2023 started with the combining 6 from 2022 team, with 5 fresh faces. The team has kept both myself and Adam on our toes. From day one all of them were engaged - some showed talent from day 1, some were shyer than the rest and some that we just felt were going to need a bit more work. We had a great dynamic to work with.

Adam and I started by getting the kids mixing the team up to get the ones with skill teaching the ones needing the extra support.

We had a great mix of parents who all stepped up from day 1 to help at training and on game days. I often found myself floating between two teams, and Adam had great support. The parents even took it upon themselves to warn the kids up on Saturdays without being asked.

The kids over the season developed, and with that development came nicknames or little AB’s names in the latter season: Madden the “Show Pony Beauden Barret”, Jack our very own “little Jerry Collins”, Jonah “never short of a word Justin Marshall” (also the javelin), Michael “Big Mike” Fetuani, Caitlin “our very own Ruby Tui”, Noah “knock ‘em down Jonah Lomu”, Culley “turn them inside out Christian Cullen”, Oskar “going to fake you Damien Mackenzie”, Roman “I will run it straight all day Brodie Retallick”, Harry “fancy feet Dane Coles”.

They all played with heart, spirit and for each other.

It was a pleasure to coach with Adam and teach the little ones how to love the game and have FUN.