Jon Rawlinson

 * The online version contains some corrections to the print copy.

King Country rugby legend Noel McQuilkin, was honoured during a memorial event at his beloved Waitete clubrooms at the weekend.

A coach to many, Noel (aka Snagglepuss, Snags and Snappy) was an all-round ‘good boy’.

“That was one of his sayings,” his son, Kurt, told The News.

“When he was coaching or as a Rugby Development Officer, he’d pick someone and say: ‘you’re a good boy,’ or ‘you’re a good girl.’ It was one of his common calls.”

Noel, 86, died at Te Kūiti Hospital on June 3, surrounded by family including his wife of more than 60 years, Josie. Kurt, a former King Country rugby union general manager, flew from Ireland in time to farewell his father.

“My wife, Barbara, and I were intent on saying goodbye before he passed and, luckily, we got to do that. He had all sorts going on, but his ticker was the main thing, it just gave up in the end.”

Sharing his father’s dedication to rugby, Kurt is an ex-Bective Rangers, Leinster and Ireland centre. As a coach, he worked at Leinster and Dublin’s Greystones RFC. After more recent roles with King Country, he is again based in Ireland, picking up where his dad left off.

“As Dad finished his coaching career with Greystones, I guess it is quite fitting for me to take up the mantle again,” Kurt said. “From a McQuilkin perspective, there’s a fair bit of history there for sure.”

A builder by trade and, for a time, a Te Kūiti fish shop owner, Noel was well known in his community. He poured his heart and soul into rugby.

During his playing days, he represented Waitete RFC and clocked up 11 caps for his province in the early 1960s, alongside such illustrious company as the Meads brothers, Stan and Colin. Noel represented King Country in 24 first-class matches (1958-61, 64).

However, it was through coaching that Noel really made his mark. It began with Waitete, followed by a season with California-based Back Bay before he returned to New Zealand to coach King Country.

His first game in charge was 34-6 loss against Waikato in a friendly at the Island Reserve in Otorohanga on Anzac Day, 1989. His last was a 59-13 loss to Taranaki on June 14, 2000 at Piopio in another friendly.

Noel led King Country to a win the NPC’s Second Division in 1991. The union remained in the First Division for a further five years.

After moving to Ireland in 1992, Noel made a name for himself at Bective Rangers and Greystones. A second stint with King Country, for two seasons in 1999 and 2000, followed.

In 2000 he coached the Divisional XV that toured Samoa and Tonga beating Apia 47-11 and Western Samoa 30-23 but losing to Tonga 34-17. Two years later he capped off his coaching career by seeing his NZ Divisional XV draw 35 all with the John Kirwan coached Italy and then a week later go down 56-3 to Ireland in Timaru.

Despite this lengthy service, Noel was not one to rest on his laurels. He still had some work to do, helping the next generation of lambs become Rams.

“Even after he finished coaching, he did a bit of development work for King Country. Going around the schools and clubs, he still kept his hand in at grassroots level,” Kurt said.

“He had a great career, but all he’d probably say about it was that he played his part. With Waitete, with King Country and in Ireland, he just played his part.”

When the King Country Rams next take the field in the Heartland Championship, they may well wear their hearts, along with black armbands, on their sleeves.

“I don’t know, but I guess the board could discuss it,” said Kurt. “If that does happen, it would be a great thing for our family.”

 * See: Bective Rangers mourn Noel McQuilkin



Waitete honours rugby club great

Saving civilian lives cost James Stellin his own.

Now the heroics of this Second World War pilot are being remembered thanks, in part, to King Country’s Maraea Lammas.

Originally from Oparure, Maraea, aged 80, has lived in France for the past 16 years.

While watching a television programme about the Second World War, she was inspired to learn more about Stellin, an RAF pilot from Wellington.

“What moved us most about James Stellin’s story was his bravery shown by saving the village of Saint-Maclou-la-Brière and its people,” she said.

“Recently, we went to the village in Normandy and James’ resting place.”

“I looked online and found information about him. I discovered what an interesting story he has and I thought why had I not heard of him?”

Stellin’s is a captivating saga. This flying Kiwi was killed on August 19, 1944, in the wake of the D-Day landings.

His damaged Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber was on course to crash into of Saint-Maclou-la-Brière. Rather than bail out and save himself, Stellin manoeuvred his plane away, saving civilian lives at the expense of his own.

Stellin’s parents received a heartfelt letter from a C Jacobs from the French resistance, it read:

‘On realising the great destruction his plane would cause if it were to crash in the centre of the village, the pilot straightened up his plane with a vigorous and supreme effort, made a half-climb, then turning sharp left at an acute angle, it fell rapidly, crashing less than a mile away.

‘We placed the bier in state at the doors of the mayor’s office. Everyone brought armfuls of flowers picked lovingly in the gardens and left them with deep respect and infinite gratitude.’

Stellin was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme (cross of war with palms) for performing heroic deeds in combat.

Maraea Lammas (nee Paki) appreciates the value of civic responsibility – her mother, Rora Paki, was a foundation member of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and received an MBE for services to her community.

Maraea’s first visit to a little piece of Normandy, which is ‘forever New Zealand’, won’t be her last.

“On November 11, Armistice Day, we will return to Saint-Maclou-la-Brière to remember this brave pilot,” she said. “Every Anzac Day and Armistice Day we will remember James and all the other brave men and women who served our country.”

A hero remembered

Staff Reporter

Waipā’s second Home and Leisure Show has created a raft of new projects and pastimes – from getting the house clean to getting on a bike.

The show – the second run by Good Local Media, which publishes the Waikato Business News, Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News and King Country News, attracted a steady stream of people through the doors from Friday to Sunday.

They included Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and chief executive Steph O’Sullivan, who took particular interest in the display by Rotary’s Urban Miners. The miners minimise waste sent to landfill through recycling. (replace divert electrical component going to landfills.

About 75 exhibitors were at the Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karāpiro and autumn weather was kind to those who set up shop outside.

There was a touch of deja vu on opening morning as the first people through the doors were Marlene Prince and Graeme Hopkins from Highfield Retirement Village in Te Awamutu. They were also at the head of the queue for the opening of the inaugural show 12 months ago.

Other visitors included a group from Cambridge Resthaven and other retirement villages.

Feedback from exhibitors was that visitors were genuinely interested in what was on offer and wanted to discuss their requirements. They reported high quality leads and that visitors came out with specific questions and specific exhibitors they wanted to see.

“Exhibitors signed up for next year before they left the building, already talking about new stands they will build for 2026,” Good Local publisher David Mackenzie said.

The objective for 2026 would be to extend the size of the show so there is more to see.

Numbers were slightly down on 2024, which was a reflection of show numbers across New Zealand to date this year.

Organisers were encouraged by the fact that 95 per cent of visitors people were new to the show and there was strong support from the Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Ōtorohanga communities.

“I love all of these products because I’m European and it’s all the stuff I’m used to,” Katarina Williamson of Advanced Trees Nursery said as she tasted Meyer Cheese handed to her by Hayley Meyer.

“I rushed here for the cheese before it shut.”

Hayley works in administration and accounts at the Meyer Cheese factory in Koromatua, a family gouda business started in Holland by Ben and Fieke Meyer. It was her first year at the show and she had enjoyed her first day, saying there was a “good selection of exhibitors”.


Day one is over

And with that, day one of the Waipa Home & Leisure Show is finished. Thanks to everyone who visited. If you didn't, doors open at 9.30am tomorrow. See you then.

And with that, day one of the Waipa Home & Leisure Show is finished. Thanks to everyone who visited. If you didn't, doors open at 9.30am tomorrow. See you then.


