The Napier Tech team after winning the Hawke's Bay women's rugby championship final for a fifth time in six years with a 33-17 win over Clive at Whitmore Park, Napier. Photo / Doug Laing
The Napier Tech team after winning the Hawke's Bay women's rugby championship final for a fifth time in six years with a 33-17 win over Clive at Whitmore Park, Napier. Photo / Doug Laing
The Texans were right at home on the range as their Napier Tech Old Boys club claimed two of Hawke’s Bay club rugby’s major titles for the second year in a row today at red HQ: Whitmore Park, Napier.
The top men’s side scored 13 tries to one to beat Hastings side Tamatea 87-14 for a 20th consecutive win in Nash Cup Premier-grade first-round rugby in 2022 and 2023 – 10 wins and no losses in each of the two years. The only loss was in last season’s Maddison Trophy championship final.
On the same ground, Whitmore Park No 1 ground, a short while earlier the club also successfully defended the Hawke’s Bay Women’s Championship title – Tech’s fifth claim to the trophy in the past six years – with a five-tries-to-two 33-17 over 2021 winning club Clive.
As it happened, Tech teams had a clean sweep on the day, with wins also in Division 2 and Colts matches.
In other upper-table Premier Nash Cup matches, Taradale finished second with a 27-14 win over Napier Pirate, Waipukurau-based Central finished third with a 34-26 win over Dannevirke side Aotea at Tikokino, climbing over Napier Old Boys Marist, which had the bye, and Hastings Rugby and Sport beat MAC 36-29 at Flaxmere, each side also making the top six.
Havelock North had a 41-29 home win over Clive, each side each already out of the running for places in the Maddison Trophy round, and now joining Pirate, Aotea and Tamatea in a five-team Division 1 championship.
The Tech men's team after winning the Premier first-round competition for the Nash Cup for the second year in a row. Photo / Doug Laing
The Tech men, a small number rested on Saturday, now target the 2023 Maddison Trophy round, which starts next weekend, along with Taradale, Waipukurau-based Central, Napier Old Boys Marist, which had the bye, and Hastings Rugby and Sports and MAC.
But the women’s club season is already over, with the presentation of a trophy first contested in 1992. But it’s too soon for such players as veteran Gemma Woods, who, after 21 years of women’s rugby, since she was 14, now focuses on preparation for the Hawke’s Bay Tui women’s return to NPC premiership rugby, also on July 15.
The women’s final was particularly entertaining, starting at 11.45am, with about 500 spectators, played at a fast clip, and with Clive being in with a real show up 12-7 at halftime.
The passing and speed of the Tech backs began to dominate, and they scored four of the side’s five tries, with two to centre Michaela Baker and one to captain and first five-eighths Krysten Cottrell, who also kicked four conversions.
The others went to wing Maia Davis and No 8 Chanel Atkin, the pace of the game perhaps being indicated by the fact that while Baker was scoring Tech’s last - making it 33-12 - about a third of the players on the field were involved in a melee 70 metres away.
Clive had the final say with a try to Lisa Grant.
Only Maddison Trophy rugby will be played next Saturday, as all other grades have a King’s Birthday weekend break, although the Hawke’s Bay men’s and women’s squads will play Manawatū teams in Dannevirke on the Monday public holiday.
Hastings Rugby and Sports 36 (Vikta Tevita, Jordan Thompson-Dunn, Dennis Tapusoa, Oscar Sowman, Patrick Tuifua, Neria Fomai tries; Danny Toala 3 conversions) M.A.C 29 (Lexus Greening 2, Meni Manase, Elia Bari, Damarus Hokianga tries; Joshua Coward 2 conversion).
Havelock North 41 (Ben Morgan 2, Kaihau Pasikala, Avian Rihia, Brett Bakkerus, Reuben Allen tries; Cam Burgess penalty, 4 conversions) Clive 29 (Te Aranga Hakiwai, Aminiasi Koroi, Bronson Hokianga, Antony Wilson tries; Te Arangi Hakiwai penalty, conversion; Jayden Falcon 2 conversions).
Napier Old Boys Marist a bye.
Final Nash Cup points: Napier Tech Old Boys 49, Taradale 45, Central 38, Napier Marist Old Boys 35, Hastings Rugby and Sports 34, MAC 29, Napier Pirate 24, Havelock North 19, Aotea 17, Clive 7, Tamatea 0.
Draw for the first round of the top six Maddison Trophy next Saturday (home teams first): Central v Napier Tech Old Boys, Taradale v Hastings Rugby and Sports, MAC v Napier Old Boys Marist.
Division 2 (Tom Mulligan Cup): Napier Tech OB 29 Bridge Pa 17, Napier Pirate 33 Otane 24, Porangahau 33 Hastings R&S 25; Napier OBM 29 Waipawa Country United 10.
