CAS student makes National Area Schools rugby rep team
Aiden Bettridge, a year 13 student at Collingwood Area School, has been selected to represent the New Zealand Area Schools National Rugby Team, the first pupil from that school to achieve the honour.
He was chosen by national selectors after a 14-team playoff at the National Area Schools Tournament held in Christchurch during the last holidays.
Aiden will travel to Hamilton later this term to take part in a NZRFU coaching camp there, and play three games against Waikato representative teams. Originally from the Bay of Plenty, Aiden shifted to Collingwood with his family from Greymouth two years ago, and has been playing rugby for five years. His usual position is prop.
The photo above shows Aiden (at centre) after playing in the South Island Area Schools Team, from which he was selected. In this final game, they wore Crusaders jerseys because they were the South Island rep team playing on that Super 14 team’s home turf.
Gerard Hindmarsh
