It was a tournament worth remembering for the current crop of girls in the 2026 Whakatāne Tai Mitchell team.

A superb five days of rugby saw them finish second overall to a talented Rotorua Maroon, on a final day that was hammered with wind and rain.

The girls played some fabulous rugby throughout the tournament – held in Ōpōtiki – and were rewarded with three girls named in the tournament team, Ari Horlock, Beau Te Aomarere and Ihimaia Herewini-Clay.

Coach Jesse Clay was incredibly proud of the girls and how they performed.

“The girls had such an awesome week, one they won’t forget anytime soon. From the first whistle right through to the final, they gave it everything and did Whakatāne proud.

“I’m honestly so proud of every single one of them. Finishing runners-up is huge, but what really stands out is the journey they went on together. They came in as girls from six different schools, and by the end, they were a strong sisterhood. They picked each other up when things got tough, celebrated all the wins, and made friendships that’ll last way beyond rugby.”

“Our two captains, Ihimaia Herewini-Clay and Beau Te Aomarere, showed awesome leadership and brought such a positive, uplifting energy to the team every game.”

He said there was lots of energy from the girls, which made things easy.

“The vibe in the team was great the whole way through. They played with heaps of energy, enthusiasm, resilience, and belief. No matter what came their way, they stuck together and backed each other.”

They should be proud of their efforts, he said.

“Going unbeaten through pool play and the semi-finals with six straight wins before the final is seriously impressive. Even better, this group has made history, becoming the first Whakatāne Girls Tai Mitchell team to make the final, with six tournament wins and finishing runners-up. That’s something all these kōtiro, their whānau, and the whole community can be super proud of.”

Clay said it was an honour taking a bunch of girls who wanted to do their province proud.

“As a coach, it’s hard to put into words what this team means to me. The results were awesome, but the best part wasn’t the scoreboard. It was seeing these kōtiro grow in confidence, back themselves, trust each other. Those memories and lessons will stick with them long after the final whistle.”

He said they should all be happy with how they performed and was excited for the girls, who are back next year.”

“To our Whakatāne Girls Tai Mitchell 2026 team, you’ve inspired your community, made lifelong memories, and set a standard for future teams to chase.”

They started the tournament with a 46-5 win over Ōpōtiki, then the next day hammered Tauranga North 73-5, won 20-10 against Tauranga West, started day three by beating Rotorua Gold 41-20, then a tight 22-15 triumph against Te Puke, who they then faced on the Saturday in the semifinals and won 27-0, before falling 5-19 to an impressive Rotorua Maroon outfit in the final.

Mark Pouwhare, who coached the Whakatāne Tai Mitchell boys, but missed the tournament because he was in Australia with Whakatāne High School, was proud of how the team performed.

“Boys played out of their skin; got better as the tourney went on and came a respectable sixth this year. We coaches, management and whānau were more than proud of their efforts over the tournament.”

It might have been a tricky tournament for Ōpōtiki in the boys’ section as they finished ninth, played host, and loved every moment of the tournament.

The Ōpōtiki Boys and Girls were awarded the Lyn Preston Trophy for pride and presentation throughout the week.

Manager Ngaio Paruru said the boys made their province incredibly proud with their efforts over the week.

“We came ninth, beating our brothers from Galatea 27-24. We also come away, both Ōpōtiki boys and girls, with the Lyn Preston award for pride and presentation.

“Although a hard tournament, it was a successful one for our boys as we hosted a well-run tournament, thanks to our local sponsors, many volunteers and our Tai Mitchell committee.”

She said the boys fought until the final whistle, no matter the result.

“The boys were tired and bruised but overall enjoyed every experience Tai Mitchell threw at them across five days. We are looking forward to wrapping up our campaign with a bit of fun in a few weeks that’s for sure.”

Ōpōtiki girls’ manager Vicki Onekawa said they showed they could compete against some of the top teams.

“On behalf of the Ōpōtiki Girls Tai Mitchell 2026 team, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 tournament such a memorable week here in our hometown.

“Our girls gave it everything they had and fought hard in every game, finishing the tournament in seventh place. While it wasn’t the result we were hoping for, we are incredibly proud of every single one of them.”

She said it’s positive for the future as many were new to rugby.

“For many of our girls, this was their very first time playing rugby, and they absolutely loved every minute of it. Watching their confidence, skills, and love for the game grow throughout the campaign has been amazing.

“Thank you to our coaches, managers, supporters, sponsors, whānau, and everyone who stood behind our girls. Your encouragement and support meant the world.

“We’re proud to be Ōpōtiki and excited for next year.”

The Rangitaiki teams were also more than competitive throughout the week, with the girls finishing in a respectable fifth place, while the boys managed to pick up seventh.

Girls coach Chubb Hale said they showed plenty of talent.

“They had an awesome tournament. They grew in confidence and the connections started to click as the tournament progressed. We as coaches are super proud of their efforts over the week, finishing in fifth place with a win over Rotorua Gold in the plate final.”

It was a tough week result wise for Galatea, but they were still more than competitive throughout the week.

They even fielded a girls’ team for the first time, which is something they can be super proud of and their teams showed tremendous heart and courage every game.

Girls’ manager Pahemata Anderson said fielding a girls’ team was special.

“The girls were proud to be part of history in playing for the first ever Galatea Girls Tai Mitchell team. It was an eye opener tournament for a team where most girls had never set foot on a rugby field.

“They represented their whanau, their communities and themselves with pride.

“Although the results weren’t in our favour, the score board will never define what the girls achieved. Coaches and management couldn’t be prouder of every single girl in the team. It was an absolute privilege to walk alongside the girls for their first Tai Mitchell Tournament.”

Roz Merriman said the Galatea boys enjoyed the week and played some good rugby.

“They had a good game against Ōpōtiki in tough conditions. [It was a] good display of rugby. They enjoyed the tournament; still a maturity thing. A few come back next year. It’s the friendships players form that are awesome to see.”

Making the Bay of Plenty Wasps Boys team were Noah Phillips, of Galatea, Ōpōtiki’s Ty Collier, Kendrick Sili from Rangitaiki and Whakatāne’s Taane Tiwha-Smith.