Jesse Wood

Black Ferns legends Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Ruahei Demant were on hand to present Ōtorohanga players their grand-final jerseys ahead of the premier women’s final clash with Old Boys Huskiez.

“They told the ladies, regardless of what happens, you’ve made it. Just have fun,” Jodi Whitiora-Te Uira, said.

“Those little messages kept our ladies playing good rugby.”

The well-attended muddy finale was a culmination of a great season for Ōtorohanga.

Leading 7-5 at halftime, courtesy of a Libby Kearins-Te Whare try and conversion, the visitors were more than holding their their own.

Old Boys then kicked two penalties through Keira Russell and were up 11-7.

Ōtorohanga pressed and scored through former Black Ferns front-rower Grace Houpapa-Barrett.

But Old Boys, down 12-11 fought back as several penalties went their way and the visitors barely saw the ball again. The Huskiez then scored another try and sealed the deal on full-time with a third, for a 21-12 win.

Although Old Boys were crowned champions, rugby and family were the winners on the day.

Whitiora-Te Uira said the rugby community has been incredible.

“Every year we get higher and higher [on the table]. It was a huge achievement.”

“Hautapu’s physio volunteered to help with us in the final because we hadn’t had a physio all year. To have a volunteer put her hand up was huge. It was a big, warm heart feeling to have someone like her reach out to my ladies.

“The players said they felt the sideline support during the final. They definitely felt the presence of our community and they couldn’t be more grateful.

“Win or lose, that was something that they took away, to be proud. They played their hearts out because of that.”

The tale of the women’s final

Norris Woodbine

With the King Country premiership club rugby season having completed the round robin format last Saturday we now have the prospect of semi-final action taking centre stage this weekend while the first division final will be played out at Piopio.

Over the past few seasons Piopio and Taumarunui Eels have fought out some torrid battles in what has become something of a traditional match up and the prospect of a continuation of their rivalry on Saturday offers rugby fans a mouthwatering contest.

Piopio have a 2-0 record over the course of the season but finals footy is another beast and the Eels have made steady improvement and are sure to arrive at Rukuhia Domain primed and ready for action.

With New Zealand Heartland number eight Caleb Foote leading the way and in superb form over the past few weeks the Piopio pack is a solid outfit and features former Ram Isaac Griffin who is a powerhouse.

Halfback Kyan Reymer has caught the eye of many good judges and can celebrate a call-up to the Maniapoto Representative side where he will be joined by Nathan Crooks, Josh Black, Matt Reilly, Griffin, and Jackson Hurley.

In the final week both these sides were defeated by Tongariro United and Taupo Marist respectively and these two sides have earned the right to host the premiership semi’s by completing the season in first and second place.

Taupo Marist will host Taumarunui Districts in a replay of last season’s final and in their last meeting only one try separated the teams at the final whistle.

Despite that Marist will start warm favourites as they are proving to be something of a juggernaut after posting some large scorelines over the season.

Waitete courtesy of a third placed finish will also have to perform on the road as Tongariro United wound up in second place by a narrow margin and did inflict the only defeat on Marist all season.

Both these sides have tasted success over the season having both won their home encounters and for Waitete the season has proved to be a marked improvement from their 2024 campaign.

The Waitete pack has been a formidable unit all season and will be looking to dominate up front before unleashing their exciting young backs.

Of concern is what appeared to be a serious injury to the strike weapon that is Baven Brown Jnr against District last week and the coaches will be sweating on his availability as he will be hard to replace.

Locals have the possibility of an exciting match at Piopio while we can be assured the Blue Army will descend upon Turangi to battle Tongariro United in force with an air of confidence a finals berth will be booked and on the horizon.

All games kick off at 2.30pm

Time for semis action

A packed sideline at Willoughby Park saw Old Boys win the Waikato women’s rugby premiership title on Saturday. But Ōtorohanga who came in as rank outsiders were within minutes of causing a boil over. Jesse Wood tells the story of a team which was just was the ‘Doc’ ordered.

Ōtorohanga women’s rugby side have built a family, a culture of support, and the fruit is now showing.

A magnificent chapter in their 2025 season came to a close on Saturday as they were pipped 21-12 by hosts Hamilton Old Boys Huskiez in the Waikato premiership final at Willoughby Park.

Under the eye of coach Murdoch “Doc” Whitiora-Reti and his assistant coach Murihiku Martell, aided by managers Te Arai Millar-Hetet and Jodi Whitiora-Te Uira, Ōtorohanga have become a strong unit.

They’ve stuck together for several years – three players received their 50 game blazers this season.

“Most of our players have been here over five years. There are long term players that come back after kids or play for another top tier club and come back,” Whitiora-Te Uira said.

“Doc probably has the draw in of 80 per cent of our team. They’re there for our coach. Lots of our players travel from the wider area. I suppose it’s a Ngāti Maniapoto thing.

“We have players from the coast, Taumarunui, Ōtorohanga, Te Kūiti - players from all those areas that want to play at premier level.”

The management are helping players become leaders and hope to inspire other women to represent Ōtorohanga.

“The whole team was amazing, but the likes of Grace Houpapa-Barrett and Rina Paraone’s leadership was great,” Whitiora-Te Uira said.

“Our number 10 Awa Whitiora, she’s the connection between our forwards and our backs. Without her mouth and her comms, the team folds.

“Superstars include our winger Ata Edwards and Libby Kearins-Te Whare who scored. She’s our kicker, our fullback and has just joined from Hamilton Girls’ High School. Those two play New Zealand women’s open touch. They’re from Kāwhia and they’ve come home.”

Whitiora-Te Uira believes support was one of the main secrets to success. The leadership from the players was also outstanding.

“It takes lots of getting to know your players. We have mainly mums and only a few players at school without children.”

“The secret is making sure the children are okay and making sure the relationship at home with the partners is okay. Without that, the mums won’t turn up.

“We have a lot of dads involved that cook for us. We’ve got about five dads that have given up their sports so that our ladies can get to play. I think that’s a bit of the key, the wrap around support.

