History has been made this week in Tāmaki Makaurau with the Pasifika Cricket Association claiming not only their first ever victories, but also a maiden title at the 2025 Rangatahi Cricket Festival.
Into its third year, the tournament featured male and female Māori secondary school teams, two Pasifika U19 teams, and for the first time two Auckland South Asian U19 invitational sides.
Competing in their third festival, both Pasifika sides displayed their development and willingness to take the game on, resulting in them securing their maiden wins in the competition.
Across the boys’ and girls’ competitions, both Aotearoa Māori Schools and Pasifika U19 won one match apiece, meaning the winners would be decided on net run-rate.
The Pasifika U19 boys secured their maiden title thanks largely to their 5-wicket victory against Aotearoa Māori on day two.
The Pasifika run-chase was spearheaded by a 119-run opening stand between Austin Sood (63 off 40) and Nathan McNaughton (59 off 48).
Solomon Nash (2-23 and 17* off 8) played a key role in the victory – taking key wickets and bringing his side home with the bat.
The Aotearoa Māori Schoolgirls secured their competition title thanks to a 50-run victory over Pasifika U19 Girls.
Their victory required a team effort, with four batters scoring double figures and seven bowlers taking a wicket.
Although only competing as an invitational side, both Auckland South Asian U19 sides proved themselves as worthy opponents.
This was highlighted by a tied match against the Aotearoa Māori Schoolboys - decided by a super over, with the Māori team winning by 3 runs.
Austin Sood, who has been a part of the Pasifika side since its inception, was excited to see the progression of his side.
“It feels great to win, we had a rough first couple of years but have grown a lot as a team,” said Sood.
“A lot of the young ones have stood up this year – 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, still in high school - and they’ve really impressed us,”
“It shows that there’s a lot of talent out there in our Pasifika communities, and that we’re ready to compete.”
Alongside the opportunity to compete at a high level, players enjoyed the opportunity to connect with their culture through pōwhiri, share cultural backgrounds, stay at Te Mahurehure Marae, and partake in team building sessions.
Catch up on all the scorecards from the 2025 Rangatahi Cricket Festival here.
