Whitley Mareikura (centre) and her MAC Old Girls teammates observe a minute's silence in a tribute match to her father and stalwart, the late Warren "Porky" Mareikura. Photo / Paul Taylor
Whitley Mareikura (centre) and her MAC Old Girls teammates observe a minute's silence in a tribute match to her father and stalwart, the late Warren "Porky" Mareikura. Photo / Paul Taylor
It's called whaka whānau nga tangi in the vernacular, if you ask Māori Agricultural College premier men's rugby club head coach, Anthony Morley.
"That actually means the bringing together of people, such as the families in just loving and supporting one another," said Morley after his MAC side overwhelmed Tamatea in round seven of the Tui Maddison Trophy competition clash yesterday.
"They wanted to do it for Porky," he said of an emotional platform to the game that saw MAC set the tone with a 24-12 lead at halftime at Flaxmere Park.
Morley was alluding to Warren "Porky" Mareikura, who died on the sideline of a heart attack while watching his daughter, Whitley Mareikura, winning her regional rugby final in the colours of Napier Technical at Whitmore Park on June 1.
No doubt, the results of the match gave way to the game of life for two clubs that have built their foundation on championing family values even when the odds are stacked against them on the park season in, season out.
The late Mareikura, who mentored the women's club sides, was a character in the Hawke's Bay rugby circles and a lifelong fan of the MAC rugby club.
Morley said the premier men just wanted to put on a solid performance for their club families, especially the Mareikuras who were missing a husband and father.
"It's been a very emotional time that we dedicated our match today in honour of Porky," he said. "This is a traditional match for us but they really wanted to do it for Porky."
Earlier, the MAC Old Girls played a curtain raiser against Clive, in a game that included three daughters of the late Mareikura. The game also intended to bring together the family, friends and the community in memory of a stalwart who they had come to know affectionately as "Uncle Porky".
"It was an awesome tribute match that was organised by Jaimee Robin [nee Edwards], one of our players, who is pregnant at the moment but she arranged it on behalf of the family," Morley said after both the men and women's teams had observed a minute's silence as a mark of respect.
He said MAC and Tamatea matches were always steeped in tradition.
"It doesn't matter how either team is going, it's always going to be a battle. So on this occasion we came out on top but credit to Tamatea because they played some very good rugby today [on Saturday].
"They scored a couple of tries at the end of the game, actually, which added a bit of robust from their perspective."
Morley said after the game the teams had spent "a good night with our brothers and sisters, our whānau" during the after-match function.
"That's what it's all about," Morley said. "We knock each other around the field a little bit and then we have a good time afterwards."
At Farndon Park, Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports established a 19-7 lead at halftime but, according to Tremains Andrew Clarke Clive coach Vaine Maui, had a flutter when the visitors snuck home with a 26-19 victory after a try in the last 30 seconds of the match.
"It is gut-wrenching," said Maui, but he accepted defeated gracefully.
Pirate manager Charles Reid said they were pleased to have eked out points from a top-four outfit and take the momentum into the next round.
NOBM player Patrick Teddy shows his team's ascendancy Ryan Tongia (right) grabs his jersey to help Havelock North tacklers stem the waves of attacks. Photo / Paul Taylor
It was a classic ding-dong encounter between Northfuels Central and Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical Old Boys in the bottom half of the table before the former pipped the visitors 24-23 in Waipukurau.
The hosts led 10-8 at halftime at Central Park.
"It was a good encounter on a club day with a large crowd, great sponsors and the supporters were here," Central manager Ian Large said.
NTOB manager Cyril Whitburn agreed the result could have gone either way but what stood out was the crunching forward battle.
And Nash Cup holders Taradale Rugby and Sports had braced themselves for an arm wrestle at Elwood Park, Hastings, if their slender 28-24 lead at halftime was anything to go by.
However, the Maroons finished strongly to show why they are sitting on the second rung of the second leg of the 10-team competition ladder when they stormed to a 56-31 victory over Auto Super Shoppe Hastings Rugby and Sports.
Taradale co-coach Tim Combs labelled it a funny old game.
"We started really and managed to get by, I think, three tries and then they came back to make it close at halftime," Combs said although he saluted his troops for showing composure in the second spell.
He saluted the Taradale reserves for their impact in sustaining the pressure the starting XV had established.
"I think that was the difference — those who came off the bench to hold our composure," Combs said after his Maroons went through undefeated in the first round but have succumbed to table toppers WIT Napier Old Boys' Marist in the second round.
A circumspect Combs said while they had piled on the points the performance wasn't good enough.
"It's probably a cold hard fact, if we look at that, that we're happy we've come out with the maximum points but if we're going to be honest with ourselves defensively it wasn't good enough," he said, proud of his players but not wanting them to get too far ahead of themselves.
Hastings manager James Rosenberg said it was 31-all after 50 minutes but after the 60-minute mark lock Jessie Lesa-Sipaia took a 10-minute count in the sinbin. However he emphasised it was more a yellow card for a collective offside infringements.
"He [ref] pinged us two or three times and then ... so pretty much in the second half our discipline let us down and they scored those three quick tries while he was in the sinbin," said Rosenberg, although he conceded the victors showed more hunger while Hastings backs were a little too lateral.
Centre Timo Vaiusu, who played his 100th match, didn't play his best game.
It was one-way traffic as the NOBM juggernaut rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead before punching out with a don't-argue 47-17 shift over Progressive Meats Havelock North at Park Island.
Two Ryan Tongia tries and one from Jesse Paewai gave the villagers some hope but a forward casualty on each side endorsed the tenacity of the battle.
Havelock North manager Gary Revell praised NOBM on their club-day performance.
Revell said No 5 Bronson Primmer was taken to hospital for a right shoulder injury and it was a "wait-and-see" scenario for them on how long he would be out of the game to recuperate.
Sam McNicol makes it look easy for yet another try for Napier Old Boys' Marist during their club-day romp at Park Island yesterday. Photo / Paul Taylor
RESULTS
From Round 7 of the Tui Maddison Trophy HB men's premier club matches yesterday:
MAC 50 (Jackson Waerea, Everard Reid, Paul Fa'amoe, Filimone Asolua, Falemiga Selesele, Roger Paewai, Vailoa Kereki, Taina Huia tries; Tom Iosefo 5 conversions) Tamatea 31 (unavailable). HT: 24-12 to MAC.
Tremains Andrew Clarke Clive 19 (Zac Southwick 2, Eti Collins tries; Tianua Poto 2 cons) Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 26 (Kingi Teamo, Hayden Hann, Ted Symes, Kane Nepe-Apatu tries; Zion Clarke 2 cons, Tipene Lord con). HT: 19-7 to Pirate.
Northfuels Central 24 (Mckenzie Smith, Tom Beachem, Mathias Konia, Warwick Flingsby tries; Brandon Hardwidge 2 cons) Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical Old Boys 23 (Misi Lealaisalona, Tane McGuire, Tamatiu Samuels tries; Leighton Shaw 2 pen, 1 con). HT: 10-8 to Central.
