On Wednesday 2nd November, keen kiwitag players from across Christchurch gathered in the sunshine at North Hagley Park as part of this year’s Year 5/6 Summer Tournament.

Students from Waitakiri, Te Waka Unua, Halswell, Te Whanau Tahi and St. Bernadette’s Schools participated throughout the day, with Halswell Red taking out the final.

Kiwitag is similar to rugby league, with players aiming to ‘tag’ the opposition by pulling off a tag strapped to a player’s belt instead of tackling. Teams have up to six tags per set to score a try, or otherwise hand over possession to the other team.

Many of the tournament’s players had previously had sessions with Canterbury Rugby League Development Officer Dom Tola in the lead-up to this week.

Tola says it was “awesome” to see so many kids from different schools giving kiwitag a go.

“The majority of them are trying it for the first time as well, so it's great to see that they have picked it up and are enjoying it.”

Primary Sports Canterbury Participation Lead and Event Manager Georgia Thomson would like to especially thank Dom and Canterbury Rugby League for working alongside them for the tournament.

She says she “was so impressed with the sportsmanship and respect that these tamariki had for each other on and off the field during the day.”

The Year 7/8 Summer Tournament, which also includes kiwitag, will take place on Wednesday 16th November.

Article added: Friday 04 November 2022

Written by: Jaime Cunningham