Waipa Show ... mark two

A total of 76 exhibitors will be promoting their products at the second Waipa Home and Leisure Show at Lake Karāpiro starting Friday.

The event, launched by Good Local Media last year, returns to the Mighty River Domain for three days – Friday to Sunday.

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 16-18 May - Click here for Exhibitors List & Map

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 8-page tabloid feature

“There is something for every member of the family no matter your age, your budget or if you just want a great morning or afternoon out at an affordable price with families or friends in a relaxed and friendly environment,” Advertising and Commercial director Janine Davy said.

“Huis Joinery, back for another year, decided to extend their stand, so that they could hang a barn door between their kitchen and laundry area. One barn door turned into two when they decided to give one barn door away at the show,” Davy said.

Exhibitors include home, building and renovation specialists. Stands will feature custom kitchens, laundry and joinery, carpeting and flooring, cladding, double glazing, garage solutions, solar panels and lighting, heat pumps and air conditioning, magnetic windows, fly screens, security doors, artificial lawns and turf, and professional painters.

Davy said it was an opportunity to support Waipā businesses “who have pulled out all the stops to impress” and national businesses which have travelled to Waipā so customers do not have to go to the main centres.

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 16-18 May - Click here for Exhibitors List & Map

Waipa Home & Leisure Show 8-page tabloid feature

waipahomeandleisure2025 #homeandleisure2025 #cambridgenewsNZ  #teawamutunews #waikatobusinessnews #kingcountrynews #Waipahomeandleisure #homeandleisure

Our exhibitors are:

 * OUTSIDE 1 - Advanced Trees Limited – Large grade specimen trees, landscape hedging, ornamental trees.
 * OUTSIDE 2 - Brandt Tractor Limited -Lifestyle equipment, Ride-ons, Compact Tractors.
 * STAND 3 + 4 - Air Conditioning Group – We supply and install heatpumps - best prices guaranteed.
 * STAND 5 + 6 - St Kilda Café & Bistro – We will be onsite at the show offering barista-made coffee and fresh food.
 * STAND 7 - The National Party - National Party membership.
 * STAND 8 - Roger Ramsey Building – Waikato renovation experts. Quality workmanship. No job too big or too small.
 * STAND 9 - Bamboo Sweets – Handmade premium chocolates including chocolate bars, bonbons and truffles.
 * STAND 10 + 11 - Outdoor Shade Solutions Ltd - Outdoor blinds, umbrellas, awnings, Shade Sails, Wave Shade, Pergolas.
 * STAND 13 - Kiwi Az Creationz - Indoor andoutdoor rustic wine barrel furniture.
 * STAND 14 - Resonate - Hearing health and hearing aid subscription service.
 * STAND 15 - Sentinel Pest Control – Rodent and insect pest control products.
 * STAND 16 - Wilsons Cambridge - Carpet, Flooring, Curtains, Blinds, Wallpapers.
 * STAND 17 + 30 - Mavis & Mick Shoes - Leather boots, shoes from Europe, plus clothing and bags.
 * STAND 18 - Wash Rite - Exterior house and building washing.
 * STAND 19 - Treetown Designer Kitchens - Custom kitchens and interior joinery solutions for homes in Cambridge, Hamilton and the greater Waikato.
 * STAND 20 - Step Flex Orthotics - Step Flex -flexing foot correctors.
 * STAND 21 - Hallmark Services - Better cleans with the Hallmark Team. Your trusted residential, commercial and carpet cleaners.
 * STAND 22 - Tiles on Devon - Showcasing a selection of our favourite tiles from our extensive range.
 * STAND 23 + 24 - Fowler Homes - Your local award-winning builders - let's talk about your project.
 * STAND 25 - Totalspan - Totalspan Waikato/King Country have you covered for garages, workshops, storage and more.
 * STAND 26 - Cambridge Tiles - Tiles for every style and budget, backed by local expert advice.
 * STAND 27 - Cambridge Solar - Solar panel systems, repair, cleaning, maintenance. General electrical services.
 * STAND 28 - Phiten Health & Performance - Natural products for improved health, sports performance, injury recovery, pain relief, skincare.
 * STAND 29 - Lawn Rite - The grass is greener when you mow it. Lawns, hedges & weed control.
 * STAND 31 - Bellberry Distillery - Gin and Vodka, plus fruit mixes (freeze dry mixes to have with the gin and vodka).
 * STAND 32 - Good Local Media Ltd – Show organiser - Information Desk located in foyer. Also, publishers of Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News, King Country News, and Waikato Business News.
 * STAND 33 - G. J. Gardner Homes – Residential construction.
 * STAND 34 - Double Glazing United - Retrofit double glazing into timber and aluminium joinery.
 * STAND 35 - Cambridge Real Estate -Residential, lifestyle and rural real estate - find your dream Cambridge property.
 * STAND 36 + 37 - Latitude Homes King Country & Waikato South - New home builds.
 * STAND 38 - Meyer Cheese - Locally handmade Gouda style cheeses.
 * STAND 39 - Bioptron NZ - Bioptron healing medical light therapy device and accessories.
 * STAND 40 - Seddon Portrait House – Family photographer celebrating your precious memories via wall portraits and albums.
 * STAND 41 - Alpha First Mortgage Investments - Offering wholesale investors stand-alone loan investment opportunities secured by first mortgages.
 * STAND 42 - Grinters Funeral Home/Rosetown Funeral Home - Pre-plan your funeral arrangement options with our funeral directors.
 * STAND 43 - Momentum Building Ltd - Building company specialising in renovations. Selling our building services.
 * STAND 44 - Daisy Garden Bags & Bins - Green waste collection service. Providing garden bins and bags.
 * STAND 45 - The Designers Colab – The Designers Colab is a collaborative interior design studio featuring industry leaders with decades of experience in residential design.
 * STAND 46 - Truestyle Improvements – NZ Swimming Pools - Fibreglass swimming pools, hard landscaping and concrete.
 * STAND 47 - EziRider - First choice best price fold-up E-bike.
 * STAND 48 - Straight Paint - Residential and commercial painting.
 * STAND 49 - Top Class Concrete Treatments Ltd - Turning ugly concrete into lovely concrete.
 * STAND 50 - NZ Sure Ltd - Life, Trauma, Medical, Income Protection, Mortgage Protection Insurance, Business Insurance.
 * STAND 51 - Cambridge Resthaven - 100% community owned retirement village, apartments, care centres and companion driving service.
 * STAND 52 - Scent with Love – Handcrafted home fragrance, including soy wax candles, melts, diffusers, and room sprays.
 * STAND 53 - Duzz-All Beeswax – Natural beeswax products for leather and timber, Bees Ease for pain relief.
 * STAND 54 - Carley's Kitchen – Affordable kitchen merchandise - your cooking and kitchen will be popping!
 * STAND 55 - Waikato Security Doors - Security Doors, Insect Screens, Magnetic Windows, Pleated and Retractable Screens.
 * STAND 56 + 57 - Cambridge Beds & Furniture - Offering quality furniture and beds for every home.
 * STAND 58 - First National Te Awamutu – We are passionate about helping you with your real estate needs.
 * STAND 59 - Versatile - Garages, farm buildings, sleepouts, cottages and homes.
 * STAND 60 - Bone & Body Blueprint Ltd - Accurate and scientific results for Bone & Body scanning.
 * STAND 61 + 62 - Unreal Lawns & Courts - Artificial Turf for Residential, Commercial, and Sport Court.
 * STAND 63 - Craftwork Garage Doors – New garage doors, including servicing and repairs.
 * STAND 64 - Yard Matters - Garden, lawn and landscaping services throughout Cambridge, Hamilton, Te Awamutu & beyond.
 * STAND 65 - Rotary - Urban Miners - Collecting E-waste, recycling, reusing and diverting it from landfill.
 * STAND 66 + 67 - Huis Joinery – Bespoke joinery - kitchens, laundries, barn doors, customer cabinetry.
 * STAND 68 - Mons Flavors - Six types of non-spicy spice blends, locally handmade, made in New Zealand.
 * STAND 69 - Masada Cladding - Premium NZ made weatherboard you never have to paint.


