New Zealand club rugby round-up 25 April

Recaps and results of club rugby matches from around the country.

Anzac Day carried special significance for rugby clubs across the country. One hundred and fifty first-class players including 13 All Blacks were to lose their lives on the slopes of Gallipoli, the deserts of the Sinai and Israel and the horror of the western front in France and Belgium. Many more were wounded -both physically and psychologically – and never laced up their boots again.

Once more, there was plenty of existing, pulsating rugby for fans and supporters of the community game to get enthused about around New Zealand.

Starting in Dunedin, Southern maintained its grip on the Premier standings after seven rounds, beating Taieri 22-11. Southern won a tight tussle courtesy of an intercept and sweeping 80-metre try and second half penalties.

New Brighton and Lincoln University are unbeaten after five rounds of the Christchurch Hawkins Cup, New Brighton beating Burnside 45-24 and Lincoln University defeating Sumner 22-13 away from home.

In Wellington, Tawa and Hutt Old Boys Marist remain unbeaten after six rounds of the Swindale Shield, Tawa edging Johnsonville 18-15 and HOBM seeing off Marist St Pat’s 54-49 in a remarkable 15-try match.

College Old Boys were lowered by Old Boys Marist 18-13 in the Manawatu competition. COB still has a game in hand over the rest of the field, with Kia Toa now in second after seven rounds with their 33-29 win over Feilding.

New Plymouth Old Boys bounced back from their loss last week to beat Tukapa 37-22 and register their fourth win in five games. Coastal have also won four from five, beating Clifton 25-17.

In the Nash Cup in Hawke’s Bay, leaders Taradale had to work hard for their fifth straight win, beating Napier Old Boys Marist 17-16.

There were big wins for Whakarewarewa, Rotoiti, Whakatane Marist and Opotiki in the Central and Eastern competitions. The Baywide competition starts up next weekend.

In Counties Manukau, Pukekohe are top of the table and remain the only unbeaten team in the premier competition after seven rounds after their 12-try, 76-5 win over Weymouth.

In Waikato, the Hamilton Marist Ravens laid on a century of points in beating winless United Matamata Sports, to stake their claim among the leaders. Hamilton Marist lowered previously outright leaders Otorohanga 27-24 and Melville edged Fraser Tech in another key result.

In Auckland, Pakuranga and University (Blue Pool) and the Manukau Rovers (White Pool) are the three unbeaten teams after three weeks of the new-look Premier competition.

Massey are out front in North Harbour, beating previously unbeaten Glenfield 33-23, while Wellsford eased to their fourth straight win in the Northland Souther Districts Premier compeition, beating Kamo 62-22.

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

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

Northland
Western Sharks 36 Old Boys Marist 8
Hora Hora 23 Waipu 18
Mid Northern 22 Mid-Western 17
Otamatea 34 Hikurangi 12
Wellsford 62 Kamo 22

North Harbour
(Buck Shelford Shield)
Takapuna 43 Northcote 32
Massey 33 Glenfield 23
Western 36 East Coast Bays 12
Silverdale 41 Mahurangi 13
North Shore 52 Marist 3

Auckland
(Blue pool)
Waitemata 34 Otahuhu 21
University 15 Papatoetoe 8
Suburbs 79 Waitakere City 3
Pakuranga 45 Maungarua 10
(White pool)
Grammar TEC 58 East Tamaki 12
College Rifles 19 Marist 7
Manukau 24 Eden 0

Counties Manukau
(Challenge Cup)
Pukekohe 76 Weymouth 5
Waiuku 67 Drury 0
Karaka 47 Onewhero 11
Ardmore-Marist 24 Te Kauwhata 10
Manurewa 81 Papakura 3
Bombay 23 Patumahoe 13

Thames Valley
Te Aroha COBRAS 26 Tairua 11
Waihou 43 Ngatea 3
Paeroa West 26 Waihi 16
Mercury Bay 37 Thames 10

Bay of Plenty
(Central BOP)
Rotoiti 53 Waikite 0
Kahukura 17 Marist St Michael’s 5
Whakarewarewa 57 Ngongotaha 3
(Eastern BOP)
Opotiki 57 Paroa 12
Whakatane Marist 59 Ruatoki 19
Te Teko 29 Poroporo 17

