New Zealand club rugby round-up 9 May

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This week we welcome Mid Canterbury Rugby Union to our list of Heartland Partners, check out the new Website and head on over also to their Facebook page and give them a “like”

• Mid Canterbury – http://midcanterburyrugby.co.nz

To view the news / results from our current Heartland Championship partners

• Wairarapa-Bush – http://waibush.co.nz
• Wanganui – http://wanganuirugby.co.nz
• West Coast – http://westcoastrfu.com
• Buller – http://bullerrugby.co.nz
• Mid Canterbury – http://midcanterburyrugby.co.nz
• East Coast – http://npec.co.nz

Winter’s just around the corner, but many club rugby competitions around New Zealand were played in wall-to-wall sunshine on Saturday and many teams shone brightly.

In a top-of-the-table clash in Auckland’s Blue Pool, Pakuranga and University battled to a 6-6 draw. But there was plenty of hot scoring elsewhere in the Auckland region. The Western Pioneers put 100 points on Marist to leave them, Massey – who lost their first game of the season, to mid-table North Shore – in a three-way tie with two weekends to go before the mid-point of the season.

In Northland, leaders Wellsford sauntered to their sixth straight win, beating the Western Sharks by 40 points, while Mid Northern retained second place with their fifth win 33-22 over Waipu.

Karaka (39 points) holds a two point lead at the top of the standings to both Pukekohe and Ardmore Marist (37) after nine rounds in the Counties Manukau Challenge Cup competition. Karaka edged Pukekohe 31-24 in the match of the afternoon.

The Hamilton Marist Ravens hold court at the top of the table in Waikato Premier club rugby after 10 rounds, beating Hamilton Marist 45-33. In other high scoring contests, Melville maintained second with a 48-28 win over minnows United Matamata Sports and third placed Otorohanga defeated University 32-16.

Tauranga Sports beat Rotoiti 36-5 in the second round feature match of the Baywide Bay of Plenty competition. Te Puna pipped Greerton Marist 26-22 and Paroa defeated Waikite 24-13 in two close matches.

Taradale remain unbeaten after seven rounds of the Hawke’s Bay Nash Cup competition and at the top of the table – but just. Taradale saw off a stern challenge from MAC, winning 21-20. Napier Pirates are second, beating Central 29-21, ahead of third placed Napier Old Boys Marist who pipped Napier Technical 22-18 in another tight affair.

Over in Taranaki, New Plymouth Old Boys took a firm grip on the top of the standings at the halfway point of the round-robin competition, beating town rivals Spotswood 25-15. Defending champions Inglewood grasped second with a 41-17 win over Clifton, while Tukapa leap frogged Coastal with a 46-19 victory. Stratford remains anchored at the bottom, losing 14-41 to Southern.

The first round Jubilee Cup in Manawatu concluded, with College Old Boys collecting the silverware after wrapping it up last week. COB had the bye this week. In other noted games, Kia Toa scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to beat Varsity 37-9 to clinch second, Old Boys Marist edged Feilding Old Boys Oroua 21-20.

Hutt Old Boys Marist now holds a seven-point lead at the top of the standings in Wellington with three weeks to play in the first round Swindale Shield. HOBM beat Johnsonville 54-22, while nearest rivals Tawa lost 18-25 to Wainuiomata and Marist St Pat’s slipped further after being pummelled 17-33 by Old Boys University.

New Brighton and Lincoln University are on a collision course to meet in a month’s time to decide the first round Canterbury Metro title, after both won their seventh straight matches. New Brighton beat High School Old Boys 36-27 and Lincoln University saw off Christchurch 25-22.

Harbour beat Southern 18-17 in the result of the afternoon in Dunedin Club rugby. Harbour and Sourthern are now neck-and-neck on 36 competition points at the top of the standings after nine rounds. They are joined on 36 by Taieri who defeated Dunedin 36-26.

Star beat Marist 14-11 in a close match in Southland’s Galbraith Shield, to stay at the top of the standings, while second placed Eastern Northern Barbarians defeated Blues 0 and Woodlands overcame Midlands 53-0 in another key result.

To view the news / results from our current Heartland Championship partners

• Wairarapa-Bush – http://waibush.co.nz
• Wanganui – http://wanganuirugby.co.nz
• West Coast – http://westcoastrfu.com
• Buller – http://bullerrugby.co.nz
• Mid Canterbury – http://midcanterburyrugby.co.nz
• East Coast – http://npec.co.nz

For a result wrap-up of other club rugby competitions please see below (note of the results available as at Sunday morning):

Bay of Plenty
Baywide Premier Competition
Te Puke Sports 80 vs 07 Opotiki
Tauranga Sports 36 vs 05 Rotoiti
Te Puna 26 vs 22 Greerton Marist
Whakarewarewa 44 vs 22 Rangataua
Paroa 24 vs 13 Waikite
Mount Maunganui 57 vs 25 Whakatane Marist

Counties Manukau
Challenge Cup (Premier) 
Waiuku 74 – 08 Weymouth
Karaka 31 – 24 Pukekohe
Ardmore Marist 68 – 08 Drury
Onewhero 26 – 24 Manurewa
Patumahoe 64 – 12 Te Kauwhata
Bombay 88 – 00 Papakura

Thames Valley Results: 
Senior A
Thames 22 – 37 Cobras
Waihou 15 – 12 Bay
North 35 – 10 Tairua
Ngatea 05 – 22 Waihi

Senior B
Coromandel 25 – 21 Whangamata
Waihou 51 – 00 Bay
Thames 17 – 19 Cobras
POB 38 – 03 North
Waihi 50 – 25 Ngatea

King Country Rugby
Waitomo 40 v 17 Waitete
Taupo Sports36 v 12 Taumarunui Eels
Piopio 30 v 12 Kiokio
Bush United 10 v 13 Taumarunui Districts
Coast v Taupo United (Defaulted)

Horowhenua-Kapiti
Waikanae 24 – 10 Levin COB
Paraparaumu 88 – 00 Wanderers
Shannon 35 – 13 Foxton

Manawatu
Te Kawau  79 – 00 Freyberg
Linton Army 23 – 11 Feilding
Kia Toa 37 – 09 Varsity
Old Boys Marist 21 – 20 Feilding Old Boys Oroua
College Old Boys – bye.

Northland
Southern Districts Premiers
Mid-Western 29 vs 12 Kamo
Western Sharks 14 vs 54 Wellsford
Horahora 33 vs 17 Hikurangi
Mid Northern 33 vs 22 Waipu
Otamatea 15 vs 08 Old Boys Marist

North Otago
Old Boys 64 – 10 Valley
Exelsior 26 – 17 Athletic Marist
Kurow 42 – 00 Maheno

Otago
Harbour 18 – 17 Southern
Taieri 36 – 26 Dunedin
University 64 – 12 Green Island
Zingari-Richmond 39 – 35 Alhambra-Union
Kaikorai 36 – 31 Pirates

South Canterbury
Celtic 26 – 22 Temuka
Harlequins 33 – 22 Mackenzie
Waimate 48 – 17 Old Boys
Pleasant Point 32 – 10 Geraldine

Southland
Galbraith Shield
Star 14 – 11 Marist
Pirates Old Boys 29 – 05 Wyndham
Eastern Northern Barbarians 45 – 00 Blues
Woodlands 53 – 00 Midlands

Tasman
(Home team first)

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