New Zealand club rugby round-up for 8 July

Club rugby competitions are hurtling towards their conclusions for the 2017 season, with semi-finals and finals starting next weekend.

For Heartland Championship club rugby results read here

Auckland

Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield
University 23 - College Rifles 22 
Ponsonby 37 - Pakuranga 19
Suburbs 28 - Manukau Rovers 12
Eden 43 - Grammar TEC 12

Suburbs have a one-match buffer at the top of the table after round 13, with University leaping to second with their win over College Rifles.

Bay of Plenty

Baywide Premier 1
Tauranga Sports 24 - Greerton Marist 22
Te Puke Sports 20 - Mount Maunganui 12
Rangataua 62 - Whakarewarewa 17
Rotoiti 29 - Te Puna 20

Te Puke have leapfrogged Mount Maunganui at the top of the standings with one round to play before the semi-finals. Rangataua have moved into second place and Rotoiti are in fourth in a five-team race for the playoffs.

Canterbury

Section 1
Lincoln University 33 – Burnside 14
Christchurch 33 – New Brighton 11
Sydenham 32 – Canterbury University 29

One round to play before the the semi-finals, with defending champions Lincoln University leading and in the box seat to qualify first, ahead of first-round winners Sydenham.

Counties Manukau

McNamara Cup (Premier 1)
Bombay 75 - Te Kauwhata 0
Pukekohe 36 - Onewhero 33
Karaka 65 – Papakura 14
Ardmore Marist 18 - Patumahoe 13
Manurewa 24 -Waiuku 20

Bombay will host Ardmore Marist in one semi-final next weekend, while Karaka will play Patumahoe in the other.

Hawke's Bay

Napier Old Boys Marist 40 – Hastings 10
Taradale 31 – Central 26
Napier Tech 26 – MAC 23
Clive 22 – Havelock North 15
Napier Pirate 32 – Tamata 12

Two rounds still to play before the semi-finals on 22 July. Napier Old Boys Marist are destined to be the top qualifier and the hot favourites to take the Maddison Trophy. Napier Pirate, Clive, Napier Tech, Hastings and also Havelock North are still alive to make the playoffs.

Manawatu

FOB Oroua 36 - Kia Toa 25
Linton Army 34 - Feilding 20
OBM 47 - Freyberg 9
Varsity 45 - Te Kawau 24
COB – bye

Hankins Shield Semi-finals next weekend: Varsity v Kia Toa and College Old Boys v Old Boys Marist.

Northland

Waipu 25 - Kamo13
Hikurangi 25 - Otamatea 22
Horahora 27- Mid Northern 20
OBM 39 -Western Sharks 31
Wellsford 42 - Mid Western 28

Two rounds still to play ahead of the semi-finals on 22 July. Old Boys Marist and Mid Northern had both secured home advantage for their semi-finals before this round, with their opponents still to be decided. But Horahora’s win over Mid Northern settled the other two, with Horahora and Waipu set to go through.

North Harbour

Northcote and Massey - Bye
Takapuna 31 - North Shore 19
East Coast Bays 36 – Silverdale 24
Kumeu beat Mahurangi by default
Marist 74 – Glenfield 24

Championship semi-finals next week will be between Northcote and East Coast Bays and Massey and Takapuna.

Otago

Dunedin 33 - University 23 
Southern 31 - Kaikorai 7
Zingari-Richmond 30 - Green Island 28
Taieri 29 - Alhambra-Union 22
Harbour – Bye

Leaders Southern pulled further clear at the top of the table after round 15 with their sixth win. One round to play before the semi-finals on 22 July.

Southland

The Eastern-Northern Barbarians met Star in a major semi-final to determine who would go through to play Marist in next week’s Galbraith Shield final. Result TBA.

Taranaki

Semi-finals  - Defending champions Tukapa will face Coastal in next weekend’s Premier final, after Tukapa kicked an injury-time penalty to prevail over Spotswood 16-15 and Coastal defeated Southern 25-8 in yesterday’s semi-finals.

Tasman

Nelson Bays Division 1
Nelson 36 - Wanderers 33
Waimea Old Boys 40 – Stoke 38
Kahurangi 27 – Marist 22

Marlborough Division 1
Waitohi 44 – Moutere 33
Central 63 – East Coast 10
Renwick 43 – Harlequins 12

Nelson finished top qualifiers after a tense 36-33 Nelson Bays division one club rugby win over Wanderers and will host Marist in next week's semi-finals. Wanderers will host Waimea Old Boys in the other. In Marlborough, top qualifiers Moutere will host Central and Renwick will play Waitohi in the other.

Waikato

Premiership – Week 6
Hamilton Marist 21 – Hautapu 13
Melville 27 -Fraser Tech 23 
Otorohanga 55 – United Matamata Sports 24 
Hamilton Old Boys 36 – University 0

Hamilton Old Boys, Hamilton Marist and Melville will be fighting it out for the top qualifier’s berth and to clinch one of two home semi-finals in next weekend’s final round before the playoffs on 22 July. Hautapu and Otorohanga will be fighting for the fourth place at the top four table.

Wellington

Wainuiomata 24 – Marist St Pat’s 24
Northern United 48 - Hutt Old Boys Marist 29
Tawa 30 – Petone 20
Old Boys University 39 – Oriental-Rongotai 24

Two rounds to play before the Jubilee Cup semi-finals on 22 July, with Old Boys University in front and MSP in second and seven of the eight teams still in the mix to make the playoffs.