![Young players chasing the dream](/siteassets/2021/future-warriors/junior-camps/junior-camp-1b.jpg?center=0.3%2C0.5&preset=hero-primary-wide)
Two elite development camps have given a host of promising under-16 and under-18 players an opportunity to impress as rugby league emerges from Covid’s lockdown grip.
The camps, co-hosted by the Auckland Rugby League and the Vodafone Warriors, brought together two registered playing groups for two-day clinics at Mount Smart Stadium, the first on December 4 and 5 and the second last Saturday and Sunday.
The next camps will be staged in the New Year as the players prepare for mini preseason competitions for the under-16s (Shaun Johnson Shield) and under-18s (Dean Bell Cup) in March.
Sky Sport Future Warriors development and pathways manager Tony Iro said these age groups have missed out on a lot of opportunities to play representative football over the past two years due to Covid-19 restrictions and cancellations.
“This is the first chance for a long time that we’ve had an opportunity for these boys to play a really high standard of footy against the best kids in their age group across the North Island,” Iro said.
The under-16 and under-18 development camp playing groups are split up into four, based on region – Tāmaki ki te Raki (north), Tāmaki ki te Uru (west), Tāmaki ki te Tonga sSouth) and Tāmaki ki te Rawhiti (east).
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The groups hosted in the first weekend were the under-16 regions of north, east and west and the under18 group for south. Last weekend there were three under-18 groups for north, east and west and the under-16 group for south.
For each group, the day consisted of a health and wellbeing session before returning to the field for fitness and skill work ahead of the upcoming 2022 competitions. It presented a unique opportunity to dive back into preseason training and rugby league drills following an extended break due to Auckland’s lockdown.
The development camps resume on the weekend of January 15-16, 2022.
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