Preparation for the World Rugby Under 20 Championship kicks into action in Palmerston North this week with 46 players selected for the first trial camp of the year.

The camp begins on Thursday with a tight five clinic led by All Blacks scrum guru Mike Cron, before all players assemble for a five-day programme. Two trial teams will be selected to play Hurricanes Development and a Wellington XV on Saturday 10 March.

Players selected to attend the trial camp are:
Forwards
John Akau'ola-Laula - Auckland
Sione Asi - Manawatu
Suetena Asomua - Counties Manukau
Tom Christie - Canterbury
Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta - Tasman
Rob Cobb - Auckland
Devan Flanders - Hawkes Bay
Tom Florence - Taranaki
Brayden Iose - Manawatu
Ricky Jackson - Otago
Joe Johnson - Bay of Plenty
Josh Kaho - Waikato
Tevita Mafileo - Bay of Plenty
Slade McDowall - Otago
Sam Moli - Tasman
Jeriah Mua - Bay of Plenty
Xavier Numia - Wellington
Taine Plumtree - Wellington
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa - Auckland
Matene Ruawai - Manawatu
Ben Sa'u - Auckland
Bradley Slater - Taranaki
Flynn Thomas - Southland
Will Tucker - Canterbury
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa - Wellington
Tupou Vaa'i - Taranaki
Stan van den Hoven - Bay of Plenty

Backs:
Leicester Faingaanuku - Tasman
Scott Gregory - Northland
Jack Grooby - Tasman
Ciarahn Matoe - Taranaki
Raymond Nu'u - Canterbury
Rupena Parkinson - Tasman
Harry Plummer - Auckland
Rameka Poihipi - Canterbury
Carlos Price - Wellington
Billy Proctor - Wellington
Ngane Punivai - Canterbury
Jay Renton - Southland
Xavier Roe - Waikato
Jamie Spowart - Tasman
Bailyn Sullivan - Waikato
Tanielu Tele'a - Auckland
Kaleb Trask - Bay of Plenty
Ueta Tufuga - Manawatu
Quinn Tupaea - Waikato 

Not Considered due to Super Rugby or Sevens commitments
Caleb Clarke - Blues
Will Jordan - Crusaders
Vilimoni Koroi - All Blacks Sevens

Not considered due to injury
Jacob Devery - Hawke's Bay
Tim Farrell - Hawke's Bay
Laghlan McWhannell - Waikato
Ajay Mua - Bay of Plenty
Hoskins Sotutu - Auckland
Cameron Suafoa - Auckland
Sione Talitui - Auckland
Sheldon Tovio - Waikato
Will Tremain - Hawke's Bay
​
New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott has taken a fulltime role with New Zealand Rugby in 2018 which expands his appointment beyond just the World Championship campaign. 

Philpott said this camp is an important component in building the squad.

“We had these players in camp in December for some testing and to set expectations and goals. This week we get to see how they have progressed over the summer months and really start building towards June."

The squad features several players who had been involved in the 2017 wider squad, while six players have been recognised for their performances in the New Zealand Schools’ campaign late last year.

A further camp for the New Zealand Under 20 squad will be held in April, before taking part in the Oceania Tournament on the Gold Coast in April and May. A squad of 28 will be selected to go to the Under 20 World Championship in France from 25 May – 18 June 2017.

The 2018 Sir Gordon Tietjens was played on Friday and Saturday at CET Arena at Palmerston North. The weather was hit and much of the rugby was sizzling. 

Tournament winners were Feilding High School (Open Boys), Hamilton Girls' High School (Open Girls) and Palmerston North Boys' High School (U15 Boys).

Our tournament review is here 

Day 2 (Saturday) highlights of some of the tries scored are below: 

Boys:

​Two new champions have been anointed at the fifth annual Sir Gordon Tietjens 7s tournament in Palmerston North today. First time entrants and Condor 7s champions Hamilton Girls’ High School captured the Cup in the female section while Feilding High School overcame Scots College, Wellington in a tough open boys decider.
 
Hamilton Girls’ made an electric start in the girls finale against Manukura scoring three tries in as many minutes. Montessa Tairakena and Jazmin Hotham employed their searing pace to outflank the Manukura defence and then the former poached an intercept and dashed 40-metres as Hamilton surged ahead 21-0. Both Tairakena and Hotham were tournament team selections and Hamilton scored their third try after being reduced to six players due to a yellow card.

