Waitete was knocked out of the King Country premier men’s club rugby semi-finals 38-5 against Taupō Marist in Taupō on Saturday. Pictured is Waitete’s Riddick Rangitonga (left) and Jayden Higgins (right) as they cover Marist’s Reeve Satherley. Photo: Laura Adams
It will be an all-Taupō King Country club final on Saturday after Taupō Marist and Taupō Sports came out on top in their respective semi-finals.
Marist swept aside Waitete 38-5 at Owen Delany Park, and the Ron Bryers Trophy regular season winners made their third final on the trot in clinical fashion.
They will face cross-town rivals Taupō Sports in the Meads Shield final. Taupō did a demolition job on Taumarunui Districts 55-24 at the Taumarunui Domain to book their first final since winning the King Country title in 2023.
It was almost mission impossible for Waitete up against an unbeaten Marist, made even more difficult after a week saying farewell to legendary club man Baven Brown, who died on June 30.
The blue bellies fronted up to Taupō with a starter’s chance and determined to put on a performance worthy of their mate, but Marist was just too good.
Centre Josevata Malimoce got the home team in front with an early try, but Waitete struck back smartly through lock Sam Wilson to make it 7-5 to Marist late in the first quarter.
But that’s as good as it got for the visitors, with Marist kicking on to score another five tries including another to Malimoce and a double to lock Reeve Satherley to book their spot in the final.
Districts started their semi-final with a hiss and a roar as a first-minute try to flanker Tautoko Mahu caught Taupō Sports on the hop.
The yellow-and-blacks had the better of the first quarter to lead 10-7, but from then on Taupō Sports turned the screws with constant pressure to run away with things in a one-sided match.
It looked as though Taupō Sports would miss the playoffs earlier in the year, but with key personnel coming into the side, the black-and-whites have been the big movers in the second round.
The team is essentially the replica of last year’s title-winning Tongariro United side. After United folded in round one, most of those players transferred to Taupō Sports for the second round, including Rams players Carey Cornelius, Sisa Vosaki, Kane Tamou, Cam Robinson Kieron Rollinson and Viliame Nacama.
Across town at Cherry Grove, the Taumarunui Eels finished their season on a high with a tense 18-17 win the first division (fifth v sixth) final, mirroring last year’s extra-time first division final between the same sides when Piopio the victors.
Waitete was knocked out of the King Country premier men’s club rugby semi-finals 38-5 against Taupō Marist in Taupō on Saturday. Pictured is Waitete’s Riddick Rangitonga (left) and Jayden Higgins (right) as they cover Marist’s Reeve Satherley. Photo: Laura Adams
