Local sevens player helps NZ to victory

BY FRANK NEILL

Ōtaki rugby player Fletcher Carpenter helped New Zealand to victory in the World School Sevens Tournament, held in Auckland on 17 and 18 December.

New Zealand defeated Samoa in the final to claim the 2022 crown.

“It was a pretty cool experience.

“Topping this would be hard,” he said, when asked what his highlights were. “Representing not only my family but my country on the international stage was great.”

Fletcher staked a claim to the New Zealand jersey after he made the Palmerston North Boys High School sevens team that played in the Gordon Tietjens Tournament in October. Not only did he help his team win the tournament, when they beat Feilding Agricultural High School 22–7 in the final, Fletcher was also named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Gordon Tietjens himself presented the MVP trophy to Fletcher. This tournament was one of a number of sevens events Fletcher played late last year, including the Condors Sevens tournament featuring schools from throughout New Zealand.

His school placed third in the Condors Sevens, and Fletcher was named in the tournament team.

“I’ve always loved playing rugby,” Fletcher says.

The 18-year-old has been playing for much of his life, too, starting with the Rascals at the Rāhui Football and Sport Club when he was just four years old. His father, Paul Carpenter, coached the young Rāhui team his son played in for two years. Then there was a merger of two teams and Paul joined with Makaore Bevan-Wilson as a coach of Fletcher’s team right up until he went to college.

In his final year with the club, Fletcher was a member of the Rāhui team that was undefeated on an end-of-year tour of Australia.

“It was a great little team,” says Paul. “I’m pretty proud of Fletcher. He has done very well.”

His achievements so far demonstrate that people from small communities “can do anything they want to do if the put their mind to it, which is great.” Fletcher, he adds, “is very proud of where he’s from – Ōtaki.”

He comes from a long line of Ōtaki residents.

One great-great-great-grandfather, Henry Sharp, came to Ōtaki in 1895 and managed the Telegraph Hotel during the 1890s.

His grandmother was a Winiata before she married, giving Fletcher a link to another significant Ōtaki family.

Fletcher attended Waitohu School before spending his intermediate school years at Ōtaki College.

He then studied at Palmerston North Boys High School.

He has just moved from Ōtaki to Tauranga, as recently as 15 January, with the aim of furthering his rugby career and to work in an orchard.

The second team in the Hot Shots competition, Ōtaki Hihiko – Isabella McKenzie, Lila Porteners, Sam West, Tai Mana Moeke, Isaac Bridge and Oliver Martin – were only eclipsed by Ōtaki Māhuri, and finished second.

Grant for Basketball

Ngāti Raukawa Ki Te Tonga Basketball Club is the only Ōtaki recipient in the latest round of funding grants made by the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT).

NZCT announced on 8 January that it has made grants totaling $437,000 across the Wellington region in its latest funding round.

Ngāti Rawkawa Ki Te Tonga Basketball Club received $14,785 for travel and accommodation.

NZCT has 11 gaming venues in the Wellington that contribute to these grants. The only gaming venue in Ōtaki is The Family Hotel.