Rai Valley School christens posts [Nelson Mail]

Two white, wooden rugby goal posts erected with donated time and materials stood tall at Rai Valley Area School yesterday as pupils and Tasman Makos players christened them with a few kicks over the cross bar.

Makos players and former Rai Valley Area School pupils Andrew Goodman, Sam Prattley and Kahu Marfell were there to officially kick off the use of the posts.

The 81 pupils, ranging from year 1 to year 13, mostly dressed in black with some in black-and-white face paint, practised rugby drills and kicking skills with the Makos players.

Relieving principal Tony Draaijer said the school did not have posts or even a rugby field when he arrived and he and staff decided to install the posts to add diversity to the sports programme. The school already has two sets of football goals.

A notice went out in the school newsletter about a month ago and the Rai Valley community made the idea a reality by donating time and resources.

"It was a real team effort," typical of a small community, he said.

Despite a lack of goal posts, one student, Rikki Bovey, 17, had been chosen for the New Zealand area schools' team and was at a training camp in Hamilton.

Mr Goodman, the Makos skipper, remembered having posts while he was at school, but they had been taken down. "It's good to get the posts back," he said.

Some pupils had the potential to be rugby players after seeing them play a few "rippa" rugby games in the past, Mr Prattley said.

"Hopefully, there will be a few more Makos in the future."