“That’s what’s been our secret is making a family. Everyone’s wheels fall off but if the motor keeps rolling, they can always jump back on.”

Ōtorohanga finished third after the round-robin, winning six out of 10 games before beating the strong Melville side 13-10 in the semi-final.

After a tough semi-final loss last year, the team returned with fire in their bellies this season.

“It was always a challenge to play Melville. They’ve been one of the top two teams for about seven years now. Once we got that win, I think the whole Waikato was a bit shocked,” Whitiora-Te Uira said.

First seed Hamilton Old Boys had finished 21 competition points ahead of Ōtorohanga and previously beat them 46-0 and 38-19.

It was a completely different display in the grand final.

Lauding the ladies

Jon Rawlinson

Despite a strong stand by Kiwi shearing duo Toa Henderson and Jack Fagan, a Scottish duo claimed victory in the Joe Te Kapa Memorial Trophy test.

The first of the Wools of New Zealand team’s six tests in Europe saw Scotland finish on top by 2.9 points at the Lochearnhead Shears last weekend.

The Scottish pair made for formidable opponents – Calum Shaw is a five-time winner of the Scottish National title and Gavin Mutch claimed the NZ Shears Circuit final in Te Kūiti in March.

Jack Fagan’s father, Te Kūiti’s Sir David Fagan said the first test was expected to prove challenging.

“It was always going to be a tough gig in Scotland for Jack and Toa because the sheep are so different. You’ll only see the Scottish blackface in the islands of Scotland so the locals are very good shearing them,” he told The News.

In addition to the test, Golden Shears Open winner, Henderson, from Northland, and Jack Fagan finished fourth and fifth respectively in the Open.

However, New Zealand-based Mutch was the better shearer on the day winning the Open and scoring the highest individual points in the test.

King Country world record holder Sacha Bond and Wairarapa’s Bevan Pere were also in action in Scotland, both falling in the heats.

New Zealand team manager, Neil Fagan, Jack’s cousin, said he reminded Henderson of the challenges ahead.

“Getting to the final of the Open on his first day of competition in the UK was a big achievement,” he said.

The Kiwi duo will now focus on the second test against England at the Great Yorkshire Show, next week, followed by tests against France and Wales.

First test fall for shearers

The clash dubbed the King Country Club Premiership’s match of the round saw Waitomo fail in it finals effort to secure a competition win at Waitomo Domain last Saturday

After both sides slogged out a scoreless first half, Taumarunui Eeels kicked away in the second half, scoring six tries in a 38–0 victory.

Taumarunui won the toss and elected to play uphill in the first half in what proved to be a decisive decision as the fatigue factor for Waitomo later in the game saw field dominance play a vital factor.

Waitomo, in front of a large crowd featuring sponsors and past players produced probably their best first half of the season as they frequently turned away the Taumarunui attacks with last gasp defensive efforts.

Flankers Kees Muller and Brooklyn Pye were prominent, often turning up just in time as the try line appeared open with punishing tackles causing errors. The solid Waitomo pack also caused the visitors real problems at scrum time with Ratapu Winikerei, Rangi Mulligan-Green and Liam Fredrickson along with the father/son combination of Kenneth and Tipene Perawiti all featuring.

Veteran half back Gareth Owen played himself to a standstill while young Wetere Wehi made an outstanding debut in the unfamiliar first five position, demonstrating a solid kicking game and sound decision making. Reuben Dimond looked assured when he replaced Owen, while Freemin Te Whare and Vaughan Haylock tackled everything thrown at them.

There is a drop of many metres on the Waitomo Domain field and the uphill slog in the second half proved decisive as tired legs and astute Taumarunui substitutions opened holes appear in the defensive screens.

Finishing the season without a win saw the match draw down the season for Waitomo who sit out the final round with a bye while The Eels booked a first division final berth no matter last round results.

Piopio travelled to Taupo and proved to be no match for a rampant Tongariro United who ran away with a decisive 60–5 victory and in the process looked to have set in place a home premiership semi-final.

Also down in Taupō, home side Marist side turned back a determined Hetet Shield bid from defending champions Taumarunui Districts and remained in first place with a 34 – 29 victory. Of note was the non-result in the Waikato Women’s First Division bottom four competition which handed the title to the local Waitete side, a great achievement for the fledgling side.ctical way of learning,” she said.

Second half exposes Waitomo

Staff Reporter

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

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

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.

Waitete maintain strong form

The King Country Indoor Bowls Centre played two Champion of Champions events in the last week.

At Otorohanga the home team of Gordon Lang, Peter Fisher, Yvonne Longman and Richard Beaumont prevailed.

On Tuesday at Waipa, the home team of Kevin Marshall, Olga Barnes, and Marion Christensen was the winning team.

Five players from the Centre are attending the National Championships in Ashburton. Play starts on Saturday and runs through to the following Saturday.

Liz Morrow, Paul Walker, Pat Waghorn, Marlene Walker and Susie Rushbrooke will be waving the King Country flag.

Walker has been selected as the male reserve for the Masters grade North Island team, which will play the South Island on Wednesday.

Bowls results

The Waitomo Rugby side’s miserable season continued on Saturday when a clearly under strength and casual Tongariro United side put on a clinical 16 try demolition for a 90–3 victory.

With the weather and track conditions making for a great rugby spectacle the home fans were hopeful that an improved performance would be forthcoming on the return to their home track.

Any hopes were however quickly dashed as it took the visitors just three minutes to score their first try and from there on encountered little resistance from a Waitomo side who appeared totally disorganised and at times disinterested.

One bright spot for the locals occurred just before the half time break when live wire flanker Kees Muller kicked a penalty goal to register their only points in a 40–3 half time scoreline.

The second half became more of a procession as the only time Waitomo could exit their half was from the regular restarts as they conceded a further eight tries as the Tongariro pack took complete control and the backs unleashed.

Down in Taumarunui Baven Brown Jnr celebrated his 75th game and his blazer performance for his beloved Waitete Club with three individual tries as they ran out 38–22 victors over Taumarunui Eels.

