Northcote Sevens

Northcote Sevens take home the Bowl at National Club Sevens tournament

After winning the North Harbour Club Sevens tournament in November, Northcote was invited to enter the Wakefield Middlesex National Club Sevens tournament, held at Karaka Rugby Club on Saturday, 10 February. After a tough campaign, the team walked away as the Bowl winners and had an overall 5th place in New Zealand. 

Going in with a squad that contained a large contingent of the championship-winning Harbour team and with an injection of some experienced premier players, the Northcote team entered the competition with quiet confidence. This confidence was to be justified in the first game of the day against Pukekohe. A strong first-half showing put the Cote boys out to a 17-10 lead, and a scoreless second half secured the 3 points for the lads. Desperately unlucky to lose the next two pool games in the last play of the game, whilst ahead on both occasions, proved to be the difference between contending for the title and being relegated to the bowl/shield round. Those two games were against Manurewa (19-21) and Paremata-Plimmerton (10-14). Northcote wrapped up their pool play with a 19-17 win against Marist Albion.

Northcote’s best performance of the day came against a Te Puna outfit that tipped up Northcote the last time we were in the National Club Sevens tournament. Competing to play in the bowl final, Cote played free-flowing and expansive sevens underpinned by great skill execution and well-drilled systems to run away 26-7 winners. Pride in the jersey and their effort allowed Cote to take an early 26-5 lead against Kamo in the bowl final. Kamo scored a couple of late consolation tries to make the final score 26-17 to Northcote, who walked away as bowl winners and an overall 5th place in New Zealand.

With a great balance of youth and experience in the squad, this Northcote Sevens team is one that will only go from strength to strength.