The annual High Schools Easter Rugby 7s Championship 2016 got underway in Honiara on Monday 28th March with a good turnout.
A total of sixteen teams representing eight schools registered and competed in the tournament that was held at Panatina oval on Easter Monday.
Nine teams (St. Joseph, White River 1 & White River 2, St. John, Koloale, Bishop Epalle, Selwyn College, Mbokonavera and St. Nicholas) that made up three pools (Pool A, B & C) competed in the junior category, while, seven teams (Bishop Epalle, Honiara High 1 & Honiara High 2, Selwyn College, St. Nicholas, and White River 1 & White River 2) that made up two pools (Pool A & B) battle it out in the senior category.
The games kicked off at 12:00 midday and 16 matches were played before the games stopped around 6:00pm that day. Results of matches played were as follows:
Match 1. Jnr Boys – Pool A – St. Joseph lost to St. John by 7 points to 14;
Match 2. Jnr Boys – Pool B – Koloale lost to Bishop Epalle by 7 points to 12;
Match 3. Jnr Boys – Pool C White River 1 lost to Mbokonavera by 5 points 19;
Match 4. Snr Boys – Pool A – Honiara High 1 defeated White River 2 by 21 points to nil;
Match 5. Snr Boys – Pool B – Honiara High 2 lost to St. Nicholas by 12 points to 17;
Match 6. Jnr Boys – Pool A – St. John lost to White River 2 by 7 points to 12;
Match 7. Jnr Boys – Pool B – Bishop Epalle drew with Selwyn College at 5 points all;
Match 8. Jnr Boys – Pool C – Mbokonavera beat St. Nicholas by 24 points to 5;
Match 9. Snr Boys – Pool A – Bishop Epalle lost to Selwyn College by nil to 26 points;
Match 10. Snr Boys – Pool B – St. Nicholas lost to White River 1 by nil to 19 points;
Match 11. Jnr Boys – Pool A – St. Joseph drew with White River 2 at 12 points each;
Match 12. Jnr Boys – Pool B – Koloale lost to Selwyn College by nil to 19 points;
Match 13. Jnr Boys – Pool C – White River 1 defeated St. Nicholas by 7 points to 5;
Match 14. Snr Boys – Pool A – Honiara High 1 lost to Bishop Epalle by 5 points to 12;
Match 15. Snr Boys – Pool A – Selwyn College beat White River 2 by 38 points to 7, and;
Match 16. Snr Boys – Pool B – White River 1 defeated Honiara High 2 by 19 points to nil. .
So after the matches on Monday the junior division had completed all its pool matches, while the senior category still have two more pool matches to play to wind up the pool competition for that division.
The following were the final positions of the teams that competed in the junior category: Pool A: 1st – White River 2; 2nd – St. John, and; 3rd – St. Joseph. Pool B: 1st – Selwyn College; 2nd –Bishop Epalle, and; 3rd – Koloale. Pool C : 1st – Mbokonavera; 2nd – White River 1, and 3rd – St. Nicholas. So after the points and scores were tallied and added the following teams had emerged as first and second in their pools and will progress to the play off of six teams in the division; Pool A – White River 2 and St. John; Pool B – Selwyn College and Bishop Epalle, and; Pool C – Mbokonavera and White River 1. The other three teams that were third in the pools had been eliminated.
Meanwhile, in the senior division Selwyn College lead Pool A with 6 points from 2 wins, followed by Honiara High 1 who is second with 3 points and a slightly higher goal difference, Bishop Epalle is third with 3 points from one win but a lower points difference, while White River 2 sits at fourth without a point. In Pool B, White River 1 leads the pool with 6 points from two wins, St. Nicholas is second with 3 points from one win, while Honiara High 2 is third without a point.
The High Schools Easter 7s tournament recommenced at Panatina oval starting at 3:00pm yesterday with the two last pool matches in the senior division.
The first match was between White River 2 and Bishop Epalle of Pool A, followed by the final pool match in that pool between Honiara High 1 and Selwyn College.
Results were unavailable before this edition went to print last night.
The tournament will then proceed to the playoff stage, then on to the finals, with the junior teams to open proceedings.
In the junior division’s play off for coming Wednesday, White River will play Bishop Epalle in the first match at 3:40pm, followed by Selwyn College vs White River 1 at 4:00pm, then Mbokonavera vs St. John at 4:20pm.
After the three playoff matches in the junior division teams will then be ranked from 1 to 6 and the semi-finalists will be picked from the first four top teams after the playoffs. The fifth and sixth teams will only play for a consolation prize.
The tournament will then proceed to the semi-finals then on to the third and fourth places finals and finally to the grand-finals for both divisions.
Tournament completion will be dependent on the time available that day, so teams are highly encouraged to be at the field before 3:00pm.
The tournament had attracted huge interest from the schools in town on day one and a good number of top upcoming rugby players had started emerging, so rugby supporters, fans and the public is hereby invited to come along and support these school boys in action.