The win locked in third place on the ladder for the Te Kuiti based club who are enjoying a resurgent season based around a powerful forward pack and some exciting young backs.

Prop Livai Toofooa and his travel mate Michael Lea both franked outstanding seasons with tries while Liam Knight broke his drought with a touch down as the pack asserted real dominance.

Callum Hedley nailed four conversions to put the icing on the cakes.

In the other game in Taumarunui, Piopio appeared to have moved into top four contention with a hard fought 22–15 victory over Taumarunui Districts but following an appeal have lost their points due to fielding unregistered players.

Caleb Foote continued his try scoring exploits with two while Chay Havea also scored while Stormy McCarthy converted two.

This Saturday will see the local derby game out at Waitomo Domain as the home side will be looking for some magic to hold Waitete to a respectable scoreline while the men in blue will be looking to improve their for and against equation as they move to encounter the top two sides.

Piopio have the bye while the two Taumarunui teams will battle each other and the top two sides in Tongariro United and Taupo Marist will play Friday night in Turangi.

Space is up against us this week – but our rugby picks competition saw Peter Hurley fall a further point behind by picking Piopio, who won on the park but were docked points.

Craig McKellar continued his perfect run to remain clear of the field. Normal service will resume next week.

Brown’s milestone, and points lost

If King Country Club Rugby is in the doldrums someone forget to tell the 44 Waitete and Piopio players who took to the Rugby Park Te Kūiti field last Saturday as they turned on a most exhilarating display of rugby entertainment.

On an autumn day made for rugby and a field presented in exceptional state the scene was set with a huge crowd in attendance and the blue colours of the home side in prevalence.

The home crowd had to wait until time was up to celebrate a win.

The action on the field was only two minutes old when after storming on to the attack the Waitete forwards rumbled inside the Piopio 22 and big lock Aministai Rakoli crashed through the defence to score allowing Callum Hedley an easy conversion.

Down 7–0 the visitors pack gained ascendancy and after 16 minutes levelled the scores when their skipper Caleb Foote peeled away from a lineout beating several players before battling across for the try which Stormy McCarthy converted.

Back came Waitete and winger Kelvin Sopepa showed great pace when finishing a sweeping back and McCarthy then narrowed the gap with a penalty.

Play then settled into something of an arm wrestle until on the stroke of half time Baven Brown Jnr found the try line out wide.

Piopio took complete control up front and the start of the second half and Isaac Griffin finished off a stunning move after Foote was presented with acres of space in midfield and ran some 60 metres before off loading at the perfect time to the big man in support.

Centre Jeff Davis was next to get into the action almost from the kick off and with McCarthy accurate from the tee Piopio was ahead 24–17.

The home side appeared somewhat rattled and when skipper Sean Burr was dispatched to the sin bin things looked dire. With barely 15 minutes left Waitete centre Isaac Wana hobbled from the field and Jared Crosland was injected from the bench into the midfield in a match defining move.

Almost immediately from an attacking scrum it was Crosland who, celebrating his King Country Rams selection, proved to be unstoppable from close range and scored. The Hedley conversion locked things up 24–24.

Not to be out done Piopio shot back onto attack and Brock Gower silenced the large crowd crossing for a try in the corner and once again the visitors were in front 29 – 24 as McCarthy’s wide conversion was waved away.

Finally in a frantic final five minutes Waitete lifted as expected and with 80 minutes up on the clock Crosland tied things up inches in from the touchline.

Cometh the moment cometh the man and young Hedley soaked up all the pressure before slotting a mammoth sideline conversion and Waitete took the win 31-29.

In other results the dismal Waitomo season continued as they were defeated 128–0 in Taupo while Taumarunui Districts couldn’t contain the rampant Tongariro United 62 -15.

This week local action will centre on Waitomo Domain when they host Tongariro United while Waitete and Piopio both travel to take on the Eels and Districts respectively.

Piopio or Taumarunui Districts? Our tipsters got it all right last week – but are split on this one.

Waitete snatch last gasp victory

With the first round of King Country Premiership Club Rugby done and dusted the lop-sided nature of the competition is engineering much concern among club land as to the short-term future of rugby in this region.

Results on Saturday saw the Taumarunui Eels travel to Turangi for a Hetet Shield challenge, which should be a pinnacle event, and return home having been beaten 130–0 (I am reliably informed this was the final score)

Almost as bad was the “match of the round” result in Taupō where a rampant Marist side destroyed a reasonable Piopio side that included quality players in Caleb Foote, Isaac Griffin, Keyen Reymer, and Chey Havea with a 102–0 scoreline.

When in a seven-team competition the gap between top sides and the rest is the stark reality of century points tallies and one-sided affairs supporters begin to question the point.

This could lead to defaults and non-results as the cold foggy frosty King Country weather kicks in and player enthusiasm wanes and under strength sides find recruitment struggles mount.

The King Country Union has announced some radical changes to the make-up of their governing board including a new chairman and vice chairman and it is hoped the refiguration of club rugby is high on their agenda.

Rumours abound that the Taupo clubs are looking toward Rotorua for their future competition which would leave rugby followers in this region and Taumarunui with restricted opportunities.

The one bright spot is the rise of the local Waitete club. A disastrous 2024 campaign has been well and truly turned around and with victory over defending champions Taumarunui Districts last week the team has  locked down third place on the ladder.

After leaving Te Kuiti on a cold foggy morning, they were greeted by an outstanding autumn day at the Taumarunui Domain and although without Jared Crosland, Wiremu Harris and Isaac Wana still fielded a powerful side which included a debut for 18-year-old Api Williams.

Another positive saw NZ Māori under 20 rep Rico Bell take the field for the first time in 2025.

With the battle for third up for grabs the game began in frantic fashion and play swept up and down the field before in the 17th minute a sweeping backline move saw Waitete open the scoring when young Ivan Reid crossed in the corner.