Manukura played with admirable spirit throughout and courageously scored two tries before halftime to reduce the deficit to seven. Isabella Rewiri-Wharerau muscled through traffic to put Manukura on the board before Lucy Brown skipped clear after a frantic lead up saw play stretched to both touchlines.
 
Manukura were made to pay for inaccuracy and a quick tap by Calista Wihone extended Hamilton’s advantage to 26-14. Lonita Ngalu and Lela Ieremia extended the final margain to 36-14 in favour of Hamilton.
 
The boys decider was won by Feilding High School 22-10 over Scots College. The imposing Ethan Webster-Nonu pushed and sprinted his way to the line for the first try. Feilding rallied and Hurricanes U18 rep Josiah Maraku profited from a penalty tap.
 
Drew Wild was possibly the player of the tourney. Resolute on defence he was the creative catalyst for Fielding on attack and when he put Moape Rokosuka in the clear, Fielding enjoyed a hard-earned edge at the break.
 
Wild scored first in the second half and when Layton Manuel completed an angled burst to the line, Scots future resistance proved to be a case of too little, too late. Iassc Sailo scored the last try doing just enough to foils Wild’s defence hustle.
 
There was also an U15 boys and intermediate competition staged. The U15 final was won by Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Against Napier Boys’ High School. Curtis Heaphy scored three tries, each from past halfway, in Palmerston North’s triumph.
 
Semi-Finals
 
Girls: Manukura: 21 v Sacred Heart College, New Plymouth: 19
Girls: Hamilton Girls' High School: 39 v Tauranga Girls' College: 0
Boys: Scots College: 29 v Palmerston North Boys' High School: 5
Boys: Feilding High School: 22 v St. Paul's Collegiate: 12
 
Just a few inches decided the first female semi-final between Manukura and Sacred Heart. Ahead 19-14 with only seconds remaining Sacred Heart fumbled a kick inside their 22 and Lucy Brown snaffled the loose ball for Manukura and wrestled over in the grasp of two defenders. Brown then composed herself and slotted the conversion to complete a dramatic 21-19 win.
 
Manukura started strongly by scoring the first try, but Sacred Heart quickly arrested the momentum and tries to Alix Blyde and RongomIhenga Waerea-Hohaia saw the Taranaki side ahead at the interval. Carys Dallinger scored a runaway try from halfway to draw Manukura closer, but Danielle Muggeridge galloped away for Sacred Heart to bring her side within a whisker of victory until a last blemish proved cruelly costly.
 
Hamilton made light work of Tauranga Girls' College winning 39-0. Hamilton scored seven tries and kicked two conversions in their routine victory. Lontia Ngalu was rampant from the outset scoring the first two tries, including a massive fend in the face on a would-be Tauranga defender prior to competing her second. Calista Wihone (2), Tairakena and Hotham were among the other Hamilton try scorers.
 
Scots made a fast start to consign hosts Palmerston North Boys' High School to the third place playoff. Scots superior speed and intensity saw Roderick Solo, Sage Shaw-Tait and Emparama Sailo cross the chalk in the first-half as Scots built an unassailable lead.  Scots first two tries were scored from deep inside their own half.
 
Darel Lander dotted down for Palmerston North on the halftime hooter, but Scots controlled the second spell with the busy Webster-Nonu having the last say.
 
Feilding High School eliminated defending champions St. Paul's Collegiate in a gripping tussle. Drew Wild was inspirational in Feilding's victory scoring the opening five-pointer and making a try saving tackle on the much larger Valynce Crosby-Te Whare which was pivotal in turning the pendulum Feilding's way.
 
Tino Tahitua levelled the scores for St. Paul's, but after the Wild stop Feilding scored a cracking try to gain a lead they never lost. Paul Rakatau-Wiperi was frequently illusive for Feilding and was rewarded with the last try, impressively slipping his marker with swift footwork.
 
The results of the Open Boys cup quarter-finals were:
 
Scots College: 31 v Hato Paora College: 5
Feilding High School: 21 v Napier Boys' High School: 0
Palmerston North Boys' High School: 17  Manukura:12
St Paul's Collegiate: 45 v Northland College: 0
 
There were standout performances in the quarter-finals by Drew Wild who scored two long range tries for Feilding and big Eparama Sailo who bagged a hat-trick for Scots against Hato Paora. 
 

,Sir Gordon Tietjens spent 20 years coaching the All Blacks Sevens, leading them to numerous titles and mentoring many great players. He is now coaching the Samoan national team
​
This weekend’s fifth annual tournament that bears his name promises to be as exciting as the teams he has prepared down the years.