FOOD TRUCKS

 * STAND 72 - Black & Orange Catering - Low and slow cooked meats and delicious sides.
 * STAND 73 - Bratwurst Grill Cambridge -Bratwurst and legendary currywurst (sausage in curry ketchup), plus vegetarian options, loaded fries and wedges.
 * STAND 74 - Sawadee Thai & Asian Catering - Thai cuisine.
 * STAND 75 - Suzuya Japanese Fried Chicken - Japanese style fried chicken, served with a side salad rice balls (onigiri).

Another show stopper

Viv Posselt

Remko Pootjes is on a mission to save discarded pianos and spread the magic of music, and he wants Kiwi companies to help him roll it out.

For the past few years, Ōtorohanga’s piano man has been saving unwanted pianos from the landfill or the firepit by turning them into community pianos or bespoke merchandising display units to be leased out. Funds from those leases or sponsors go into providing piano lessons for children… hence his tagline ‘Pianos for Kids’.

“Schools today don’t teach piano in the same way they did years ago, so kids wanting to play need to have parents who can afford private lessons,” he said, “and not all kids want to limit their extra-curricular activities to sports.

“I believe piano lessons should be offered as a lifeskill, like swimming lessons, but when I approached 11 schools in the area asking them to support my concept of teaching kids to play, they all declined. It was either too expensive, the pianos were too heavy, or there weren’t enough kids interested. To me, even one student makes it worthwhile.”

Last year, Pootjes set up The Remiano Charitable Trust – a nifty play on his nickname ‘Rem’ and ‘piano’ – as a registered charity to ‘transform old pianos into new opportunities’ and help fund the free lessons.

He finds unwanted pianos from wherever he can, brings them to his workshop in Ōtorohanga, and either restores them to full playing glory or turns them into pieces of furniture. Some go into streets as community pianos, others become eye-catching bookstands or display units in shops.



Pootjes says there are hundreds of unwanted pianos in communities all over New Zealand. A quick internet search can unearth around 100 on any given day, some of them going for just a couple of dollars.

“It is amazing how many just get dumped.”

The trust doesn’t sell the pianos, it only leases them, he said. “People pay a monthly rental fee, but the pianos remain the property of the trust.”

Surprisingly, Pootjes doesn’t play the piano himself, but his partner does. The Dutch-born former engineer came to New Zealand in the 1970s, working in his field as well as in sales and in investigations. He is also a volunteer firefighter.

The idea to repurpose unwanted pianos came during Covid when a friend asked for helping in dumping an old piano. Pootjes wanted to salvage it … and so it started.

In just the past few weeks, Pootjes has launched a new website and is looking for a business partner who will help take his ‘Play Me Pianos’ to most New Zealand cities. He is also fast-tracking a new Piano Depot collection and workshop container concept that he wants to roll out near refuse dumps or zero waste collection points.

Through Pootjes’ efforts, people are tickling the ivories in towns all over the region and children who may not otherwise have had the means are learning to play.

“We are putting new pianos in towns all the time, and are looking at growing the entire operation,” he said. “There is a lot of interest, so exciting times ahead.”

The keyboard warrior

We are at Te Kūiti High School’s Services Academy where we meet the students looking for career options which allow them to serve their communities.

Plus we head out to Otewa to see the schoolhouse which could be moved into Ōtorohanga and our historian Meghan Hawkes tells a harrowing story about the loss of three Linton family members in World War I.

Read more

King Country News - out today

Whether by lining up a target through the sights of a sniper’s rifle, saving someone from a burning building, stopping speeding motorists or even just by instructing the young, there are many ways to serve our society.

While Joel Bradley has undertaken two of these roles, he says his students in Te Kūiti High School’s Services Academy will each find their own path.

“It's not a recruitment agency for the NZ Defence Force (NZDF). It's a lot more one-on-one based, focused on teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, leadership and all sorts of stuff that gets the kids outside of their comfort zone,” the academy’s director says.

“I'm here to support them with anything they want to do. It’s more about helping them find a career pathway and work with others in the school to help them reach that goal.”

The academy aims to encourage students to serve their communities, but this could involve joining the police, fire brigades or even simply by being good citizens.

Serving as a sniper with a reconnaissance platoon in Iraq, Joel appreciates the value of ‘path finding’ and he’s also an expert when it comes to training.

“We were training the Iraqi forces, giving them the skills they needed to take back their country from ISIS,” he says.

In the last year of his military career, he was part of the NZDF Youth Development Unit with his wife Deeanna Bradley.

“We ran Service Academy courses which gave me a lot of skills.”

Approximately 30 such academies are now running nationwide. While students are given a taste of military life, they are not boot camps. However, perceptions towards careers in the military have changed, Joel says.

“The kids went through a two-week induction course with the NZDF recently. They were straight into a strict military environment. We were all up at five with military physical training and drill. It was just amazing – the kids thrived!

“When we started, I think only one student put their hand up when asked if they wanted to join the military. Now, after seeing what military life can give them, more than half are interested and there’s been no pushing from me.”

The high school’s Services Academy mobilised at the beginning of term one, but it’s not a new initiative and Joel has practiced what he teaches.

“It first ran in 2010. When I was a student in the academy, it gave me the skills I needed to join the army, ones I was lacking such as academics.”

The school lost the programme about eight years ago.

Joel has been working with the principal Gareth Williams to bring it back.

The key to any successful programme run along military lines is willing participation.

“We provide guidance but the students really build the culture through their own camaraderie. If you try to force people into it and they don't want to be part of it, you’ll be banging your head against a brick wall. I won't take students that don't want to be here,” says Joel.

Students thrive in academy

A striking photo of her mother has won Piopio artist Ashley Tutaki a place in the finals of the 2025 Kīngi Tuheitia Portraiture Award.

Her work, titled Back to the Source, has Lina Goldsbury, wearing a long sleeve turtleneck, lying peacefully in water.

The challenge for entrants was to create portraits of their ancestors – tūpuna.

In her entry Tutaki wrote “as she is my mother, it is strange to think of her as “tupuna”, just as it is strange to imagine oneself as growing older and rising through the ranks of the generations”.

“But that’s life, and I believe this to be a true depiction of what a living ‘tupuna’ looks like in many whānau who lose their elders too soon.”

Tutaki, born in 1992, affiliates to the Ngāti Maniapoto and Rereahu iwi of Tainui and describes herself as a young photographer working towards launching her own freelance business to showcase and uplift Māori stories through photography.

The award, a collaboration between the Office of the Kiingitanga and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakāta, was launched in 2020 to inspire new generations of Māori artists to create portraits of their tūpuna.

Artists are competing for a first prize of $20,000. The runner up and peoples’ choice winners will both get $2500.

Entries were open to Māori artists aged 35 and under who created an artwork within the last two years or specifically for the competition, using any visual medium, excluding AI-generated work, with whakapapa connections to the depicted tūpuna.