Just three minutes later outstanding hooker Mike Lea ranged up in midfield smashing through defenders and showing real pace to surge across under the bar giving Callum Hedley an easy conversion and a 12–0 lead.

District fought back and scored a converted try before star centre Baven Brown Jnr extended Waitete’s lead to 17–7 as the half time hooter rang out.

The second half started much the same as the first as Districts attempted to exert some dominance however after 10 minutes Waitete sealed their lead as Phayzen Marshall completed another sweeping backline excursion scoring handy enough for Hedley to convert.

Down 24–7 Districts then struck back with a try before the superior fitness and cohesion of the visitors pack saw them take control and put replacement winger Shannon Yorke over in the corner to post the 29–12 victory.

For Waitete prop Ryan Joyes secured the MVP points and he is in outstanding form anchoring the powerful scrum, the classy Bell, who shone on both attack and defence, secured two points while Lea franked his form securing one point.

This week will see Waitete host Piopio in Te Kuiti, Waitomo is on the road to Taupo Marist and Tongariro United host Taumarunui Districts. 

Our tipsters are in agreement this week, and Craig McKellar with 21 remains a clear leader in the King Country match result contest.

Big wins - but it's little good

Supplied

More line up for New Plymouth

It has been a busy few days for indoor bowlers in the King Country, with the main events being the qualifying rounds of the NZ Mixed Pairs and Fours being played at Ōtorohanga on Saturday. 

The winners of these events go forward, along with the winner of the  Henselite singles winner, Maryanne Tanfield and the winners of our Master Fours event, which will be played next Saturday, to the zone finals at New Plymouth July 4-5. 

Four teams entered the fours, and after two rounds, two teams had two wins. 

Liz Morrow, Bryan Wooten, Carol Lovell and Lance Chapman ran out the winners by the narrowest of margins, beating Bruce Grace, Jim Parsons, Pat Waghorn and Susan Grace 7-6 with an umpire's measure required to decide whether Bruce had one ot two shots on the last end. 

Had the game finished as a draw, both teams would have had the same number of ends and points, which would have required them to play another game.

The pair's event was similarly very close. Only two of the eight teams qualified for post-section play. Warren Davis and Yvonne Longman and Blue Hancock, and Carol Lovell. These two teams had met in the preliminary round, and the result was a draw. 

In the final game, Davis and Longman led 4-1 after three ends and 8-4 after seven of the nine ends had been played. Hancock scored three on the eighth end and held three on the last end with Davis having the last bowl. Davis played the perfect shot to briefly hold the win -  then his bowl fell over, and Hancock and Lovell had two shots for the win. 

Two Club championship events were played during the week. Gordon Lang carried on his winning way at the Ōtorohanga Club, taking out the pairs championship with Mike Afendoulis. At the Waipa Club, Kevin Marshall and Marion Christensen took out the title. 

A representative team that travelled to Kapuni had an enjoyable, if not successful, trip. The King Country players were much less experienced at this level of competition but competed well in the circumstances. The final result was a win to Taranaki by 80.5 to 27.5 

The top individual for King Country was Marlene Walker, and the top team, just, was Brendon Hand, Rod Ward, Margaret Taylor and Russell Vincent.


Two new club champs

The Ōtorohanga Tennis Club finished the with two new club champions – Donna Russell and George Butcher.

The women’s singles final featured  some long rallies between Russell and Joyce Wong who was a first time finalist.

The men's singles final kept spectators entertained with even longer hard fought rallies with Butcher beating the defending champion Paul Fleming in the third set tiebreaker. 

After some close matches the men's doubles club champs winners were Brendon McNeil and Levi Udy, with runners up Jazz Stafford and Paul Fleming. Women's doubles club champs winners were Marj Carr and Donna Russell, runners up Dorothy Carr and Jo Leslie.

Mixed doubles club champs winners were George Butcher and Zoe Clapcott, runners up were Holly Carr-Paterson and Marcus Paterson.


Hunt even on target

Top shots were noted for their efforts during the recent annual Wild Hunting Competition organised by Piopio Cosmopolitan Club.

 Entrants came from as far as Tauranga and Port Waikato, club president Waide Jones said. “It’s a magic community event and I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as we do,” Jones said. Entry numbers were similar to last year – 128 adults and 100 children.

This year’s major prize winners were: Heaviest boar: Buster Kerr, 82.9kg, Heaviest red stag: Nathan Marshall, 126kg, Heaviest fallow stag: Donovan Morris, 58kg, Longest snapper: Kevin Stott, 75cm, Heaviest kahawai: Rosie Donald, 1.93kg.


Kudos for Ōtorohanga

Ōtorohanga, looking for its first win in the Waikato senior men’s football competition, agreed to postpone its home match against Tokoroa, which was stricken with injuries and players unavailable, last weekend.

The club’s response to being asked to put the game off would not be forgotten, Tokoroa coach Dean Tereu said.

The competition intensified at the weekend.

Unbeaten Cambridge fell at Hamilton’s Galloway Park to one of the three Claudelands teams in the league while Te Awamutu made it two wins in a row at Huntly.

The focus will be on Galloway Park again on Saturday. Cambridge is at Claudelands again, to play league leaders the Wallys while Ōtorohanga is also at Galloway to play Claudelands Stallions. Neighbours Te Awamutu hosts Unicol.


Weekend woes for club sides

By Jesse Wood

It was a tough weekend of away games for Ōtorohanga Sports in Waikato club rugby, succumbing to three losses

The Ōtorohanga premier golds and premier B blues travelled to Bedford Park to face United Matamata Sports.

The women’s premiership team played University in Hamilton.

Matamata won the men’s premier game 47-26.

The home side scored seven tries to four and Matamata pivot Logan Allen knocked six of the conversions over.

Vereti Peceli, Jake Laurent, Gabriel Simpson and Delane Bell were the try scorers for the golds.

Manaaki Rewi-Wetini converted three of the scores.

The blues development team fell 15-12 in a close encounter with Matamata B.

Siki Bari and Inia Titoko were the two to cross the chalk for the visitors.

