New and old rivalries were ignited as seven Super Rugby Under 20s teams and the NZ Barbarians selection took the field for the first round of the annual tournament. The Blues opened the action with a win against Fijian Drua (51 – 7); the Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika played a tight first half, before the Hurricanes pulled away in the second half to win 64-19.
The New Zealand Barbarians produced an upset win against the Crusaders. The Barbarians shot out to a 21-8 at halftime then held on as the Crusaders launched an impressive comeback. The final score of 35-27 reflected an entertaining match. The final match of day one saw the Highlanders and Chiefs take the field in an intense, competitive 80 minutes. The Highlanders held a slim 15-10 lead at halftime and closed on the match to win 28-18.
The second of three rounds of the Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby Under 20s kicks off this Wednesday 22 March. With the schedule as follows:
11.05AM: Fijian Drua v Crusaders
12.55PM: Moana Pasifika v Chiefs
2.45PM: Blues v NZ Barbarians
4.35PM: Hurricanes v Highlanders