New Zealand club rugby round-up 6 June

The Lincoln University Rams wrapped up the first round of the Christchurch club rugby competition with a 26-15 win over nearest challenger New Brighton yesterday. Lincoln, who won 10 and drew one of their 11 first round matches, finished two wins clear at the top of the pack to leading chasers New Brighton and Canterbury University.

The second round of the Canterbury Metro Premier competition starts on 13 June, with the competition split into two sections. Defending Hawkins Trophy champions High School Old Boys have sneaked into the championship section with a record of five wins and six losses.

Down the road in Dunedin, Southern and Harbour continued their recent strong form, with both sides registering comfortable wins in the latest round of Dunedin Premier club rugby. Harbour attacked with pace and aggression from the opening whistle in their 59-17 win over Kaikorai at Bishopscourt, while leaders Southern registered a 71 – 3 victory over Green Island at Kettle Park.

The match of the round was the battle for fourth spot, with fourth placed Dunedin visiting fifth placed University A in what resulted in an impressive 60 – 8 win to the University side. At Montecillo, Taieri beat Zingari-Richmond 44-29 while Pirates registered their third win of the season with a 26-16 win against Alhambra Union at Hancock Park.

One club is shining brightly in the Southland Galbraith Shield competition, with Star opening up a two-game lead at the top of the standings to their nearest challenger with a month of regular season rugby remaining. Star beat Woodlands 35-28, while Marist beat Pirates Old Boys 33-28 and the Eastern-Northern Barbarians defeated Midlands 41-10 in the other match.

Wanderers and Waimea Old Boys both won their matches in the Nelson Bays competition, Wanderers beating Stoke 55-9 ad Waimea defeating Marist 30-17. Wanderers and Waimea meet next weekend in the Tasman Trophy decider.

The first round of the Premier Jubilee Cup in Wellington saw Petone beat first round winners Hutt Old Boys Marist 34-28, Oriental-Rongotai defeat Marist St Pat’s 34-6, Old Boys University overcome the Wellington Axemen 30-22 and Tawa pip Wainuiomata 16-14.

Of note, the Northern United Women’s team, who include three of Jerry Collins’ sisters – Helen, Brenda and Tiana – wrapped up the Wellington Women’s first round title with a week to spare on an emotional day of rugby in the capital.

After a busy Queen’s Birthday Weekend of rugby in the Manawatu with a double round of matches on the Saturday and the Monday, Leaders College Old Boys continued to set the standard in the competition, beating Feilding Old Boys Oroua 35-13. The other games saw contrasting results, with Te Kawau edging Old Boys Marist 11-5, Linton defeating Varsity 28-21 and Kia Toa over-running Freyberg 107-0 in the day’s bggest win in New Zealand club rugby.

In the Hawke’s Bay, Hastings Rugby and Sports, Napier Pirates and Havelock North are all unbeaten after two rounds.

Hastings beat Napier Old Boys Marist 32-12, Pirates beat first round Nash Cup winners and previously unbeaten Taradale 32-20 in the big result of the round, while Havelock North edged Napier Technical 25-21.

In Taranaki, leaders New Plymouth Old Boys overcame Inglewood 18-0 to maintain their grip on the top of the standings to officially become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, with three weeks to play.

Inglewood have dropped to fifth, behind second placed Tukapa who beat second placed Spotswood 31-5 and fourth placed who had an important 21-17 win over Costal. Clifton kept their semi-final chances alive for another week at least with a 25-22 win over Southern.

Bay of Plenty Baywide Premier rugby saw Tauranga Sports ease to a 76-7 win over Paroa to maintain their lead at the top of the table. Te Puke are running a close second, after their 82-0 win over Waikite, while third placed Rotoiti beat Whakatane Marist 55-24. Lower table contenders Te Puna beat Opotiki 45-15, while Mount Maunganui remains in touch with the leaders with a 31-20 win over Whakarewarewa.

Frontrunners Otorohanga and Hamilton Marist continue to set the pace in Waikato club rugby, both registering their 11th wins in 14 games. Otorohanga are out in front after demolishing Morrinsville Sports 41-3, with the Hamilton Marist Ravens in second after edging Melville 34-29. Melville’s loss means they have been overtaken into third spot by University who defeated Fraser Tech 29-13.