The shortlisted artworks were chosen by a panel of judges, including contemporary Māori artist Areta Wilkinson (Ngāi Tahu), Head Carver for Waikato-Tainui Iwi Renata Te Wiata (Waikato-Ngāti Māhuta, Te Arawa - Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara), and leading painter John Walsh (Aitanga a Hauiti).

The winners will be announced next month and the finalists’ artworks will then tour the country over the next two years.

Ashley’s angle makes the final

Two Te Kūiti dancers will be on stage at the World Dance Crew Championships in Auckland this weekend.

Alexi Hughes and Patea Tahana travel from Te Kūiti to Hamilton three times a week – a return trip of around three hours – to train with Street Dance Sessions and be part of their competition crews.

Alexi, 12, a Centennial Park School student, has been making the trip since early 2022, while 13-year old Te Kūiti High student Patea, who previously lived in Hamilton, began travelling at the end of 2024 after moving to Te Kūiti.

They will be among 15 dancers making up the Street Squad Varsity and Flawless youth crews at the international hip hop event, described as the biggest of its type and attracting dancers from Japan, Australia, the Philippines and the United States. The event will run from Sunday through to the following Saturday.

Street Dance Sessions was established in a Hamilton church hall in 2018 by Miriana Wetere-Ryder. She began tutoring “40 or 50 kids” – now there are about 200.

Alexi’s mum Naomi says both are passionate about dance and love being part of the Street Dance Sessions whānau.

“There are many reasons they choose to travel such a long distance each week, but it ultimately comes down to their love for dance, the opportunities available to them, and the strong bonds they’ve developed within the Street Dance whānau.”

The two Street Dance crews will also include one Te Awamutu, one Cambridge and two Huntly dancers.

Naomi Hughes said Wetere-Ryder was highly talented and choreographed routines that showcased individual strengths while continuing to challenge and develop dancers’ skills.

“Since joining Street Dance Sessions, both Alexi and Patea have seen huge growth in their technique, versatility, and confidence. So when it comes to the question of travel – spending a minimum of nine hours on the road each week – it’s absolutely worth it.”

Alexi and Patea hop on a world stage

Chris Gardner

King Country farms being burned to a crisp are being offered a $100,000 drought relief package, after the Government declared a drought.

The adverse event classification also unlocks tax relief for farmers and growers and enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments.

“West of the Waikato River it’s drought conditions,” said Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes.

“Areas like Tuakau, Piopio and Mahoenui aren’t getting any rain.

“Springs and wells providing stock water have dried up, and farmers are moving to once-a-day milking and sending stock to the works early.”

Sheep and beef farmers relying on income from grazing dairy cattle from eastern parts of the region are running out of feed, and some are having to send them back early in skinny condition.

“That’s a big hit on their incomes, and on the dairy farmers trying to capitalise on the strong milk prices,” Holmes said.

“Maize crops may look good, but with insufficient water, they’re putting on minimal cob and come harvest time they’ll have very little feed value.

Rotowai Farms sheep and beef farmer Natasha Cave said water was probably tighter than feed

“The King Country used to be summer safe, with fairly reliable rain, but no more,” she said of her Aria farm.

“We are making sure we have got good water systems in place.”

Taharoa sheep and beef farmers Chris Irons and Debbie Hastie are doing their best to fend off the drought on their 770ha farm, having received around half of the rain they usually do in January and February.

Around 70mm of rain fell on their Waitete Road farm in January, and 50mm of rain in February.

Irons, Waitomo Federated Farmers chair, said they were coping “due to good management” of more than 2000 ewes and 200 breeding cows.

“We are constantly asking ourselves if it does not rain in the next 10 days, what are we going to do?” Irons said. “Look after your capital stock first. It is what it is. We can’t control it.”

“Hill country farming in these conditions is very challenging,” said Waitomo mayor John Robertson.

“The hills throughout the district are very dry - the driest February that I have seen for many years. The few occasions where we have had up to 5mm of rain through this period have not been sufficient to adequately moisten the soils.”

“March forecasts do not look promising - a little rain, but not the many days of steady soaking rain we need.”

Across the border in Waipā Zane and Marie Kite expect to lose tens of thousands of dollars of milk production this season as they farm through extreme drought conditions.

Their Parallel Road farm, near Kaipaki, is one step ahead of the official drought declared for the region on Friday.

But there has been no rain, to speak of, since before Christmas and the Kites, who have run the family farm for 40 years, are looking at drying their 170-cow herd off a month early.

“I would call it a severe drought,” he said.

“There’s not one blade of green grass in any of our paddocks, but we have got to be positive.”

He has turned to feeding out silage to keep his herd going, and it is producing approximately 1 kg of milk solids per cow per day. Because of the lack of moisture, he’ll be drying his herd off a month early in March.

Holmes is chairing regular meetings with Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel Rural Support Trust representatives and the Ministry for Primary Industries to monitor the situation.

The group met on Tuesday.

Waiting for rain

Mary Anne Gill

A mystery adventure race that annually transforms Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge into a haven for mums, dads and children attracted 473 participants this year.

The XRace, held on a humid Friday afternoon last week, took competitors an average of one hour, seven minutes 17 seconds to complete.

The Korakonui duo of daughter Gemma and father Grant Honeyfield blitzed the field, completing the 10 mystery challenges in just 43 minutes and 18 seconds.

The New Zealand Home Loans-sponsored event which started in 2013, was created by Shane Hooks of Auckland. It went through many name changes before XRace was finalised.

This mystery adventure race pairs parents with children aged 6-14 to race together, locate and complete mystery challenges, and compete against the clock and other family teams. The challenges range from physical (like tug-of-war) to mental (like memory challenges) to knowledge-based (like music challenges), and they change from year to year and course to course.

No two XRaces are the same. Events are held in Whangārei, Devonport, Tauranga, Taupō, Napier, Hutt City, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, and Auckland.

Medals this year in Cambridge were presented by New Zealand representatives Zack Rumble (rowing), Bennett Greenough (BMX), Danielle Aitchison (Paralympian sprinter) and Becky Leigh (rowing).

Results:

Overall winners: daughter and father - Gemma and Grant Honeyfield (Korakonui), son and father - Harris and Adam O’Leary (Cambridge), daughter and mother - Jamie and Caitlyn Phillips (Hamilton).

Age Divisions

Junior (under 7) girls Zoe Gerritsen 1h4s, boys Marlow McDonald 56m44s, 8 year old girls Leina Kaelin 1h2m57s, boys Sam Panting 57m19s, 9 year old girls Chloe Blackstock 55m, boys Cian Moore 46m42s, 10 year old girls Charlotte Tate 50m21s, boys Harris O’Leary 43m25s, 11 year old girls Sophie Hickey 54m14s, boys Connor Moore 46m39s, senior girls Gemma Honeyfield 43m19s, boys Alex Simmonds 48m56s.



 

Honeyfields show X Factor?

The Stubbs family of Awatiro Farm are preparing for the return of kiwi.

“There’s talk of creating a Kiwi sanctuary nearby,” said sheep and beef farmer Ben Stubbs.

He’s from the fourth generation of the family to farm Awatiro off Te Anga Road near Waitomo village, and the family has found kiwi bones in its cave system over the years.

“The sanctuary will bring their genetics back to our place.”

Read more

Latest AgriBusiness news

King Country Farmer

Drawing the line

Is it just me, or have others noticed a “surge” in diabolical driving practices around Te Kuiti over the last three to four weeks?

