Dunedin will host the annual South Island 13/14 and 19 years rugby league tournaments over the weekend of Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September. The tournaments are being played at Kettle Park with games starting at 10am each day. There will be an evening fixture on Saturday 28th September at Logan Park 6, with the Otago 19’s team taking on Canterbury 19’s at 5pm under lights.
The 13/14 tournament which is in its second year, presents a fantastic opportunity for boys and girls to give rugby league a go and put their skills on display while setting a great foundation for them to move up to the 15/17 tournament next year. The 19’s tournament will see the cream of teenage rugby talent from the South Island compete and put their best foot forward to move up into their district club and premier teams in the following years.
The 13/14 tournament will have three grades: boys 13’s, boys 14’s and girls 13’s/14’s, with each grade having three teams participating, while the 19’s grade will be made up of four teams. Each of the tournaments is comprised of teams from 4 districts – Canterbury, Southland, Otago and West Coast.
The tournaments provide players with the opportunity of competing at a level that allows them to challenge themselves against their peers. Past tournaments have seen players being identified and provided with further opportunities to follow their dream, be it NRL clubs or NZ age-group teams. West Coast’s Griffin Neame is an excellent example of this, Griffin played for the West Coast 19’s team at last years tournament and has just been selected in the Junior Kiwis and is a part of the North Queensland Cowboys setup.
Following the 19’s tournament, a South Island squad will be announced. This squad will train in preparation for a match against an Auckland 19’s team in Christchurch on November 9th. This is the first year a South Island side has been picked from this tournament and provides a fantastic opportunity for players to test themselves against top-class opposition and push their case for higher honours.
These tournaments are a great opportunity for those in Dunedin wanting to see high-quality rugby league being played.
2019 SZRL 13’s/14’s AND 19’S TOURNAMENT DRAW
Kettle Park, Dunedin
Saturday 28th September and Sunday 29th September
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER – DAY 1
10am: Otago 13’s vs West Coast 13’s, West Coast 14’s vs Canterbury 13’s
11am: Otago 13/14 girls vs West Coast 13/14 girls
12pm: Southland 13’s vs West Coast 13’s. Southland 14’s vs West Coast 14’s, West Coast 19’s vs Southland 19’s
1pm: Otago 13/14 girls vs West Coast 13/14 girls
2pm: Otago 13’s vs Southland 13’s, Southland 14’s vs Canterbury 13’s
2:30pm: Canterbury 19’s vs West Coast 19’s
5pm Otago 19’s vs Canterbury 19’s (Logan Park 6)
SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER – DAY 2
10am: Otago 13’s vs West Coast 13’s, West Coast 14’s vs Canterbury 13’s, Otago 19’s vs Southland 19’s
11am: West Coast 13/14 girls vs Southland 13’s girls
12pm: Southland 14’s vs West Coast 14’s, Southland 13’s vs West Coast 13’s
12:30pm: Canterbury 19’s vs Southland 19’s
1pm: Otago 13/14 girls vs Southland 13 girls
3pm: West Coast 14/14 girls vs Southland 13’s girls, Otago 19’s vs West Coast 19’s
