Rugby clubs face ghost round in Tui Cup

The Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's council of clubs have added a hint of the supernatural to their Tui Cup premier division competition.

They have introduced a "ghost round" to ensure the Saturday lost through the decision to play no games on the day Wairarapa-Bush met - and beat - Horowhenua-Kapiti at Westpac Stadium does not extend the club season beyond the scheduled dates.

What that entailed was having a random draw for a round of games which, in reality, won't be played. Out of the hat came Bush Sports v Greytown, East Coast v Gladstone, Pioneer v Eketahuna and Martinborough v Carterton.

Feature match this coming weekend will be that between unbeaten Pioneer and defending Tui Cup champions Gladstone at Jeans Street grounds in Masterton. Bush Sports will be at home to Carterton, East Coast will play Martinborough at Whareama and Eketahuna will confront Greytown at Eketahuna.

Also on the domestic front the Ruamahanga colts have continued their good form in their Manawatu competition with a commanding win over Te Kawau at Memorial Park on Saturday.

Ruamahanga scored four tries, two to Sean Robinson and one apiece to Cody Thompson and PJ Rimene, and Isaac Albrett added two conversions and a penalty.

Meanwhile, the Manawatu Rugby Union have finally agreed to release the Steel Cup for competition among the Heartland unions with whom it regularly contested the trophy - Wanganui, Wairarapa-Bush and Horowhenua-Kapiti - before their premier side was elevated into the ITM Cup series.

The trophy, donated by a Pahiatua family in 1965 in memory of their rugby-playing son who was killed in an accident, has remained with the MRU in recent years because of them having no first-class games against their Heartland neighbours.

Over that time several requests were made to Manawatu to release the cup so as to revive interest in the trophy and they have now handed it on to Wanganui, with the proviso that should they again become involved in first-class fixtures with the three unions it would be up for grabs.

Wanganui's first defence of the Steel Cup will be on September 1 when they host Horowhenua-Kapiti and, safely through that, they will then put the cup on the line against Wairarapa-Bush in Masterton a fortnight later. Statistics suggest a bold challenge from Wairarapa-Bush as Wanganui have been beaten in their past five games in Masterton, 24-21 in 1997, 21-11 in 2000, 37-14 in 2000, 25-18 in 2003 and 21-17 in 2009.