Farah Palmer Cup: Resilient Hawke’s Bay Tui ready for battle as Auckland storm into Hastings

Gemma Woods on the burst for the Tui in 2017, already more than a decade into her senior career in women's rugby. Photo / Paul Taylor

If hardship is a source of motivation then it came in spades for the Hawke’s Bay Tui rugby team as they entered the week of their return to the NPC Farah Palmer Cup competition.

Claiming promotion in a classic comeback to beat Otago in last year’s championship final in Balclutha, the Tui play beaten 2022 premiership finalists Auckland Storm at Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park, Hastings on Saturday at 12.05pm.

It hasn’t been the easiest of lead-ins, with the local five-team club competition lasting a month and ending with a final seven weeks ago.

Since then there have been three hit-outs, two against Manawatū squads and one more-serious final shakedown last weekend, in which the Tui overcame significant odds to beat Wellington Pride 27-10 in the mud at Ashhurst.

The team had only the briefest warm-up after one of their team vans blew a tyre, delaying their arrival until only a short-time before kickoff.

Stalwart Gemma Woods, who first represented Hawke’s Bay as a teenager almost 20 years ago, said she’s relieved the time has come to do battle.

She says women rugby players are used to having to be resilient without the greatest of resources, but the situation would have been helped if the club competition had been longer.

After some difficulties getting a full Tui squad together, there are significant changes from that which won the right to promotion.

The premiership season is also a test for coach Sione Cherrington-Kite, who coached Hastings Rugby and Sports to a Maddison Cup Hawke’s Bay men’s championship win in 2020. After being Tui assistant coach last season, he has been promoted to the top role following the decision by championship-winning coach Blair Cross to stand down.

The team for Saturday is: Laura Parsons, Tamia Edwards, Denise Aiolupotea (co-captain), Journey Otene, Oli Mua, Gemma Woods, Hope Hakopa, Kathleen Brown, Kahlia Awa, Krysten Cottrell (co-captain), Nicolette Adamson, Leilani Hakiwai, Teilah Ferguson, Tee Aiolupotea, Michaela Baker. Subs: Tuia Edwards, Tori Iosefo, Leikyn Rowlands, Leah Tuhi, Jade Tangaere-Tuhua, Julie Ferguson, Sharn Heenan, Lua Semisi

The team’s schedule is: July 15 (Saturday), 12.05pm, v Auckland Storm, Regional Sports Park, Hastings; July 29 (Saturday), 2.05pm, v Waikato, RSP, Hastings; August 6 (Sunday), 12.05pm, v Wellington Pride, Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt; August 12 (Saturday), 12.05pm, v Canterbury, RSP, Hastings; August 20 (Sunday) Bay of Plenty Volcanix, Whakatane; August 26 (Saturday), 12.05pm, v Counties Manukau Pukekohe Stadium.