Eseroma Nabalawa had a conversion rate of 50 per cent, missing one of the kicks.

Matamata B grabbed three unconverted tries.

University posted a 34-12 win in the women’s premiership game.

Blues Super Rugby Aupiki player Paris Mataroa scored seven of Ōtorohanga’s points.

The women’s squad will head up the road to face Kihikihi this Saturday, while it’s the men’s turn to pay University a visit.

Kio Kio United Cattle Dogs fell 38-0 to Beachlands Maraetai in the combined Waikato-Counties Manukau Under-85kg rugby competition.

This Saturday, they will host the Pukekohe under-85kg team at Maihihi.

It reads as a tough battle as the 11th placed Cattle Dogs facing the second placed visitors.

 

Sports News in brief

Lee Stevens enjoys leading a club which, he says, can help take the stress out of life.

He’s the president of the Te Kūiti BMX Club and he is encouraging the community to get involved in a sport he says can help all ages improve their mental health.

“It’s about getting people exercising and off the computers and screens. It's a really good family gathering. Kids and adults all hang out and have fun together,” Lee said.

“It takes about 50 seconds to do one lap around the BMX track. You actually burn your fight-or-flight mechanism.

“If you're building up stress for weeks. You can go out and thrash it, five laps around the track. You're burning all those endorphins off. You're on a bit of a high for a couple of days afterwards. It gives you a mental health lift.

“I'm much happier if I'm regularly riding.”

The Te Kūiti BMX club started in 1986 and is one of six New Zealand affiliated clubs in the Waikato region.

“We're really lucky in the Waikato because we’ve got Te Kūiti, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Te Aroha and Paeroa BMX clubs,” Lee said. 

“It’s like a hub. If we host an event, we'll get people from other clubs coming along to help us run it.

“We recently had an open day, a have a go day, and about 80 people came along. It was good.”

Te Kūiti members meet every Tuesday and include training and games to get children used to manoeuvring their bikes on their floodlit track.

 “You can turn up with nothing, hire a bike and helmets and get to ride around the track. You just have to be fully covered, no skin showing.”

Lee joined the William St based club in 2019 after several decades away from the sport.

He had previously been involved with the Masterton club in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

As the cliché goes, it was just like riding a bike, he hadn’t lost his passion for it.

“When I found out we had a track here and there's a BMX shop in Ōtorohanga to get bits and pieces for bikes, I thought that was cool. Then my youngest daughter got into it too,” Lee said.

“It’s an awesome sport and it's an individual sport. Whatever you put in is what you get back.

“The BMX community is awesome. If you want to meet a really good bunch of people, get a race licence, start racing and you can meet cool people up and down the country.”

He says the Te Kūiti track is good for beginners.

“I race in the 50 plus category and there’s about 25 of us in New Zealand that have race licenses. Then there's 55 plus and then there's 60 plus and 65 plus. It goes up every five years.

“I've been racing again for about five years and the guys in our age group, just rock up to the track and have a chat. We race and have a good yarn afterwards.”

Another valuable member in the club is life member Richard Scott, a member of the Te Kūiti BMX Club for 19 years.

Richard began racing BMX in 1979, also starting in Masterton. He loves the sport and family environment.

Karl Thurston, a 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Championships rider, has recently run free BMX lessons for children in Te Kūiti.

He was born in Te Kūiti but moved to Tauranga in recent years.

“What kid doesn't like riding a bike? When I was at primary school, high school, I rode everywhere. Even once I got my driver’s license, I'd still ride all over town to go to my mate's places or to go to the track, because - especially in Te Kūiti - you could do that,” Karl said.

“I grew up in Te Kūiti and no matter what happened in life, I'd always end up back at Te Kūiti BMX. It's just the nature of sport. When you're involved in any sort of club, it becomes your family.

“I could go to the track and it didn't matter who you were riding with. You just got to go hang out, help each other and try things you're working on to get better.

“Te Kūiti BMX Club was the glue of that, I could always fall back on it.”

Karl said the sport has taught him invaluable life skills. He recommends everyone to give it a chance.

“It's like a bug when you enjoy it, you just want to keep going,” he said.

“I love team sports, don't get me wrong, but through life you’ve got to learn to battle out on your own a bit. I got a lot of that resilience from BMX growing up.

“It’s also very positive. You've always got people around you that help get you back up and get going again. If you have a crash, it teaches you pretty fast to get up and at least finish the race with pride.

“It’s all or nothing. You can't blame someone else for what you’ve done wrong and then when you achieve something, you've achieved that. It’s satisfying.”

Spokes, and speaking of BMX

While the men’s premier side sat out a bye it was the Waitete women’s side competing in Waikato Division 1 who took centre stage at the Maniapoto Rugby ground in Te Kuiti on Saturday.

On a balmy King Country autumn day, the match against northern neighbours Pirongia attracted a large crowd and the on-field entertainment had the spectators enthralled as the home side ran riot notching a 75-point victory.

After an early testing out period whereby the visitors held their own the Waitete machine clicked into gear as the game plan designed by coach Wayne Fraser took shape and his bigger pack took control.

Within 15 minutes storming number 8 Aprilia Huata, who proved impossible to contain all afternoon, had notched two tries brushing defenders aside at will.

Ebonieshy George and Katelin George were next to score and fullback Chanelle Macrae slotted a handy conversion to put the home side up by 22–0 before Pirongia managed to get their hands on the ball.

Outside centre Abbe Putaura then bashed through in midfield to score before Huata scored again under the bar allowing Macrae an easy conversion and before the break the speedy Janaya King-Rewi crossed for a double to post a 45–0 half time scoreline.

Pirongia notched something of a revival early in the second half and held the home side out for a 15-minute period before the flood gates opened again and the Waitete pack took complete control.

Tauvalea Law scored a double, Huata another two to take her match tally to five, all converted by Kelsi Barnett to frank the comprehensive victory.

