Here's a first for Hawke's Bay's premier club rugby competition's weekly MVP award.
Clive No 8 Mark Atkins is the first winner from a losing team in the award's three-year history. However, Atkins was an obvious choice for this season's fifth winner in the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Player of the Year award after registering a phenomenal 353 metres on the charge and a tireless defensive work-rate during his team's 26-14 loss to Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports at Park Island on Saturday.
"I'm pretty happy with my form. At the same time there are still things to work on and keep tweaking," Atkins said as he reflected on the game.
"I'm lucky the Clive scrum has been pretty sweet and this makes my job easier."
The hat-trick hero from Taranaki's 32-17 win against North Harbour in the January final of the national Sevens in Queenstown, Atkins, 22, was disappointed Clive's second half performance wasn't as good as the first when they scored 11 unanswered points. However, with second five-eighth Billy Ropiha, a 2009 Hurricanes Schools teammate of his, back from a stint in England to tighten up the midfield, Atkins was confident about Clive's chances of recording another couple of wins before the end of the Nash Cup round.