Waikato
Hamilton Old Boys 27 Otorohanga 24
Melville 33 Fraser Tech 29
University 16 Te Awamutu Sports 15
Hamilton Marist 103 United Matamata Sports 0
Morrinsville Sports 42 Hautapu 29

King Country
Waitete 75 Taumarunui Districts 10
Pio Pio 51 Tongariro 8
Taupo Sports 49 Taupo United 3
Waitomo 40 Kio Kio 3
Taumarunui Eels 39 Bush 5

East Coast
Hikurangi 18 Hicks Bay 17
Waiapu 41 Ruatoria City 5
Tokararangi 47 TVC 12
Uawa 12 Tokomaru Bay United 10

Hawke’s Bay
(Tui Nash Cup)
Taradale 17 Napier Old Boys-Marist 16
Havelock North 30 Central 23
MAC 24 Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 3
Napier Technical 59 Tamatea 0
Hastings Rugby and Sports 43 Clive 28

Taranaki
NPOB 37 Tukapa 22
Coastal 25 Clifton 17
Spotswood United 27 Southern 21
Inglewood 25 Stratford 15

Wanganui
Pirates 50 Utiku OB 29
Border 15 Taihape 12
Ruapehu 38 Ratana 26

Manawatu
Old Boys Marist 18 College Old Boys 13
Varsity 29 Te Kawau 12
Kia Toa 33 Feilding 29
Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 65 Freyberg 7

Horowhenua Kapiti
Waikanae 16 Foxton 6
Paraparaumu 28 College Old Boys 16
Athletic 17 Wanderers 7

Wairarapa-Bush
Marist 25 Gladstone 19
Greytown 30 Carterton 8
Martinborough 24 Eketahuna 21
Pioneer 29 East Coast 14

Wellington
(Swindale Shield)
Hutt Old Boys-Marist 54 Marist St Pat’s 49
Upper Hutt Rams 48 Avalon 34
Northern United 55 Paremata-Plimmerton 7
Tawa 18 Johnsonville 15
Oriental-Rongotai 28 Poneke 27
Wellington 17 Old Boys-University 16
Wainuiomata 20 Petone 11

Tasman
(Tasman Trophy)
WOB 75 Renwick 5
Kahurangi 24 Waitohi 14
Moutere 40 Marist 31
Nelson 27 Harlequins 19
Central 41 Stoke 10

Buller
(Albion Cup)
Reefton 34 Old Boys 24
Westport 27 Ngakawau 11

West Coast
Blaketown 43 Kiwi 17
Marist 37 Wests 0
South Westland 87 Grey Valley 0

Canterbury
(Hawkins Cup)
Lincoln University 22 Sumner 13
New Brighton 45 Burnside 24
Sydenham 28 Linwood 25
University 20 Christchurch 15
HSOB 46 Marist Albion 37

Mid Canterbury/Canterbury Country
(Section one)
Celtic 28 Glenmark 25
Southbridge 60 Prebbleton 10
Rakaia 32 Kaiapoi 21
West Melton 34 Hornby 10
Lincoln 15 Oxford 12
(Section two)
Methven 23 Burnham/Dunsandel/Irwin 9
Darfield 24 Saracens 23
Waihora 14 Ashley 8
Southern 44 Hampstead 21
Rolleston 29 Ohoka 19

South Canterbury
Celtic 23 Mackenzie 9
Harlequins 34 Waimate 20
Temuka 40 Pleasant Point 27
Geraldine 26 Old Boys 25

North Otago
(Citizens Shield)
Old Boys 50 Athletic Marist 17
Valley 20 Kurow 20
Excelsior 45 Maheno 0

Otago
(Metro)
Harbour 47 Pirates 8
Southern 22 Taieri 11
Kaikorai 22 Dunedin 18
Alhambra-Union 18 Green Island 6
University A 33 Zingari-Richmond 32
(Central Otago)
Alexandra 49 Matakanui Combined 0
Wakatipu 36 Cromwell 8
Upper Clutha A 27 Roxburgh 12
Arrowtown 60 Wakatipu Wanderers 7
Maniototo 62 Upper Clutha B 5
(South Otago)
Heriot 45 Clutha Valley 12
Owaka 14 Crescent 5
Toko 22 Clinton 19