Up front the Waitete pack excelled with Law, Renee Mauntin, and the experienced Mary Tapu to the fore while locks Emma Burgess and Darlin Johnson, who dedicated her performance to her recently deceased mum, were prominent with ball in hand.

In the King Country men’s premiership Tongariro remain the only unbeaten side after their 48-0 victory over Piopio while Taupo Marist remain second after defeating Taumarunui Districts 40-12 and in a shock result between the two bottom teams Taumarunui Eels slayed Waitomo 85-0.

This week Piopio travel to play the fancied Taupō Marist side, Tongariro United will look to complete an unbeaten first round when they host Taumarunui Eels in Turangi and Waitete travel to Taumarunui looking to cement third place with victory over Districts.

Waitomo will be looking to regroup for the second round as they sit out the bye.

Peter Hurley dropped a point by opting for Waitomo this week - will he make it up by picking Taumarunui districts this week?

Waitete women on rampage

A large crowd turned out in perfect rugby weather to participate in the rugby entertainment in Te Kuiti on Saturday as Waitete hosted a fired-up Taupo Marist with both sides looking to secure second place on the points table.

For the second week in row Waitete came up short against a Rams laden opposition but as the 34–29 scoreline suggests the game hung in the balance until the final whistle.

Marist began the game in positive fashion and raced to an early 15-point lead. Waitete struck back with a try to Ryan Joyes before on the 25-minute mark Marist scored another converted try to secure a healthy 22–5 lead.

Once again Waitete fought back and Phayzen Marshall continued his fine try scoring form scooting down the grandstand touchline and dotting down under the posts allowing Baven brown Jnr an easy conversion.

Just before the break Carlos Karaitiana received his marching orders when a retaliatory punch was spotted by the officials and Marist scored another converted try to go to the break in command 29–12.

With second half just five minutes old Marist crossed again out wide, and the 14-man Waitete looked to be in real trouble down 34–12.

Waitete on their home track should never be underestimated and the remainder of the game saw their pack lead by the outstanding Michael Lea, Livai Toofooa and Ryan Joyes take control.

Lea who powered his way through brittle defence to score and Brown Jnr slotted the conversion and within five minutes Brown crossed for another after a trademark run to close the gap to 34-19.

Marist was tiring and Waitete side began to believe an upset was on the cards however the defence remained resolute, and they were held at bay.

Finally with just minutes left on the clock Riddick Rangitonga finished off a backline move, crossing in the corner, to set up a frantic ending where Waitete were just unable to complete a tremendous fight back.

“We scored three tries in the last half hour and our scrum continues to dominate everyone, so we remain confident moving forward,” Waitete manager Russel Smith

At the Waitomo Domain the home side were comprehensively beaten by defending champions Taumarunui Districts 53–10, with a try to young winger Tum Cassidy a rare highlight.

In a disappointing display the referee warned the Waitomo supporters that their behaviour would not be tolerated, and he would call the game off if it continued.

Piopio travelled to Taumarunui on Friday night and enjoyed a comprehensive 27–17 victory as they continue to march towards a semifinal berth.

This week Piopio host unbeaten Tongariro United while Waitomo travel to Taumarunui hosted by Taumarunui Eels while Taumarunui Districts host Taupo Marist while Waitete enjoy the bye.

Peter Hurley is sticking with Piopio this week, but the rest of the pack are in agreement.

Waitete fall short

Local club rugby attention centred on Piopio last Thursday night as the home side survived a spirited challenge from Waitomo - eventually securing a bonus point four try victory 29–7.

The first half was dominated by strong defence as the two evenly matched teams cancelled out attacking plays with some shuddering hits especially in midfield and around rucks and mauls.

Piopio opened the scoring in somewhat controversial circumstances when Caleb Foote took a quick tap from a penalty and shot through a disorganised defence to score handy to the posts allowing Chaye Havea to convert.

Waitomo protested as it appeared the ref had not made a mark but the try stood.

This fired up the visitors and the Waitomo forwards tore into their work and spent long periods camped deep in the Piopio 22 only to be driven back time and again by the resolute Piopio defence.

Finally it was centre three-quarter Renata Leilua who went looking for the ball and crashed across under the posts in a melee of bodies allowing himself an easy conversion.

There was much celebration from the Waitomo team who finally threatened the scorers after 273 minutes of rugby this season.

The teams went to half time locked at 7–7 and there was much anticipation for an action packed second half.

Piopio coach Craig Bell clearly got a message to his troops during the break and virtually from the kick off Neil Vandenberg crossed for a try quickly followed by a Stormy McCarthy penalty for a 15–7 lead.

Soon after former King Country forward Isaac Griffin nailed another try which McCarthy converted and Piopio looked set to run away with the game ahead 22–7 with half an hour to play.

Some astute substitutions from the Waitomo coach Steve Edwards saw his team respond positively and their defence held Piopio at bay until on the stroke of fulltime a miscued clearing kick was gathered by an unmarked Jackson Hurley who secured the bonus point try.

Down in Taupo a hopeful Waitete fronted Tongariro United for a Hetet Shield challenge in a top of the table clash.

With tries to Jared Crosland, Riddick Rangitonga and Carlos Karaitiana and young Callum Hedley nailing his kicks at goal the blue boys from Te Kuiti were leading 20–18 with just 15 minutes to play.

However Tongariro took command and ran in 17 unanswered points for a solid 35–20 victory to remain the only unbeaten side in the competition.

In the other game played on Friday Taupo Marist ran riot defeating Taumarunui Sports 84–7.

The Waitete women travelled to Hinuera and crushed the home side 81–12 in impressive fashion.

This week returns to normal Saturday afternoon rugby with Waitete hosting Taupo Marist in Te Kuiti and Waitomo looking to maintain improvement, hosting Taumarunui Districts, while Piopio travel to Taumarunui to play Taumarunui Eels.

Craig McKellar remains two points clear of the rugby picking pack in King Country club rugby – where second paced Carlos Cressey is picking an upset on Saturday.

