Last season's Heartland Player of the Year and Maori Player of the Year Joel Winterburn in action for Rahui.
Last season's Heartland Player of the Year and Maori Player of the Year Joel Winterburn in action for Rahui.
If an even contest is what gives a game of rugby its magic, then the Horowhenua-Kāpiti club rugby competition has rabbits jumping out of a hat.
Lop-sided competitions can leave even the most excitable spectators reaching for pillows, but there was no chance of snooze at the halfway mark of the 127-year-old competition this season.
The first round of games had seen some of the closest matches in recent memory.
Rahui, who were crowned Nash Cup winners again this year for being the leading team after the first round of matches, are at the top of the table with four wins from five matches.
But to illustrate that any team was capable of beating another, their only loss came at the hands of Waikanae, who were bottom of the ladder.
Rahui interim co-coach Makaore Beavan-Wilson said at a recent management meeting talk of resting key players was quickly shut down by the realisation there was no such thing as an easy game.
"There is no easy game in this competition," he said
"But it's probably been a bit like that the last few seasons to be honest. Most teams have been in the hunt for the semifinals right up until the last round."
"There are only six teams in the competition, but any one of those six teams could still win. It is tight."
Waikanae coach Simon Fifield, who had been at the helm for the last seven seasons, said in that time he had never seen a senior competition so even.
"There are no underdogs or favourites, put it that way," he said.
"We've got our challenges around injuries, but absolutely have a belief that we can make the playoffs. I don't want to draw comparisons, but four years ago we were bottom of the table, made the playoffs, and then won the final."
Action from the Senior Reserve grade game between College Old Boys and Paraparaumu at Levin Domain at the weekend. COB won 29-20.
Waikanae also drew with Paraparaumu 22-all when those teams met, but later lost to Foxton, who have also registered just one win so far this season, but who were ahead slightly ahead of Waikanae on the differential between points scored and conceded.
Foxton lost narrowly to Shannon when those two sides met, yet Shannon beat Waikanae last weekend.
Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union chairman John Cribb said that evenness was good for club rugby and good for the competition.
"It's good to see all the clubs still in there. When you have games that are close and a competition that is close it keeps everyone training and pushing themselves because they still have that opportunity," he said.
"I don't think it will change too much either. Even the sides that have lost haven't lost by much. No game has been lop-sided."
"Last season might have been disrupted due to Covid-19 but towards the end you still had teams in with a chance and it does make for a good competition."
Athletic sit in second place on the senior reserves points table.
Cribb said he thought the senior reserve competition was also fairly even and while Foxton might be on the bottom of the table, he said a huge amount of credit must go to that club for putting two teams on the park this season.
College Old Boys head the senior reserve competition with three wins from four games, ahead of Athletic, who had also won three games, on bonus points only.
