Wellington Pride starting Women?s NPC this weekend

This weekend the Wellington Pride join seven other provinces from around the country at the starting gates for an expanded Women’s NPC competition.

This year eight teams will be playing in the Women’s NPC, with Hawke’s Bay dropping out but Taranaki and Counties Manukau joining the fray as new contenders.

Seven weeks of round robin play will culminate in the top two teams playing in the final on Saturday 26 October. The final is the curtain-raiser to the Men’s ITM Cup Premiership final.

The Auckland Storm will once again be favourites. Last year the Storm beat Canterbury 38-12 in the final to register their 13th win in the past 14 seasons. The Pride have been the only team to take the title off Auckland in this time, winning in 2006. The Pride also made the final two years ago, missing out to the Aucklanders at the last hurdle.

The Pride’s first assignment this Saturday is a trip to Dunedin to play Otago who won four from six games last year including a hard fought 8-7 win over Wellington in the opening round in appalling conditions, and finished third.

Coaches Joe Tawhara and Fili Liua’ana, both experienced Senior men’s players and men’s and women’s coaches out of the Oriental-Rongotai club, have taken over the reins from Damian Rapira-Davies, who this year has been coaching at St Pat’s College Town.

Former Black Ferns prop Muteremoana Aiatu, who earlier this year led Northern United to the Wellington Women’s club title, is the Pride’s captain this year.

With a new coaching team and several young up and coming players, the Pride are entering the Women’s NPC with their feet firmly on the ground. Tawhara said that this season is part one of a three-year plan of rebuilding the Pride after they finished sixth out of seven teams last year following the loss to retirement and to other provinces of a number of players.

“We are all very excited about the upcoming campaign,” said Tawhara, “our goals are very much about implementing our systems accurately, being competitive and working hard to improve our player skill and knowledge each week. Initially we have a three year plan, and this is the first year of hopefully rebuilding a competitive and successful NPC Pride team.”

Tawhara said this year’s competition will be difficult. “We are starting from scratch and very much down the pecking order, with Auckland, Waikato, Canterbury, Otago and Manawatu all having good programmes in place with talented footballers. If you are serious about ?being competitive and winning you can't afford to single one team out. We have to prepare for each encounter on their own merits.”

Tawhara said that the Pride have a number of key players with sound experience, including captain??Aiatu, stalwart??Amiee Sutoriuos, Mary-Anne Collins (Manu-?Sina) and Jackie Patea (Current Black Fern). However they recently lost the services of Mel Bosman (Current Black Fern) to work commitments.

Losing key front rower Bosman was a blow said Tawhara. But he added that the team have a sound leadership group that everyone respects and that they have placed a significant importance on team unity and cohesion.

Several players will make their representative debuts this year for the Pride, making the step up from club rugby, and the coaches and management have faith that will all perform well and continue to develop.

“We selected the squad on merit, and it would be fair to say that there are disappointed individuals who were part of the mix in the past. But as coaches we attended as many games as possible, and also had a number of spotters at different club games, and our only instruction really was to find players that stood out and put their hands up and pretty much picked themselves.

"There were many questions asked about non-selection of past players, but at the end of the day??if? they didn't stand out to us then they weren't selected.

“We named 46 girls to trial and that process was very beneficial. The final squad that includes an extended development squad, ensures we have a good mix of players from all teams across the Wellington competition, including a number school girls."

The Pride have already played two pre-season games - and won them both.

In the first game they beat Taranaki by 40 points in Bulls, a match that was a lot more competitive than the score suggests. Last Saturday they defeated a combative, skilful Manawatu 20-15 in Otaki. Manawatu were ahead for long periods and pushed the Pride hard. “We approached that game by trying to improve on the things against Taranaki that didn't go very well,” said Tawhara, we made some gains in certain areas but we have still got plenty to work on.

Tawhara said that Otago away this Saturday will be difficult. “We understand from previous years that they are experienced, well drilled and with good systems. Of course we want to win, but we really need to focus on what we want to achieve on the field, and if we win our ball, execute our systems well and are accurate, then we every have opportunity of doing well.”

The following Saturday, 14 September, the Pride play the first of three home round-robin fixtures at the Petone Recreation ground, hosting Manawatu. Other home matches are against Taranaki on 28 September and Counties Manukau on 5 October.

Women’s NPC coverage

To view the full women’s NPC draw visit http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/national/ (choose the ‘Select Competitions’ menu to view the Women’s NPC). Teams for the first round named at the end of this week.

As well as the new full Draws & Results and points table section, Club Rugby will bring stories, news and updates throughout the competition on our home page and our Wellington and Taranaki websites.

The Wellington Pride’s Women’s NPC squad is:

Noeleen Nonu (Oriental Rongotai)
Sharlene Fagalilo (Old Boys University)
Patsy Schwalger (Norths)
Muteremoana Aiatu (Norths)
Tina Kelemete (Norths)
Raylene Lolo (Oriental Rongotai)
Jackie Patea (Wainuiomata)
Sanita Levave (Norths)
Joanah Ngan-Woo (Oriental Rongotai)
Carol Sio (Avalon)
Kirstin Stewart (Oriental Rongotai)
Miriam? Ready (Oriental Rongotai)
Mary-Anne Leota (Oriental Rongotai)
Aimee Sutorius (Norths)
Acacia Claridge (Wainuiomata)
Agnes Dean (Norths)
Vaine Marsters (Norths)
Lekah Leti (Norths)
Mary-Ann Collins (Wainuiomata)
Brenda Collins (Norths)
Katarina Simpkins (Avalon)
Kauna Lopa (Oriental Rongotai)
Elizabeth Goulden (Oriental Rongotai)
Pauline Piliae (Old Boys University)
Helena Lawrence (MSP-Poneke)
Jessika Akavi (Norths)

Development players:
Mena Tuma’ai (Oriental Rongotai)
Rachel Tuma’ai (Oriental Rongotai)
Tuese Lewis (Wainuiomata)
Fai Wright (Oriental Rongotai)
Fa’asua Makisi (Oriental Rongotai)
Sieni Samau (Wainuiomata)
Ruby Finau (Avalon)
Lilian Mapu (Old Boys University)
Georgia Daals (Old Boys University)
Sharna Burt (Norths)
Geneva Webber (Wainuiomata)