New Zealand club rugby round-up 2 April

To view New Zealand’s club rugby competitions by region, including Heartland Province results, click on the provinces on the map of New Zealand on our home page. Photo credit (above): Stewart Baird 

UPDATED: Club rugby is now in full swing throughout the country.

Several unions throughout New Zealand started their Premier competitions on Saturday, including Canterbury and Southland on the mainland and North Harbour and Taranaki in the North Island.

Others, such as Waikato and Manawatu (week 4) are well underway and contenders are already rising to the top. The end result was a day of exciting rugby around the country.

Starting at the bottom, last year’s Galbraith Shield finalists Invercargill Marist were beaten 30-0 by Eastern-Northern Barbarians in their Southland opener. Defending champions Star also lost, going down 21-37 to Pirates Old Boys. Woodlands defeated Blues 22-14 in the other fixture.

The defending champions also lost in Dunedin on Saturday, with University A missing out to Taieri 10-27 in a repeat of last year’s final. Both sides started the match with an attacking mindset yet the score was locked up at 10-10 at halftime. Taieri then steadily built a lead in the second half that University A couldn’t catch. Taieri kept University A scoreless in the second half. Green Island beat Alhambra Union with a tight 29-28 win and Harbour downed Pirates 45-24. Southern had its second win of the season by defeating Zinagri Richmond 50-29 and Kaikorai held off Dunedin 34-32.

In the Canterbury Metro competition, defending champions Lincoln University had little trouble in dispatching Christchurch 44-10 in a replay of last year’s championship final.

Elsewhere on Gala Day, New Brighton defeated Marist Albion 48-17, University beat Shirley 22-11, Linwood pipped Belfast 29-27, Sumner defeated Burnside 26-8 and High school Old Boys held off Sydenham 16-3.

Up the road in Tasman, Marlborough and Nelson each played their own competition matches for the third week. In Marlborough, Central defeated Moutere 37-20 in the battle of the two unbeaten teams, while the new East Coast team had its first win, beating Harlequins 23-22, and Waitohi eased passed Renwick 50-5.

In Nelson, Wanderers are the only unbeaten side so far after their 72-0 win over Waimea OB, whilst Kahurangi knocked over Nelson 28-13 and Stoke and Marist drew 24-24.

Round 2 of the Swindale Shield in Wellington saw defending champions Old Boys-University hold off Marist St Pat’s 23-19 in a repeat of last year’s final, whilst both Poneke and Northern United continued their early season resurgence. Poneke beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 32-23 and Norths edged the Upper Hutt Rams 24-23. That competition continues on Wednesday with the first of two night rounds.

The fourth round of Manawatu club rugby saw Old Boys Marist lose their first fixture of the season, going down 36-43 to Linton Army. The other unbeaten team going into yesterday, College Old Boys, had the bye. Kia Toa joined these two at the top of the standings, beating Freyberg 61-5, whilst Te Kawau defeated Feilding Yellows 19-12 and Varsity beat Feilding Old Boys Oroua 34-6. 

Defending champions New Plymouth Old Boys started their 2016 season in Taranaki with a bonus point 34-8 win over Spotswood at Yarrow Stadium, while beaten 2015 finalists Inglewood lost first up at home to Southern, 25-26. Stratford, who merged in the summer with Eltham, upset Coastal away at Rahotu and Clifton accounted for Tukapa 39-10 at Waitara in the day’s other match.

Clive, Napier Old Boys Marist and Napier Pirate are the three unbeaten clubs after two rounds of the 10-team Hawke’s Bay Nash Cup competition. Clive beat Tamatea 26-3, NOBM beat Central 27-19 and Pirate raided Napier Tech’s base 48-6 in the biggest win of the day. MAC defeated Havelock North and Hastings overcame Taradale 32-18 in the other match.

The Hamilton Marist Ravens flew high for the first time this year in Waikato Premier rugby, beating Te Awamutu Sports 36-14, with flyer Latu Vaeno bagging a brace. Otorohanga and Hautapu both continue to set the pace, each easily winning their fourth consecutive matches, over Matamata and Morrinsville respectively. Melville are third with a 27-20 win over University, 2015 NZ Schools wing Sevu Reece scoring two tries.

Competition big guns Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui both recorded their second straight bonus point wins to start the season in the Bay of Plenty Baywide competition. Tauranga defeated Aratiki 41-3 and Mount Maunganui beat Rangataua 36-17. Whakatane Marist also won big for the second week in a row, ousting Opotiki 58-10. There were two tight results - Te Puna and Whakarewarewa drawing 10-10 and Te Puke Sports pipping Greerton Marist 39-36.

The Counties Manukau Premier season is also four weeks deep into the season. Patamahoe have won all their games so far and on Saturday the Counties Power Cup holders steamed to a 100-3 win over Drury. Joshua Van Lieshout scored four tries and was one of nine try scorers.

Other matches were much closer, Bombay coming back from a halftime deficit to defeat Pukekohe 25-24 at the death, Ardmore Marist beating Onewhero 21-17 and Waiuku beating Te Kauwhata 15-3.

Meanwhile, Maurewa beat Papakura 37-13 an Kalione Hala crossed for a hat-trick in Karaka’s 63-8 win over Weymouth.

The Auckland pre-season Waka Nathan Cup finalists have been found. Waitemata will play Pakuranga in next week’s final. Waitemata beat defending pre-season champions Papatoetoe 35-20 and Pakuranga edged Auckland Marist 12-8 in the other semi-final. Suburbs beat Eden 30-29 and College Rifles beat East Tamaki in the two Pollard Cup semi-finals.

North Harbour Premier club rugby kicked off on Saturday, with 2015 winners Massey taking a 30-24 2win over Glenfield and last year’s beaten finalists North Shore beating Mahurangi 49-13. Takapuna pipped Northcote 30-29 at Onewa Domain in the closest result of the day, with former NZ Sevens rep Murphy Taramai strong for Northcote, while Silverdale eased past Marist 41-17 in a battle of last year’s strugglers and East Coast Bays beat the Western Pioneers 47-15 with slade McFarland playing his 200th Premier match. 

Round three of the Northland Southern Districts Premiers was on Saturday. Old Boys Marist stands alone at the top in Northland, winning their third straight game on Saturday. OBM defeated Wellsford 43-7. Hikurangi suffered their first defeat in going down to Mid Northern 17-46, whilst Mid-Western defeated Hora Hora 32-22, Otamatea ousted Waipu 40-26 and the Western Sharks beat Kamo 23-17 in a close contest.