game to the team we would eventually meet in the Championship game 24-17. After this early setback the team built nicely winning their next 2 grading games convincingly and placing them with HBHS E Grade Blue in the top tier, E Grade Division 1.
Alongside 6 other teams from Napier BHS , St.Johns, Lindisfarne, HBHS and Te Aute the top 7 teams played off for a top 4 spot as the top 4 would then play off again to make the Final.
 
HBHS Red, as they had in their grading games, played very well and went through this round undefeated with 5 wins and a draw over the top 6 teams in the grade. This placed us in the top 4 to play off with 2 Napier BHS teams and Lindisfarne.
 
In our first top 4 game we met the Napier BHS team that had beaten us in the very first grading game and after a lack luster performance from our boys, again we went down. From there we needed 2 victories to get us to the final.
Our 2nd top 4 game was against Lindisfarne. HBHS played very well that day and won the match 18-10. Our final top 4 game saw us needing 1 more win to make the final and in the wind and rain we played better than you can imagine demolishing NBHS White 74 nil. This put us in the final with our nemisis NBHS Black. Every match that we had with NBHS Black during the season was well contested and closely fought and the final was no exception.
 
The game was tough with the lead changing during the game and in the end it was 15 all.  A very fitting end to a tough season culminating in the 2 top sides unable to find a champion themselves in 70 minutes of rugby.  However, the rules stated no extra time and the team that scores the most tries wins. That was us, 3 tries to 2. Joseph Walding-Karaitiana was m.v.p for the match and accepted our E Grade Division 1 Trophy on behalf of our team as the team's Captain.

Well done to the seven players that made the Hawkes Bay Under 14 team.  They were Mason Kean, Len-Juane Mihaka-Rossiter, Joseph Walding-Karaitiana, Kahn Wilkins, Thomas Hulena, Jordan Pineaha and Luke Petherick.

Season Summary:  HBSS Rugby E Grade Division 1 Champions

• Played 13
• Won 10
• Lost 2
• Drew 1