I am not referring to the police’s on-going battle with “boy racers” or even to drivers using their phones whilst driving. I am referring to the increased driving through stop signs, drivers crossing the centreline of the road, increased cutting of corners at intersections, parking on the wrong side of the road, verges and footpaths, blasting through intersections whilst failing to give way, and blasting through carparks at New World and The Warehouse.

It seems to have become fashionable for a number of people to park on dotted yellow lines, particularly outside schools during school hours.

Why is this so concerning? These dotted yellow lines are positioned for safety reasons, to allow motorists to clearly see children wanting to cross the road, and for children to see approaching vehicles.

Over a period of about eight days, I witnessed one particular vehicle parked on no less than five separate occasions on these lines outside a primary school.

I eventually approached the offender to ask if she knew what the lines meant, and why they were there. I was floored by her own words that she knew that she should never stop or park on these lines.

She did offer a “sorry” but continued with her business rather than move her car promptly to a safer location.

It surely must be our joint responsibility as a community to stand up and call out (politely where possible) this behaviour as unacceptable, lest our failure to act results in our (or our best friend’s) child being maimed or killed.

Come on Te Kuiti, we can do a lot better, can’t we? (Abridged)

Gordon Walker

Te Kūiti



Who’s stealing?

Three years ago we all heard the cry from the then National and Act opposition in parliament that Māori were stealing the water. Now we see a mad scramble to jump on the three waters band wagon and gain control of water and commercialise its use .

The only difference I see is it is a pakeha minister pushing councils to get on board and the exclusion of iwi from having any input.

I think we can now safely say it is Pakeha stealing the water and I have no doubt that not far down the track water entities will be sold to off shore investors that the government is courting right now .

Had the race baiting been ignored, three waters would be up and running now and perhaps another billion dollars would not have been tipped into Cook Straight alongside the scuttled ferries .

Gordon Walker

Piopio

Letters

Richard Steele

When our beautiful twin grandboys were very small, and doing really small boy things, I was fascinated to watch them jockeying for position, working out for each other what the brotherly ranking would be.

Not an issue for children born months or years apart, as their positions in the family are initially determined by age, for these fellows though, being born minutes apart, they had to determine that hierarchy for themselves.

With lots of loving help, of course, from siblings, concerned parents, extended family members.

Then I see on the other side of the world, the same kind of behaviour, not by children this time though, but by some of the most powerful people in the world.

Our little boys seem, to me, to have reached a really good arrangement, between themselves, when I’m privileged to spend time with them.

But I’m not holding my breath as to when those others see the light, and stop tearing their country apart, and taking down so much of the world with them.

Are their egos too big to be managed? Are their narcissistic tendencies too strong to be controlled by those around them? Where is the opposition in all of this furore, where are the Democrats?

Which gets me to how lucky we are. Winston Churchill said something like this... the Westminster system of government has many faults, it is difficult to control, but for all that, it happens to be the best method of government in the world.

Looking around us, you don’t need much imagination to see the old master was right, and never more so than now.

I’m not saying it is the best, but from where I sit in the wop wops, at the bottom of the world, our system looks pretty good to me just now.

If either or our two major parties, or any of our coalition governments , put a foot wrong, the opposition tears them to shreds within minutes.

But now, the biggest democracy in the world tears their country apart, electing a person to lead them who has been convicted, and accused, of some heinous crimes.

The electors and his sycophants swept him back into power. What’s going wrong with the place?

We in lovely New Zealand have some major challenges ahead, and I’m personally confident that we can meet them. I’ll have lots of suggestions if I’m asked to keep writing this column, to start with, and for now, we can do no worse by looking overseas. We can see how not to rebuild your home country, and in doing so, make New Zealand stronger, happier and take us back to being the best place in the world to be.

Double trouble

Meghan Hawkes

Meghan Hawkes looks back to 1917 to report on what was making headlines in King Country.

At Ōtorohanga a large gathering assembled to witness the unique marriage of five Māori couples.

The ceremony took place on Hari Hemara’s property about one mile from Ōtorohanga and was performed by the Reverends Hone Harris and Friday.

The ceremony was a most impressive one and watched with the utmost solemnity.

A marquee which seated 170 people was filled to overflowing three times in succession. The kai consisted of beef, pork, eels, and poultry, and a great variety of sweets also adorned the tables.

Twenty men and 10 ladies waited on the guests and saw that each did justice to the many good things provided.

The tables were most tastefully arranged and it was very evident that the ladies responsible for the catering and decorating were thoroughly experienced.

The brides were daintily and becomingly gowned in handsome white embroidery voile frocks, finished with a novel corsage of white silk.

They wore the orthodox wreath and veil arranged in the new cap style and carried pretty pink and white flower bouquets.

The dresses were made by Miss Kayson, of Te Kūiti. Each of the bridegrooms wore a traditional Māori cloak over his suit.

Heavy rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of 200 Piopio settlers who gathered to watch Sir Joseph Ward, Postmaster General, open a fine new post office.

He afterwards addressed a large gathering in the Town Hall and congratulated the settlers on the marked progress made in the district since his last visit nine years ago.

He also commended them in overcoming the enormous difficulties under which they had laboured.

The children from Piopio School attended, and the National Anthem was sung. Settlers’ wives provided afternoon tea.

A Grand Carnival and Fun Fair was held in Te Kūiti to raise funds for the Returned Soldiers’ Club.

To show their loyalty to the cause some 60 returned soldiers and friends journeyed from Auckland to attend. Stalls were placed the length of Rora Street, where articles of all kinds were on sale. Guessing competitions and an auction were among the attractions.

The Merry Jesters, full of fun and frolic, were much in evidence throughout the afternoon.

In the evening the Merry Jesters presented a splendid programme of music, mirth and merriment comprising grand opera, musical comedy, burlesques, ensembles, duets, trios and ragtime.

A souvenir programme, containing over 100 photographs of King Country war heroes, found a ready sale.

A feature of the day was a monster procession, a centre of attraction being two wild bullocks, which were controlled in a masterly fashion by their riders.

A young man who had been working in the flax near the beach at Awakino, on returning to his whare on the main road, suffered a pain just below the knee.

Investigation proved it to be due to the bite of a katipo spider found in his clothing. His leg swelled right up to the thigh, and he suffered intense pain all night, but his condition improved next day.

A mass wedding, rain and bite

Janine Krippner

A pyroclastic flow made headlines last week after an eruption at the frequently active Mount Etna — a timely reminder of just how dangerous these volcanic phenomena can be.

When I discovered, at age 13, that “volcanologist” was a real job, I also learned about pyroclastic flows — and I knew then that I wanted to study them.

Pyroclastic flows are among the deadliest natural processes on Earth. Their extreme hazard comes from a combination of high speed, searing temperatures, and their composition: fast-moving clouds of fragmented rock and volcanic gas.

These flows fall under a broader category called pyroclastic density currents, which vary in rock-to-gas ratio. At the high-rock-content end of the spectrum are block-and-ash flows, typically generated by the collapse of large lava domes — those steep mounds of near-solid lava that build up around a vent. On the other end are pyroclastic surges, dominated by gas and fine volcanic ash (which is pulverised rock). Pyroclastic flows sit somewhere in the middle, and this is also the term is often used more generally in hazard communications.

Then there are ignimbrites — massive deposits of pumice-rich pyroclastic material. These form during large, caldera-forming eruptions, like those that occurred in the distant past along the Coromandel, near Rotorua, and (more recently, though still long ago) around Lake Taupō.

All pyroclastic flows are hot — often reaching temperatures around 800˚C. These temperatures can ignite or char anything flammable in their path. Phreatic eruptions, which are driven by steam pressure (sometimes venting through crater lakes), can be cooler — but still dangerously hot at several hundred degrees.