Peter Hurley  (9)

Taupo Marist  Taumarunui Districts  Piopio

 Carlos Cressy (10)

 Waitete  Taumarunui Districts  Piopio

Craig McKellar (12)

Taupo Marist  Taumarunui Districts  Piopio

 Christen Dimond (8)

 Taupo Marist  Taumarunui Districts  Piopio


Burnside scores on 50th

By Jesse Wood

The women’s premiership rugby team was the only Ōtorohanga Sports side to win on Anzac weekend, beating Hautapu 27-24.

Keita Burnside scored a try in her 50th match for the club.

This weekend they host University women.

The men’s premier side lost 50-7 to Hamilton Marist on the artificial turf in town.

Former King Country representative Leigh Bristowe scored two tries for the winning side.

Jacob Coffin scored Ōtorohanga’s sole try and Hamish Clapcott added the conversion.

The Ōtorohanga B side fell 55-0 to Hamilton Marist B in the earlier match.

In the combined Waikato and Counties Manukau under-85kg competition, the Maihihi-based Kio Kio United Cattle Dogs lost 27-10 to Drury.

Piopio celebrates first win

Thursday night rugby under lights brought a high level of excitement to a much-anticipated local derby.

Anyone not at the game would see a 69–0 scoreline to Waitete as an indication of a one-sided match up with total dominance across the park however the Waitomo pack showed otherwise.

With a blustery wind swirling inconsistently it was Waitomo who kicked off with it supposedly at their backs and after an early Waitete error inside the 22 they tore into their work and mounted the early pressure.

Unfortunately, an error caused a turnover and the ball ended up in the hands of Baven Brown Jnr who applied his after burners and a couple of sensational side steps before flying into the back field and unloading to Jared Crosland who scored in the corner.

Almost immediately it was Brown again surging down the grandstand sideline this time outpacing everyone to dot down himself for the first of his five tries in what was to become an individual haul of 31 points.

The left flank became a real problem for Waitomo as Brown’s dominance saw him set up Callum Hedley, a second for himself and Phayzen Marshall for tries for a lead of 31 points after 25 minutes.

To their credit the Waitomo pack began to exert some dominance and for the final 15 minutes of the half-spent time on attack and kept Waitete scoreless until the break.

After half time the Brown show soon kicked into gear and he was again on the score sheet this time on the terrace side and he nailed a great sideline conversion seemingly able to do everything.

Over the course of the second half Brown added two further tries, Crosland a second and Raiden Van Herpen a solo effort with Brown converting two.

The Waitomo coach made a few positional substitutions with 20 minutes to go and his big pack began to rumble the ball with 17-year-old lock Tipene Perawiti prominent along with Brooklyn Pye and Kees Muller who are garnering stature with every game

For long periods the visitors camped in the Waitete 22 and appeared close to scoring on many occasions but the defence remained resolute turning them away.

Finally, the attack wilted and the home side finished with a flurry completing an eight try victory.

In the wash up while the scoreline was impressive, the dominance of Brown was the difference and he is proving to be a class above other players who grace the local fields.

He demonstrates pace, size, and an ability to sidestep off both feet.

In other matches Taumarunui Districts proved too strong for Taumarunui Eels 34–7 and Tongariro United upset Taupo Marist 23-14. Leaving Waitete and Tongariro United as the only unbeaten teams.

The games will be played tonight with Waitete off to Taupo to challenge Tongariro for the Hetet Shield, Taumarunui Eels also heading to Taupō  to play Taupō Marist while out at Piopio we have another local derby as they host Waitomo.


Club Rugby Picks

Another good week for Pete Hurley and Craig McKellar who picked the Tongariro upset over Taupō Marist in club rugby. This week Christen Dimon is again an outlier going for a Waitomo upset over Piopio.

Pete Hurley  (3)

Tongariro United 

Taupo Marist 

Piopio

 Carlos Cressy  (2)

Tongariro United

Taupō Marist

Piopio

Craig McKellar  (3)

Tongariro United

Taupō Marist

Piopio

Christen Dimond  (2)

Tongariro United

Taupō Marist 

Waitomo


Celebrations on the island

Ōtorohanga fans had much to celebrate with two home victories at Island Reserve in Easter weekend Waikato club rugby.

The golds beat Fraser Tech, Hamilton 47-22 with help from the steady boot of second five-eighth Hamish Clapcott.

Clapcott added five conversions to his team’s six tries and penalty try.

Pivot Manaaki Rewi-Wetini and centre Manieta Vonovono scored doubles for Ōtorohanga, as did Hakaraia Richards-Coxhead for Tech.

Norman Wise, son of Ōtorohanga stalwart Anthony Wise, was one of Tech’s other try scorers.

The blues development team pipped Fraser Tech B 28-27.

Blues captain and halfback Liam Fox scored 18 of his side’s points. His tally consisted of two tries and four conversions.

The Ōtorohanga’s women’s premiership squad and the Kio Kio United Cattle Dogs both had a break for Easter.

Ōtorohanga women host Hautapu tomorrow at Island Reserve.

On Saturday, Kio Kio travel north to face Drury in the Waikato-Counties Manukau under-85kg competition.

Kio Kio is eighth on the table, one spot ahead of their opponents.

Clinical Waitete performance

Waitete made the best of outstanding Autumn weather conditions and a hard and fast field with an exhilarating display of running rugby to beat Taumarunui Eels 58-10 at the Maniapoto ground on Saturday.

Spectators were jostling for vantage points as speedy Waitete winger Riddick Rangitonga latched on to a bullet Carlos Karaitiana pass and sped across in the corner for an opening try after just four minutes.

Outstanding hooker Michael Lea latched onto a loose ball from a lineout 10 metres into Waitete territory and sped down the embankment touchline for 60 metres outpacing all defence for a great try.

Ahead 10 – 0 there was no let up as Phayzen Marshall, who was outstanding all afternoon at fullback, made an incisive break in mid field before sending Callum Hedley away to score which he converted.

Waitete attacked again and Athol Snedden scooted through from a scrum on the 22 before slipping a pass to Jared Crosland who crossed under the bar giving Hedley an easy conversion.

