Tai Mitchell Tauranga West

Tai Mitchell is a Rugby tournament that has been going on since 1936. The whole Bay of Plenty is divided into 10 teams Tauranga West, Tauranga East, Rotorua gold, Rotorua Maroon, Te Puke, Whakatane, Rangitaiki, Opotiki, Apanui and Galatea. Each year there is a tournament in one of the teams home ground, for example Tauranga hosted last years tournament, this tournament will happen in July and all the teams go to the tournament, to play for victory. This tournament is weight restricted and all players have to be under 53kgs at the start of the tournament and 55kgs in the middle of the tournament, if you are not under these weights you will not be able to play in the tournament. Before every game each team has a haka that they perform to intimidate the other team

Tauranga West Team is based at Tauranga Intermediate School, boys trial for selection from Aquinas College to Katikati College including rural schools -  Oropi School, Pyes Pa School, Kaimai School, Te Puna School,  Omokoroa No. 1 School and so forth. For this tournament you have to be year 6,7 or 8 but the team is mostly full of year eights and a couple year sevens. Tauranga West is one of the most successful teams in the tournament as they have one many years. We currently hold the shield and are hoping to maintain it for another year.

So far in Tai Mitchell we have played Te Puke who we bet 48-12, Rotorua gold who we lost against 17-5, Whakatane who we bet 24-10 and we are playing Tauranga East this afternoon (Friday 13th June)

Tom Scott and I, Ryan Bosselmann, are involved in Tai Mitchell. We will play 5 pre season games and the we will go to tournament. Tom and I will keep you updated through out the tournament.