Huge Rep Weekend For Auckland League Community

Just under 100 players currently involved in Auckland Rugby League competitions took the field in a domestic or national representative team last weekend.

Between the women’s sides assembled by New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Niue, plus the New Zealand men’s U18 schools, U18 clubs, residents, universities and Maori sides, 97 Aucklanders from 13 clubs – plus three schools competing in the SAS College Rugby League – saw game time.

In addition to that all four women’s sides – as well as the New Zealand Maori Residents – had Auckland head coaches.

Local match officials Viggo Rasmussen, Rochelle Tamarua, Joseph Green, Keven Ah-Ken, Karl Vasau, Jaxon McGowan and Anthony Eliott all earned appointments as well.

ARL chief executive Greg Whaiapu said it was pleasing to see valuable league opportunities available to people at home in New Zealand.

“These games have been a great development tool for all of the locals involved, from players through to coaches and match officials,” Whaiapu said.

“Seeing them given the chance to represent their respective national teams was excellent.

“These are proud moments not just for the people involved and their friends and whanau, but also the clubs who have developed and nurtured them along the way.”

Twenty six players who played for Auckland Rugby League representative teams in October went on to earn national team selections.

Nineteen members of the Auckland Vulcans appeared in the women’s internationals, while seven players from the Auckland U18s played in the clubs v schools match.

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