Finally, Taumarunui managed to gain field position and secured a lineout five metres from the Waitete goal line and mauled their way across to score a try out wide which went unconverted.

With halftime up on the clock the Waitete pack took complete control and were rewarded with a penalty try to set a 31–5 halftime lead.

Following the break the Waitete forwards began to run with freedom and Ryan Joyes and, Esekia Daveta, who shone in the loose both crossed for tries before youngster Wiremu Harris kept his 100 percent record in tact with another try.

The Taumarunui pack managed a consolation try from a driving maul however any dominance was short lived as Hedley bagged a second try after charging a clearing kick and Baven Brown Jnr put the icing on the cake crashing through some tired defenders for a trade like try.

Second five Karaitiana was outstanding in an impressive backline with Marshall earning the King Country MVP award while Crosland was the Waitete MVP.

Out at Piopio the home side secured a four try bonus point despite going down to Taumarunui Districts 41–28 while the hapless Waitomo side conceded 111 unanswered points to Tongariro United and look to be in real trouble going forward.

In the early game at Rugby Park in Te Kūiti the Waitete women’s side came within a whisker of running down Hamilton Marist losing by just two points 29-27.

After Marist has sped to an early 14 point lead Waitete showed great grit and determination to work their way back into the game and there were few people at the ground with a broader smile than coach Wayne Fraser.

The Kiokio Cattle Dogs went down in Morrinsville who are leading the competition.

King Country club rugby moves under lights tonight and local action will see Waitete start as hot favourites against Waitomo in Te Kūiti, Taupō Marist host Tongariro United and the home town derby in Taumarunui will see The Eels host Districts.

Pete Hurley, Carlos Cressy and Craig McKellar were spot on with their picks of Waitete, Piopio and Tongariro last week but Christen Dimond clearly felt Taumarunui's form in training would carry over into its match.

Waitete run Taumarunui ragged

Round One of The King Country Club Rugby Premiership got underway last Saturday with one local losing a cliffhanger and the other being well beaten.

Waitete 39 beat Piopio 25, Taupō Marist was rampant in beating Waitomo 95-0 while Tongariro United took the Hetet Shield from Taumarunui Districts 24-3.

The local match of the day was played out at Rukuhia Domain in Piopio and Waitete travelled up State Highway 3 full of confidence after a solid preseason campaign culminating in victory over a powerful Frankton side.

Any over confidence was soon brushed aside as the local side crossed for try within two minutes of kick off and spent long periods on attack adding a penalty goal for an 8–0 lead.

Finally, Waitete gained some momentum and big lock Esekia Daveta smashed his way over for a try converted by Callum Hedley. Almost immediately, star back Baven Brown Jnr scored out wide to take Waitete to a 12–8 lead.

Piopio refused to yield, and their pack put the visitors under pressure before they scored another try for a narrow 13–12 lead. It was short-lived as Carlos Karaitiana scored right on halftime and Hedley converted to set a 19–13 scoreline.

The second half saw a fired-up Piopio take charge of the game and within six minutes they had crossed the Waitete line for two superb tries one of which was converted for a 25–19 lead.

Waitete are known for their steely resolve and fought back with a Hedley penalty then took charge of the last quarter with tries to 18-year-old debutant Wiremu Harris, winger Kelvin Sopepa and icing the victory with the pack driving their skipper Shaun Burr across



Outstanding young lock Finn Hahn was awarded the Waitete MVP while standout performers included Caleb Foote, Isaac Griffin and former Rams midfielder Stephan Turner.

Out at the Waitomo Domain competition favourites Taupo Marist turned on a stunning display of running rugby humiliating the local side 94 – 0.

While the Waitomo pack was highly competitive the backline looked like possums caught in the headlights facing a King Country Rams laden backline who ran in tries almost at will.

The bright lights were the outstanding performers in Brooklyn Pye and Kees Muller who tackled themselves to a standstill while Kenneth Perawiti was joined by his son Tipene in the middle row of a pack that actually had the better of their opposites for long periods.

In Te Kuiti, the Waitete women’s side began their Waikato Club championship campaign with a 36–10 loss to a strong Taupiri side who were just too well organised.

Out at Maihihi the local Cattle Dogs outplayed a team from Bombay to snatch a 10-8 victory playing in The Counties Under 85kg competition.

This week will see Waitete at home against Taumarunui Eels, Piopio also at home against Taumarunui Districts while Waitomo face a long road trip to Turangi for a Hetet Shield challenge against Tongariro United with Taupo Marist having the bye.

Craig McKellar kicked off the “experts” picking comp with three from three last week. Carl Cressy and Christen Diamond had two right – but Peter Hurley was stumped in all three games. The Fab Four are almost in full agreement with their selections this week.

Tough for locals

The visit to Waitomo by current Chiefs and All Blacks halfback Cortez Ratima was a rip-roaring success and thoroughly enjoyed by all who participated.

At 6.30pm the playing field was packed with at least 20 keen and committed rugby players as Cortez arrived and began to take control of proceedings.

After an official welcome, club president Julian Dimond entertained the gathered crowd with some historical anecdotes including an exposé that Waitomo is in fact the only club in the King Country that Cortez has represented in 15 a side rugby.

The playing team then gathered around and enjoyed a video session outlining some of the latest training techniques and how they can be applied in a real time game situation, the concentration was reflected in insightful answers to questions.

Following on everyone took the field and put many of the scenarios into practise where the skill levels and fitness were impressive keeping a host of youngsters on the sideline entertained.

Coach Steve Edwards was beaming and clearly impressed with his players.

“To see our boys out there lapping this up is really rewarding and hopefully will set us up for the season”, he said.

Cortez Ratima is obviously something of a local hero and there are many items now carrying his signature that will be treasures in the future.

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King Country News, King Country Farmer and the King Country App are independently owned and published by Good Local Media Ltd – also publishers of the Te Awamutu News, Cambridge News and Waikato Business News.