New Zealand club rugby round-up, 14 May

Mild autumnal conditions once more made for an exciting day of club rugby around the country.

Several clubs continue to set a hot pace in their competitions, with several remaining unbeaten as the midpoint of the season arrives. In Manawatu, first round winners College Old Boys started the Centennial Shield round with another victory. In Wellington, Old Boys University won their 10th straight in 2016. In Tasman, Nelson Wanderers have won nine straight, scoring 467 points and conceding just 122 thus far. In Taranaki, New Plymouth Old Boys wrapped up the first round with their seventh win on the bounce. College Rifles in Auckland made it five straight to start the competition rounds.

However In Waikato, leaders Hautapu’ nine-game winning streak came to a close, beaten 32-34 by Hamilton Old Boys in their 10th round clash.

Elsewhere, In Canterbury, Lincoln University have re-taken the lead with the big win over Canterbury University, leapfrogging their student rivals and New Brighton who lost to Christchurch, and Harbour in Otago are showing the way.

Several competitions are on tenterhooks. For example, Karaka and Bombay are both level on points with next week’s final weekend of the first round Challenge Cup to play. In Hawke’s Bay MAC and Napier Old Boys Marist are also tied at the top with one round to play. If tied, the winner of the Nash Cup will come down to who beat who in the round-robin, with NOBM beating MAC 33-29 back in the opening round.

New Zealand Mitre 10 Cup provinces Premier Rugby Scores for 14 May –starting at the top of the country and moving down - were:

Northland Southern Districts Premiers
Western Sharks 32 - Hikurangi. 17
Mid Northern 51 - Waipu 19
Old Boys Marist 76 - Mid Western 7
Kamo 22 - Wellsford 17 
Otamatea 34 - Horahora 29
Competition leaders after 9 rounds: Old Boys Marist

North Harbour
Glenfield 49 - Marist 29
Massey 21 – North Shore 16
Northcote 27 - Western 13
Takapuna 26 – East Coast Bays 22
Silverdale 33 - Mahurangi 17
Competition leaders after 7 rounds: Northcote and Takapuna shared

Auckland 
Marist 57 – Mt Wellington 8
University 35 – Waitemata 31
Papatoetoe 42 – Waitakere City 7
Suburbs 42 – East Tamaki 15
Eden 36 – Manukau Rovers 31
College Rifles 45 – Grammar TEC 21
Te Papapa Onehunga 39 – Otahuhu 8
Ponsonby 22 – Pakuranga 15
Competition leaders after 5 rounds: Suburbs (Blue Pool) and College Rifles (White Pool)

Counties Manukau – Challenge Cup
Ardmore 43 - Weymouth 7
Bombay 60 - Te Kauwhata 28
Pukekohe 51 - Patumahoe 24
Onewhero 57 – Papakura 0
Karaka (Counties Poer Cup holders) 65 - Waiuku 12
Manurewa - Bye
Competition leaders after round 10: Karaka and Bombay (shared) – one round to play

Waikato
Fraser Tech 37 - United Matamata Sports 31 
Hamilton Old Boys 34 - Hautapu 32 
Melville 78 -  Te Awamutu Sports 14
Otorohanga 55 - Morrinsville Sports 7 
Hamilton Marist 27 – University 24
Competition leaders after 10 rounds: Hautapu
​
Bay of Plenty Baywide Premier
Mount Maunganui 56 - Paroa 7
Whakatane Marist 26 - Te Puna 20
Greerton Marist 26 - Rangataua 25
Tauranga Sports 40 - Te Puke 15
Whakarewarewa 25 - Arataki 23
Rotoiti 29 - Opotiki 7
Competition leaders after 8 rounds: Whakatane Marist

Hawke’s Bay
Napier Old Boys Marist 39 – Clive 13
Taradale 33 – Napier Technical 18
MAC 27 – Napier Pirate 20
Central 13 – Tamatea 12
Hastings 19 – Havelock North 13
Competition leaders after 8 rounds: MAC and NOBM (equal)

Taranaki
New Plymouth Old Boys 45 – Southern 22
Stratford 42 – Clifton 20
Tukapa 39 – Spotswood 15
Coastal 20 – Inglewood 17
Competition leaders after 7 rounds: New Plymouth Old Boys (first round winners)

Manawatu
Feilding 26 - Varsity 13
Old Boys Marist 41 - FOB Oroua 15
COB 50 - Freyberg 16
Te Kawau 32 - Linton 12
Kia Toa: Bye
Centennial Shield round one

Wellington
Old Boys University 34 – Tawa 33
Marist St Pat’s 25 – Petone 17
Oriental-Rongotai 45 – Hutt Old Boys Marist 25
Paramata-Plimmerton 22 – Johnsonville 8
Upper Hutt Rams 36 – Wainuiomata 29
Northern United 31 – Avalon 25
Wellington 35 – Poneke 13
Competition leaders after 10 rounds of 13: Old Boys University

Tasman – Tasman Trophy, crossover matches week 4
Nelson 22 – Moutere 20
Stoke 40 – Central 17
Waitohi 61 – Waimea Old Boys 32
Wanderers 44 – Harlequins 25
Kahurangi 46 – East Coast 20
Marist 48 – Renwick 20
Competition leaders after 9 rounds: Wanderers

Canterbury – Hawkins Cup Division 1
Sumner 51 - High School Old Boys 22
Lincoln University 44 – University 17
Linwood 34 – Burnside 21
Christchurch 18 – New Brighton 14
Sydenham 45 – Shirley 17
Marist Albion 36 – Belfast 14
Competition leaders after 8 rounds: Lincoln University

Otago
Harbour 36 - Taieri 22
University A 62 - Kaikorai 17
Southern 28- Green Island 3
Dunedin 58- Pirates 13
Alhambra-Union 41 - Zingari-Richmond 32
Competition leaders and Speight’s Jug winners: Harbour

Southland:
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 26, Blues 0
Pirates-Old Boys 18, Woodlands 18
Marist 25 - Star 17
Competition leaders: Eastern-Northern Barbarians