Scholarship students selected into first XV

All three scholarship students at Rangiora High School outside Christchurch have made the cut for the school’s first XV rugby squad.

Aitutaki born and raised Thomas Harrison, who is in his final year of high school and attending his first year at Rangiora High School, along with second year scholarship students Davey Mato and Travel Tuaputa, have been selected into the 22-man squad and are now hard at training ahead of the preseason Press Cup. All three local boys are in their final year of high school and are set to make good progress on and off the field.

The links between Rangiora High School and the Cook Islands are strengthened each year with each boy that receives a scholarship to the school leaving a positive impression for more Cook Islands boys to take up the opportunity.

In July representatives from the high school are set to arrive in Rarotonga for another round of recruitment of talented young Cook Islands students.

This is the third year the scholarship arrangement with the high school has been running; starting with the first two scholarship students Jag Love and Daniel Mato back in 2012.

The pair not only made the school’s first XV team but also excelled in the classroom.

In 2013 Love completed his final year at school and Daniel Mato began an engineering degree at university.

Also joining Love on a scholarship at the South Island school were Makea Tupa, Davey Mato and Travel Tuaputa, who is on a partial scholarship with private funding.

As Cook Islands rugby scholarship students continue to make the most of their opportunity the door remains open for more young men to set their rugby playing foundations and launch themselves into any career.