Pukekohe beat first round champions Karaka 22-16 in the second weekend of matches in the Counties Manukau McNamara Cup, while Ardmore Marist suffered their second successive close loss, going down 22-23 to Patumahoe.

The winning team won with a four-try bonus point in all seven Auckland Premier club rugby matches, with Grammar TEC cruising to their eighth straight win of the season in beating Waitemata 39-5 in their Alan McEvoy Shield second round fixture. University defeated Ponsonby 44-15, while first round Blue Pool winners Pakuranga opened their account with a 28-18 win over the Manukau Rovers.

Marist beat Papatoetoe 22-13 in the Alan McEvoy Shield round and College Rifles over-run Maungarua 44-5, East Tamaki beat Waitakere City 33-10 and Eden overcome Otahuhu 35-14 in the three Portola Shield matches.

In north Harbour, the Western Pioneers are the new leaders after they beat Silverdale 18-16 and previous frontrunners Massey went down 19-20 to mid-table Takapuna. Glenfield are third, beating Northcote 43-24, while East Coast Bays kept themselves in the hunt with a 29-19 win over North Shore.

After a week off for Harding Shield rugby, the Northland Southern Districts Premiers resumed. Wellsford maintained their grip at the top of the standings with a 44-36 win over Waipu. Mid Northern maintained second with a 20-8 win over Old Boys Marist, with a buffer to third placed Mid Western who lost to Otamatea 24-22.

To view the results from the competitions we run, summed up above, and our current Heartland Championship partners Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui, West Coast, Buller, East Coast and Mid Canterbury (coming shortly) please click on the map of New Zealand on our home page www.clubrugby.co.nz

For a result wrap-up of some other club rugby competitions please see below (note of the results available as at Sunday morning):

Bay of Plenty
Baywide Premier 
Te Puke Sports 82 Waikite 0, 
Tauranga Sports 76 Paroa 7, 
Greerton Marist 36 Rangataua 20, 
Te Puna 45 Opotiki 15, 
Mount Maunganui 31 Whakarewarewa 20, 
Rotoiti 55 Whakatane Marist 24

Counties Manukau
McNamara Cup
Onewhero 30 – Waiuku 13
Pukekohe 22 - Karaka 16
Patumahoe 23 – Ardmore Marist 22
Bombay 52 – Manurewa 26

Horowhenua-Kapiti
Shannon 26 – Athletic 13
Foxton 17 – Levin College Old Boys 16

Manawatu
Kia Toa 107 - Freyberg 0
College Old Boys 35 - Feilding Old Boys Oroua 13
Te Kawau 11 - Old Boys Marist 5
Linton 28 - Varsity 21

Northland
Southern Districts Premiers
Otamatea 24 – Mid Western 22
Wellsford 44 – Waipu 36
Mid Northern 20 – Old Boys Marist 8
Hora Hora 46 – Western Sharks 19
Hikurangi 11 – Kamo 3

Bay of Islands Premiers

Kerikeri 23 –Moerewa 22
Ohaeawai 28 - Kaeo 0
Kawakawa 38 – Otiria 0
Kaikohe 41 – Okaihau 5

North Otago
Old Boys 58 – Athletic Marist 13
Kurow 35 – Valley 25
Excelsior 58 – Maheno 8

Otago
Harbour 59 – Kaikorai 17
Southern 71 – Green Island
University 60 – Dunedin 8
Tairei 44 – Zingari-Richmond 29
Pirates 26 – Alhambra-Union 16

Southland
Star 35 - Woodlands 28
Marist 33 - 28
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 41 - Midlands 10 
Blues = Bye

Tasman
Nelson Bays
Wanderers 55 – Stoke 9
Waimea 30 – Marist 17
Central 18 – Waitohi 13
Kahurangi 23 – Nelson 12
Moutere 58 – Renwick 15

Thames Valley
North 34 – Cobras 26
West 12 – Waihi 7
Bay 14 – Waihau 10

Waikato
Hamilton Marist 34 - Melville 29
Te Awamutu Sports 27 - United Matamata Sports 23
Otorohanga 41 - Morrinsville Sports 3
Hamilton Old Boys 30 - Hautapu 15
University 29 - Fraser Tech 13