This year’s tournament, being played at the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North, runs from 3pm-9pm on Friday and from 8.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday, across four grades: Open Boys, Open Girls, U15 Boys and Intermediate Mixed (new).  A total of 37 teams are taking part, with 98 games being played across three fields including inside the stadium itself where all matches will be live streamed.

Open boys defending champions St Paul’s Collegeiate return to defend their title, but two-time defending champions St Mary’s College are a late withdrawal citing injury and commitment to other sports (or both) of most of their leading players. A new Open Girls champion will be crowned in a strong field that includes National Condor 7s champions Hamilton Girls’ High School.

Last year, St Paul’s defeated Tauranga Boys’ College 24-14 in the Open Boys final, St Mary’s College beat Motueka High School 28-12 in the Open Girls Final Palmerston North Boys’ High School defeated Feilding High School 19-15 in the U15 decider

Draws:

View and download the draw here https://drive.google.com/a/clubrugby.co.nz/file/d/1OKPr4PE1trrBHY2RGSGmslehwxt1svym/view?usp=drive_web

Pools:

Thirty of New Zealand’s best secondary schools sevens talent will vie for places in the New Zealand Under 18 sevens team, at a trial in Wellington next month.
Among the trialists are two current Black Fern Sevens squad members, Risi Pouri-Lane (17) and Jazmin Hotham (17), and has players from 20 schools across 11 Provincial Unions.
The trial squad (with school and Provincial Union) is;

Saphire Abraham - Howick College (Auckland)
Kalyn Takitimu Cook - Manukura (Manawatu)
Cheyne Copeland - St Mary's College (Wellington)
Carys Dallinger - Manukura (Manawatu)
Tiana Davison - Sacred Heart Girls' College (Taranaki)
Princess Elliot - Mt Albert Grammar School (Auckland)
Dhys Faleafaga - St Mary's College (Wellington)
Tynealle Fitzgerald - Rangiuru Rugby Club (Bay of Plenty)
Jessica Heath - Long Bay College (North Harbour)
Tahina Heta - Pukekohe High School (Counties Manukau)
Iritana Hohaia - Opunake High School (Taranaki)
Jazmin Hotham - Hamilton Girls’ High School (Waikato)
Lucy Jenkins - St Margaret's College (Canterbury)
Rosie Kelly - Christchurch Girls’ High School (Canterbury)
Emily Kitson - Waiuku College (Counties Manukau)
Riscshay Lemanu - Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
Kalisi Longopoa - Mt Albert Grammar School (Auckland)
Azalleyah Maaka - Gisborne Girls’ High School (Poverty Bay)
Brooke Neilson - New Plymouth Girls’ High School (Taranaki)
Temaiora Olsen-Baker - Gisborne Girls’ High School (Poverty Bay)
Mahina Paul - St Kentigern College (Auckland)
Risaleaana Pouri-Lane(Tasman)
Abigail Roache - Mt Albert Grammar School (Auckland)
Ivamere Rokoduna (Livani) - Howick College (Auckland)
Shalom Setu-Veve - Howick College (Auckland)
Kiani Tahere - Te Wharekura o Mauao (Bay of Plenty)
Montessa Tairakena - Hamilton Girls’ High School (Waikato)
Arorangi Tauranga - Hamilton Girls’ High School (Waikato)
Hinemoa Watene - Howick College (Auckland)
Calista Wihone - Hamilton Girls’ High School (Waikato)

The team will be coached by former Black Fern Victoria Grant and Peter Nock.

New Zealand Rugby’s High Performance Talent Development Sevens Manager Chad Tuoro said introducing the programme has allowed scouts to identify and grow young talent. 

“At the end of last year, we assembled Under 17 and Under 18 squads for the World School Sevens and it was a great opportunity to see a number of these players in action together.

“We’re excited that these campaigns have given young players an opportunity to experience international competition and give them experience in a high performance programme.

“Already we have seen fantastic players like Risi and Jazmin selected into the Black Ferns Sevens programme at only 17 years of age, and that is a great example of the amazing opportunities that are available for our young female players. 

“This trial is important as the squad we select will wear the black jersey and could represent New Zealand at the Youth Olympic Games but we are under no illusions that we will have to work hard to get to that point,” said Tuoro.

The group will assemble in Wellington over 9-11 March from which a squad will be selected to prepare for April’s Oceania Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship in Sydney, where they need to win to be in contention for a place at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October.