First-year J8 rippa rugby is always a pleasure to be a part of, and 2021 for J8 White was no exception!

We were lucky to have a mix of 7 boys and 5 girls, ranging from 4 ½ to 5 ½ years old, quite the diverse group I must say! The team were super keen to learn and given their tender age, were extremely well behaved and more than capable of focusing long enough to achieve good understanding in a very short space of time. We kept training short and sharp, focusing on the fundamentals of the rippa game.

Our first couple of games proved a good yardstick for the team, and I was pleased with the 2 draws that they achieved against 2 good Takapuna teams. From here we changed up our training a little bit, focusing our attention on support play both on attack and defence. From Game 3 onwards, our little team turned into a rippa rugby machine, with 9 straight wins and a bye thrown into the mix, resulting in an unbeaten season.

What I love about this team though was the fact that not once was I asked “what was the score” or “did we win”, all of the kids just loved being out there with their new rugby mates and giving it a go.

We never spoke about the result, we only ever talked about “what can we do better” and “can we improve”, and this attitude from all of the players is reflected in their outcomes. A credit to the entire J8 White family.

A massive thanks to Ben for donning the whistle this year, in what is largely a thankless job. A brilliant job, clear, concise communication at a level which all players could understand. Thanks Ben.

Jim for taking on the responsibility of the manager. The parents and I appreciate the time and effort that goes into providing clear instruction to the group. Thanks Jim.

To our parents and supporters, I can’t thank you enough for your ongoing commitment and support.

Our little team has come a very long way in a very short space of time, largely thanks to your dedication and support of what we as a team were trying to achieve. Thank you.

And finally, I want to thank my amazing group of players. They turned up week in and week out with a great attitude, 100% commitment to learning, all with massive smiles on their faces.

Thank you team.
Bring on J7 in 2022!