Recent eruptions have shown us the heartbreaking toll of surviving even a lower-temperature flow — the long, painful recovery, and the lifelong impacts on victims and their loved ones. My heart truly goes out to them.

You’ve probably seen the epic movie scenes — characters fleeing a pyroclastic flow in a car, a plane, or in a rolling ball surrounded by dinosaurs. In reality, humans simply aren’t fast enough. The only sure way to survive a pyroclastic flow is not to be in its path.

The solid components of a pyroclastic flow are made up of quenched (rapidly cooled) magma that has been violently fragmented by expanding volcanic gases. These gases were once trapped under pressure inside the magma, and when that pressure is released — like opening a shaken bottle of Coke — the gas expands explosively.

Within the flow, large rocks can still be present — big enough to tear through forests or buildings. Even without the large blocks, the force of the flow itself can flatten entire landscapes.

This is why volcano monitoring matters, and why exclusion zones are enforced Between AD 1500 and 2017, pyroclastic density currents were responsible for around 60,000 deaths, the dominant cause of fatalities within 5 to 15 km of a crater.

It’s important to understand the different volcanic processes that can occur, so we recognise the seriousness of warnings when they come. We’re fortunate to live among stunning volcanic landscapes — but these landscapes are active, and one day, they will erupt again. That includes the potential for pyroclastic flows.

Heat, rock, and ruin

Contributed

Wrong call

Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter has got his priorities wrong (King Country News, June 5). Ōtorohanga is nationally and internationally known as the Kiwitown Capital of New Zealand. It certainly allies itself with the Kiwi House.

Ōtorohanga has put itself on the map through the initiatives and enthusiasm of the group of ladies who comprised the Kiwiana Committee of Otorohanga.

Brian Pitts-Brown

Te Kūiti




It’s our logo

Otorohanga Mayor Max Baxter’s explanation in defence of the District Council’s new logo show how out-of-touch he and his team have become. The Council are supposed to represent we, the citizens and ratepayers. It is we who fund them and their decisions. The new logo is not an internal logo. It represents our district.

His excuses and justification don’t stand scrutiny. The decision disrespects the community the council was elected to represent and serve. It is a relief to know the decision was not unanimous - that some councillors recognise and are loyal to the unique character of this community and district.

Frances Rawlings

Te Kūiti




In agreement

On reading Frances Rawlings opinion in the paper last week I would like to whole heartedly endorse her comments. What a waste of money. There are many other things in our town that this money could have been spent on.

She quoted “was it essential for the council to have a new logo and if so, why were residents and ratepayers not consulted?” The new logo, it says, represents a nest. Well it doesn’t look like a nest to me. Have you ever seen a nest with a whole in the middle? No a wreath is what it looks like.

Twenty five years ago the Kiwiana Committee was set up and as we were already known as the Kiwitown of New Zealand it was logical that we build on this and so we developed all things “Kiwiana” and became known as the not only the Kiwitown but also the “Kiwiana town.” We also had a certificate from the prime minister at the time Helen Clark, sent to us (with her signature on it) endorsing us as the Kiwiana capital of New Zealand. I wonder what has happened to this?

What a success it has been. I am very proud to have been part of this committee from its inception. This part of branding our town also has brought many visitors which not only have had the kiwihouse to visit, but now all things “kiwiana” including our last project “the playground”. We have two very large kiwi at both the north end and south end of town and many people stop and photograph them.

I note that the entrance signs into our town are very tired and need replacing. I am not sure what they intend to do when replacing these signs. I do hope that we will still have reference to our tourist attractions ie the kiwihouse and kiwiana and not lots of “wreaths around them”. Wreaths are for sad times, we want to be known as a fun place to visit.

Bev Moloney

Ōtorohanga

Last week a dramatic storm swept through Hamilton and it left its mark. One unlucky trampoline ended up tangled in powerlines, roofs were damaged, fences flattened, and some experiencing a power cut. This happened around the time an emergency alert popped up on my phone, but not for our region. A perfect reminder, really, that our weather doesn’t always follow the script.

We’re lucky to live in a land of incredible variety, with islands, mountains, and rapidly changing terrain, all surrounded by ocean. But with that natural beauty comes a price: complex, fast-moving weather systems.

That’s why it’s up to us to take personal responsibility for our safety. That starts with understanding the natural hazards we live with — including tornadoes — and what steps we need to take.

When I was living in the United States, I learned just how seriously they take tornadoes over there. “Tornado Alley” is practically a household term, and they’ve got a full-blown season for the things. But here in New Zealand, we tend to forget that we’re not immune.

Most of our tornadoes are short-lived, narrow — about 20 to 100 metres wide — and travel just a few kilometres before they run out of steam. They usually sit around EF0 to EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (that’s the international measure for tornado intensity), with winds that can hit up to 180 km/h. That’s enough to throw around sheds, snap trees, and send trampolines sky-high.

A tornado is confirmed and an EF rating assigned after the damage has been assessed. Survey information is compared to damage indicators and degrees of damage, which help estimate wind speeds.

Our most deadly and damaging tornado was also in Hamilton in 1948. It damaged or destroyed 163 buildings and 50 businesses, and three people lost their lives. One house was even moved across the street. The estimated wind speeds reached 220 to 265 km/h, giving it an EF3 rating.

So what should we look out for? Tornadoes sometimes come with little or no official warning, so it’s helpful to know the signs: sudden heavy rain or hail, a dramatic shift in wind direction, and an eerie, roaring noise — like a freight train approaching. Tornadic systems can produce low, dark clouds, flying debris, and lightning. You may also feel a pressure change, like when your ears pop.

This is not the time to grab your phone and head outside for a cheeky TikTok. If you suspect a tornado’s nearby, act fast. Get inside, and head to an interior room without windows — a hallway, wardrobe, or even a bathroom can work. Stay away from windows and doors, and if you’re outside definitely do not shelter under a bridge (that’s a myth borrowed from Hollywood — and a dangerous one).

It’s a great idea to take this opportunity to learn more. Head over to the Civil Defence website and look for the page “What to do during a storm.” NIWA’s website also has great info, including the New Zealand Historic Weather Events Catalogue — a fascinating record of our tornadic past.

Stay safe out there, use your eyes and ears, and keep your trampolines tied down — they’re not meant to fly.

Stormy skies, smart choices

Josh Moore

The 2025 local body elections are fast approaching, so candidates need to be planning how they’ll market themselves to their community.

Running for local office is as much about visibility as it is about policy. So effective marketing is essential.

The Local Electoral Act 2001 sets strict limits on how much you can spend during your campaign. That means every dollar must work hard to build awareness and trust. People need to see your name and face multiple times in different ways before they will vote for you.

One of the easiest wins you can give yourself is getting a professional photo taken. Too many candidates last time opted for DIY pictures - some even submitted what looked like passport photos where they weren’t smiling! That doesn’t convey confidence or approachability. A professional headshot will go a long way to looking competent and trustworthy. Use it consistently across all your campaign material, including when submitting your nomination, as this is used in the official voting packs.

Social media will likely be part of your strategy, but keep in mind that unless you already have a strong following, posts won’t reach far organically. Running ads is the best way to increase reach - but there’s a catch. Facebook (and Instagram) have strict requirements for political advertising. You’ll need to go through an approval process that includes identity verification, page disclaimers, and other admin hurdles. It’s not something you can do last-minute, so start this process well in advance.

