Eketahuna is a strong chance to win this season's Manawatu premier women's rugby title.
A second placing in the combined Hawke's Bay-Manawatu competition which finished last weekend was enough for coach Cory Miller to predict his side could go one better in the Manawatu championship race.
From nine matches played so far
this season Eketahuna have won seven and while Miller has been pleased with their progress he is confident there is more to come.
"We've still got scope for improvement, we've done well but we haven't played to our full potential yet," he said.
Former Black Fern Rebecca Hull has been a star of the Eketahuna side at either first or second five-eighth and another standout has been a member of the New Zealand sevens team which finished-runners to England in the last world championship final, Dayna Reiri, who also plays in the five-eighths.
Other backs who have made a big enough impression to have them on the shortlist for Manawatu NPC selection include former New Zealand soccer representative Michele Clarke who is playing at fullback, wing Maria Edwards and centre Diamond Pauli.
Openside flanker Perri Tatana who has repped for Manawatu and New Zealand Maori over the past three seasons is a prominent figure in the Eketahuna pack and No.8 Emma Aldsworth has also had a couple of seasons in the Manawatu side.
At prop is a former Black Fern trialist and long-time Manawatu rep in Sharon Haeata, who has made a comeback to the playing scene after making her mark in the coaching role.
For Miller himself this is his first year coaching Eketahuna and it comes after he took the Wairarapa-Bush side to third placing at the national women's sevens tourney in Rotorua last December.
He said he was persuaded to help out with the women's game by the former Wairarapa-Bush rugby development officer Lofty Stevenson and he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. "The players approach their games the same way as the men do, they train hard and they play hard," he said. "And they have the desire to win, that's the big plus."
Eketahuna's next game in the Manawatu competition will be played at Eketahuna on Saturday, starting at 12 noon. Their opposition is Massey University.
