Hawke’s Bay rugby league: The Unicorns return for their first game for six years

Maraenui pair James Kaiwai and Justis Broughton against Ōmahu pair Jordan Thompson-Dunn and Chazz Nuku in the sides' Rugby League Hawke’s Bay Premier match at the Regional Sports Park in Hastings on August 12. Ōmahu Huia won that day, but both sides won in the latest round on Saturday. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Unicorns are back, driven by the domination of stalwart club Omahu Huia in the wake of the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle.

With a history dating back to 1910, Hawke’s Bay’s return to provincial representative rugby league, after an absence of six years, will come in two matches on Sunday, against Wellington Orcas and Manawatū Mustangs in Palmerston North.

Despite the short rugby league season in Hawke’s Bay, and the chance for just two training sessions since a squad was named after club matches last Saturday, a strong-looking combination is expected to take the field with eight squad players from stalwart club Omahu Huia.

The Huia, a fixture in Hawke’s Bay rugby league since 1975, have had four crushing victories in this season’s club competition at Hastings’ Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park, beating Maraenui Phoenix 54-6, defending champions Bridge Pa 52-20, United Bulldogs 56-30 and last Saturday running rampant in a 98-10 win over Ōtāne.

In other premier games on Saturday, Phoenix, with veteran former Unicorns coach Waka Leonard still on the scene at the age of 85 and mentoring former Hawke’s Bay Unicorn Fa Sulusi in the coaching role, beat Bulldogs 48-20, while Bridge Pa beat Tamatea 34-26.

Omahu Huia also had a 34-28 win over Manu Pasifika in a reserve grade match.

Club coach Tairea Ioane, who is also coaching the Unicorns, along with Raymond Rima (Bridge Pa) and Graeme Sua (Omahu), said many in the Omahu community had been hard-hit by Cyclone Gabrielle in February and were still affected. The teams were playing to represent them.

“We like to put it down to a collective effort,” he said, when asked who had scored the tries.

Bolstering the squad, and now the Unicorns squad, have been five players who were prominent in Hawke’s Bay premier club rugby this year, including Liam Udy-Johns and Falealii (Gibson) Popoalii, who played for Maddison Trophy winners Napier Tech, and Iakopo Mapu, who played for beaten finalists and 2021-22 champions Taradale.

With some growth of rugby league in Hawke’s Bay, on the back of the Warriors and Brisbane Broncos NRL match in Napier in May, 30 games were played at the park on Saturday across grades from premier men and women to under-6, with 17 clubs or schools represented.

There will be no premier games this weekend because of the Unicorns’ absence at the Mid Central Lower North Island Coast-to-Coast competition,

Meanwhile, Dannevirke Tigers further established their credentials as the leading side in a far-flung Manawatū Rugby League competition with a 98-6 win over Masterton club Pioneer.

Coached by former professional Weller Haraki and with former professional and international Rangi Chase in the team, the Tigers have won all three games in a competition being played in the spring season for the first time. This Saturday they play Taihape in Palmerston North.

Rugby League Hawke’s Bay switched to an August-October spring season in 2000.

The Hawke’s Bay Unicorns squad for Sunday’s games in Palmerston North: Liam Udy-Johns (Omahui Huia), Johnny Faleiva (Omahu Huia), Damarus Hokianga (Bridge Pa), Tiki Greening (Bridge Pa), Iakopo Mapu (Omahu Huia), Braxton Robinson (Bulldogs), Tama Hawkins (Bulldogs), Chazz Gillies (Tamatea), Donny Mataira (Tamatea), Arama Kite (Tamatea), Jordan Pineaha (Bulldogs), Pohutukawa Hooper (Maraenui), Jayden Burton (Maraenui), Gibson Popoalii (Omahu Huia), Jordan Thompson-Dunn (Omahu Huia), Waitangi Tuisuga (Omahu Huia), Justis Broughton (Maraenui), Harris Soloman (Bridge Pa), Moana Mohi Te Whaiti (Maraenui), Bronson Hokianga (Omahu Huia), Te Kahika Thompson (Omahu Huia).