Don’t underestimate the value of local print newspapers. They remain highly trusted by many voters, particularly older demographics. Advertising in them can boost your visibility, especially if you manage to secure a front-page ad. These premium spots are limited and book out quickly, so get in early if you want to lock one in.

Traditional fence signs still play a big role in name recognition. Focus on placing them along high-traffic routes and think strategically - can someone encounter your signs three or four times in a single trip across town? That kind of repetition sticks. Digital billboards are also useful and more affordable than traditional billboards. Again, book early.

The profile blurb in the voting packs is critical. When writing your blurb think, “Does my blurb present me as someone credible and trustworthy who can help tackle the issues people care most about?”

Finally, if you want to run for mayor, you should also have a website to share more about what you stand for, and link to from your social media ads. (This isn’t as crucial for councillor candidates, but it will help you stand out). I recommend using Rocketspark for a cost-effective and easy website.

Ultimately, you’re asking voters to trust you. A well-presented, well-planned, professional campaign is important for earning that trust.

See: Rating the candidates by their picture

Smart marketing for candidates

News

Waharoa’s Matariki opening

Exposing cyberspace danger

Harbour fight recognised

Questions on omissions

TLC – new team switches on

Popcorn and food banks

A card from the King

Supporters and players can eye an August window with some excitement with the confirmation a Maniapoto representative team has been entered in the 2025 Peace Cup rugby competition.

At a recent meeting held in Cambridge delegates from Hamilton, the current holders of the cup, Piako - a combined Matamata/Morrinsville side - Central Bay of Plenty, based in Rotorua, joined Maniapoto with confirmed entries while Te Awamutu requested time to confirm.

The Peace Cup final will be played at Rotorua International Stadium as curtain raiser for the Pacific Cup test match between Fiji and Manu Samoa.

“To have players from the local clubs provided this exposure is hopefully a boon for the struggling community game in the North King Country area,” Peace Cup chairman Neil Macrae said.

The group organising the Maniapoto entry are finalising their coaching and management team and a pre-competition match in Te Kuiti against Counties Manukau Māori is confirmed for August 2.

The team will then have three or four qualifying games hoping to qualify for the big final in Rotorua.

August rep games on

Norris Woodbine

Three points separate the top three in the King Country club premiership Tongariro United sat out the bye and Taupo Marist beat Waitete 22-19 at Owen Delany Park last weekend.

Although Waitete picked up a losing bonus point, the loss dents their hopes for a home semifinal as they now sit out a bye and must hope for an upset this week to keep their rivals anchored below them.

The game in Taupō on Saturday offered an intensity not seen for some time and the first half developed into a real arm wrestle as the solid Waitete pack exerted some dominance and the Marist backline continually looked the threaten.

With just 10 minutes left in the half it was Waitete who blew the game open when second five Carlos Karaitiana used deception and a beautiful short pass to put Jared Crosland in a yawning gap 30 metres out and he powered away to score under the posts.

Almost immediately Marist struck back when they drove Saxon Hunter over from a maul and Josh White levelled the scores with the conversion 7-7 at halftime.

After the break Marist speedster Apete Matai put Marist ahead finishing a sweeping back move for White to again convert and the home side was ahead 14-7.

Then Waitete put on the play of the day when Phayzen Marshall fielded a well-placed clearing kick before setting off on a counter attacking run beating several defenders with his speed and guile before timing a long pass to perfection and sending Riddick Rangitonga off on a 40-metre run to the corner.

Callum Hedley missed the conversion from wide out and soon after White slotted a penalty and Marist appeared secure soon after when Aporosa Duwai sped in for a touch down and a 22-12 lead with 20 to go.

Waitete thrive on a challenge and the last 20 minutes saw them take complete control but try as they might the defence proved impenetrable until with time on the clock the referee lost patience with constant infringements and awarded a penalty try.

Out at Piopio saw a real game of two halves with the home side up 24 nil at half time only to cling on for a 24–19 victory as the Taumarunui Eels stormed back.

At Taumarunui the struggling Waitomo again conceded over 50 points losing to Taumarunui Districts 54 – 8.

On Thursday night last week the Waitete women’s side enjoyed a 55–5 over Hinuera and remain on track for a top four finish.

This week Waitomo will host Taumarunui Eels as they look to snare their first win for 2 years, Taupo Marist host Taumarunui Districts in a Hetet Shield match while Tongariro United play Piopio down at Turangi.

Christen Dimond gambles again and opts for a Waitomo celebration this week – will he pick up a point on his three rivals?

It’s tight at the top

Former Piopio midfield back Jack Wiseman is gearing up to take on some of his sport’s brightest rising stars at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship.

Effectively a junior world cup, the tournament opens next week when Wiseman, 18, and the ‘Baby Blacks’ play host nation, Italy.

“It’s not every day I get to go to Europe, so I’m just going to soak it up and enjoy myself for the first little bit,” he told The News.

“The competition is a stepping stone towards playing professional rugby, but we’re definitely going there to try and win it too.”

Last month, New Zealand secured Under-20 Rugby Championship. After a win against Argentina and a draw with Australia, the Under-20s beat South African 48-45 – having trailed 19-0 after 14 minutes.

“After winning The Rugby Championship, we’re now confident heading over to Italy, but we know the challenge the World Cup will hold,” Wiseman said. “All the teams will be tough to beat and there will be no easy games.”

His provincial debut certainly wasn’t easy an easy game for some – he was in the Taranaki team which beat the King Country Rams 78-7 in a Ranfurly Shield challenge earlier this month. Wiseman also collected a try.

“It felt weird playing against King Country because I grew up there. I have plenty of respect for the province and a lot of people there have helped me in my rugby journey,” he said.

“But Taranaki has taken me in and nurtured my skills further and I’ve been enjoying my time down here.”

Wiseman was named the 2025 Chiefs Under 20s Player of the Year and credited with a ‘standout performance’ at the Super Rugby U20s tournament.

Wiseman was born in Rotorua and attended Āria School and Piopio College before heading to New Plymouth Boys’ High to pursue his rugby goals.

“I enjoyed playing with my mates and created plenty of memories in Piopio. I moved down to New Plymouth in 2020 because the rugby was more competitive and the competition pushed me further.”

Now in his first year at Waikato University, he is taking his studies seriously too, aware that sporting careers can be cut short and retirement comes early.

“It’s important to have another plan these days because you never really know when your last game’s going to be. Studying also takes my mind off footy for a while as well.”

Wiseman’s cousin is Hurricanes and Manawatū U20 halfback Jai Tamati.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty good playing alongside him. I didn’t really know him well until we went to South Africa but we’re pretty close now. He’s a good fella.”

“Because we’ve played together for the last wee while, it would be good to go against each other if we get the opportunity. But, yeah, I’d have to make the team first.”

Bull’s Jack is back in black

Rugby’s Peace Cup has traditionally had it tough – after some unsympathetic handling it is considered among the less attractive in New Zealand sport, it went missing for several seasons - and as a symbol of subunion supremacy has lost some allure in the last couple of decades.

But the annual planning meeting of the group responsible for the 2025 Peace Cup held recently in Cambridge came with a real boost.

Organisers revealed they had received an offer to play the final at The Rotorua International Stadium as a curtain raiser for The Fiji- Manu Samoa Pacific Cup test match.

This year will be 105th iteration of the time-honoured trophy and holders Hamilton have agreed to forfeit a home final to allow the competition to proceed with planning to schedule games around a Rotorua final on September 6. Peace Cup chairman Neil Macrae outlined a plan whereby the unions involved would spend four or five weeks of round robin play on a home and away basis throughout August. The top two sides would qualify for the final.

