JUNIOR RUGBY
IMPORTANT DATES 2026
- Registrations Open: 16th February 2026
- Registrations Close: 15th March 2026
- Muster: 30th March 2026
Year 1 and 2 Friday Night Rippa - 5pm
Girls Only Rippa - 5:30pm
Tackle Rugby - 6pm - Team Allocation: 29th March 2026
- Training begins: this is up to the team coach/manager who will communicate this with each team directly.
- Winter Season Starts:
Rippa: 1st May 2026 | Tackle: 2nd May 2026 - Winter Season Ends:
Tackle: 15th August - Prizegiving: TBC
Rippa Rugby
Hautapu Sports Club provide Rippa Rugby for Years 1 & 2. This takes place at Memorial Park and is played at Leamington once a month. These games are played on a Friday night and kick off is at 4.30pm, and 5.10pm. Rippa play 15minute halves with a 5min half time break.
Tackle Rugby
Tackle Rugby is offered to years 3-6. Hautapu Sports Club is part of the Waikato Wide Junior Rugby sub union and play on a Saturday morning at once of the following venues – Memorial Park, Leamington, Hinuera, Morrinsville/Kereone, Matamata, Tokoroa and Putaruru. These games are usually played between 9am and 12pm depending on the draw. Tackle grades play 20min halves with a 5min half time break. These games are played with 10 players a side on reduced size fields. Our 11th grade sides (year 6) play on a full field with 15 players.
NOTE: All intermediate aged players register through CJRS.
Girls Only - Rippa Rugby
The girls-only programme for Years 3-7 will be held on Thursday evenings (subject to change if field availability requires). Play will start at 4pm and end at 5pm.
The evening programme will incorporate a 30-minute skills session, followed by a 30-minute game. The season will end with a girls-only rippa tournament hosted at Swarbrick Park, Hamilton, in August.
Years 1 and 2 will continue to play mixed rippa on Friday nights.
If your child wishes to play for Hautapu Sports Club this year please complete and submit the registration form. Additional players can be added at the bottom of the player information section. This form needs to be submitted by 15th March 2026. Players not registered by this date will be placed in teams only where possible.