After the call for entries in the 2025 competition, delegates confirmed that Hamilton will be joined by Central Bay of Plenty, Piako and Maniapoto while the Te Awamutu sub union was given an opportunity to confirm entry as well.

Macrae explained that the tournament has remained stable now for several years and perhaps some consideration could now be given to expansion as other representative opportunities for players slowly shrink.

Hamilton delegate Doug Hawkins also suggested some consideration could be given to relaxing some eligibility rules for players to allow smaller unions to field competitive teams.This was received favourably and duly passed unanimously.

The Peace Cup competition remains a great opportunity for players to continue to play after the various club competitions are completed and the overall standard is truly representative quality.

Peace Cup gets boost

Jesse Wood

Te Kūiti’s Kiwa Rata and Te Awamutu’s Jaoquin Burke were recently part of the New Zealand Under-18 mixed touch gold medal winning side at the Asia Pacific Youth Touch event in Redcliffe, Queensland.

The last time New Zealand won a youth grade gold medal was 2010 at Trusts Stadium in Waitākere.

Rata went through primary school in Te Kūiti before moving to Hamilton Boys’ High School.

Burke is a former Te Awamutu College student that now plays rugby for Te Awamutu Sports.

He said making the squad out of all the youth players in New Zealand meant a lot to him, let alone beating Australia in the final.

“The win meant a lot, not only to me and the team but to the whole country and touch community back at home seeing us take home the gold for the first time in years,” Burke said.

“There were so many emotions going through me as the final whistle blew.

“There was a lot of talk about how Aussie are the best team in the world and haven’t been beaten for 16 years.

“It just shows that no one is unbeatable and if you believe, work hard and push that bit extra, anything is possible.

“But the best part of winning, was bringing that gold back home and back to our country and families.”

Rata and Burke were recognised by their high schools on social media alongside plenty of hype from friends and family.

Kiwa gets to touch gold

A thirty minute first half period of total domination proved to be enough to propel the Waitete premier rugby side into the King Country club semifinals.

But Tongariro United made it a close fought battle before losing 24–20 at the Maniapoto Rugby ground on Saturday.

After a 10 minutes opening stanza dominated by the visitors which saw Cam Robinson slot an early penalty to give his side a 3–0 lead it was Waitete who flicked a switch and launched an all-out assault for the remainder of the half.

From the restart after the penalty Phayzen Marshall counter attacked from a misdirected bomb and sent Baven Brown Jnr clear down the embankment touchline and when he kicked ahead a wall of blue attackers tore through in support and Rico Bell dashed in for a try.

Callum Hedley slotted the conversion and was called upon again soon after the resumption as the Waitete pack surged across beside the posts with Jared Crosland credited with the try at the bottom of the melee.

By now the Waitete pack had total domination with Ryan Joyes, Michael Lea and Livai Too’ofua out scrummaging a larger pack allowing their side to camp within the Tongariro 22.

The assault continued and when Brown Jnr crossed in the corner after 30 minutes and a big score looked likely when Hedley nailed the sideline conversion.

Only resolute defence from the visitors prevented further scoring as Marshall sent a raking 50-22 kick into their red zone and the half was completed with Waitete ahead 21 – 3.

After the break the game descended into something of an arm wrestle as Tongariro attempted a comeback and the zip seemed to go out of the Waitete pack.

Hedley slotted a handy penalty to extend the lead and when he missed a second from a handy angle Tongariro appeared to lift and surged up field.

Exciting winger Osea Tuibasa showed extreme speed and side-stepping skills to race away for a try which Robinson converted and soon after huge number 8 Kaharoa Takuira-Mita cut through some shoddy defence and suddenly the score was 24 – 15.

When Liam Rowlands latched onto a misfired Waitete defensive line out and dashed away for a try the game was on for one and all at 24–20 as Robinson missed the conversion.

The final five minutes was all Tongariro as they hammered away at the Waitete line and when on the stroke of full-time referee Jamie Bell declared the ball was held up and blew time the jubilation of victory favoured the home side.

Out at Waitomo Domain a solid performance from Piopio saw them run out 46–0 victory over the winless home side who remain anchored to the bottom of the table, while Taupō Marist maintained their number one ranking with a 27–17 win over Taumarunui Eels.

The Waitete women enjoyed a solid 31–17 victory over Pirongia to reinforce a solid place on the ladder.

This week will see Waitete undertake a massive trip to Taupō to play Marist with the number one ranking and the Hetet Shield on the line, Piopio will host Taumarunui Eels while Waitomo have an appointment with Taumarunui Districts down at Taumarunui.

Christen Dimond dropped a point by opting for Waitomo last week – but no one picked Waitete to topple Tongariro.

Waitete books semi place

All of the King Country premiership action took place at Waitomo Domain on Saturday as the inform Waitete side trampled over the locals 74–5.

In the process Waitete scored 12 tries to one and Callum Hedley converting six.

In what is developing into a hotly contested top of the table scramble the victory has the Te Kuiti club vying for the number one spot on the ladder in a three-horse war with Tongariro United and Taupo Marist.

Waitomo, on the other hand, are firmly anchored to the bottom and continue to cough up some large scorelines.

Meanwhile at the Island Reserve in Otorohanga, Cambridge side Hautapu defeated the home team 32-29 with Waikato winger Waisake Salabiau scoring two tries.

On Saturday the sides arrived at Waitomo Domain greeted by a superb winter’s day with a ground in immaculate condition thanks to the grand efforts of groundsman Crusty Dimond who works tirelessly.

Another feature of the day was the premiership debut of referee Dan Tasker and there could have been few complaints as he did an outstanding job.

Waitete opened the scoring through a Rico Bell try after just 3 minutes and many hearts sank. However, it took a further 15 minutes before Baven Brown Jnr extended the lead to 12 with the first of his five tries.

Waitomo then lifted with their pack gaining some dominance and appearing to rattle Waitete at set piece and with second five Freemin Te Whare putting in some fine attacking kicks they had field position.

Evergreen fullback Vaughan Haylock tore down the embankment touchline and slipped past Brown to dot down an impeccably placed Te Whare cross kick and suddenly 12 – 5 had the momentum swinging in Waitomo’s favour.

However just before the break it was Brown who crossed for two rather soft tries to put the game seemingly beyond the home sides reach.

After the break tries to Atholl Snedden, Shannon Yorke, Finn Hahn, Carlos Karaitiana, Phayzen Marshall and two more to Brown Jnr franked total domination of proceedings.

After the game the Waitomo officials remained somewhat upbeat as they look ahead to their last three games against opposition that should be a notch below the teams they have played in the second round so far.

The Waitete camp is happy as they continue to tick the right boxes and are look forward to a key matchup top of the table clash with Tongariro United in Te Kuiti this week.

The Tongariro side will be licking their wounds this week having lost out to Taupo Marist 25-20 last weekend and in the process surrendered the Hetet Sheild which will now go on the line against Waitete in a fortnight.

In Taumarunui the Districts team locked up fourth place with a 20 – 5 home derby victory over The Eels.

The Waitete women’s side travelled to Hamilton and turned the tables on Hamilton Marist 36-27 as they challenge for a top four spot.

This week the main game is in Te Kuiti will see Waitete play Tongariro United while out at Waitomo the home side face off against Piopio and Taupo Marist will look to continue their winning ways with a clash against Taumarunui Eels.

Craig McKellar’s perfect run was ended by the Taumarunui Eels last weekend, but he still remains clear of the pack. The wooden spoon spot will be held by Peter Hurley or Christen Dimond on Saturday afternoon.

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