Rugby: Harbour clinch national sevens

PALMERSTON NORTH - North Harbour won their first national rugby sevens title since 1992 when they beat Auckland in the Cup championship final yesterday.

It was appropriate that one of the stars was Harbour captain Rua Tipoki with his huge sidesteps as Harbour bolted away to win by 31-5 after being ahead by only 12-5 at halftime.

Auckland were always a threat but couldn't get away from the tough Harbour tacklers and eventually Harbour scored five tries to one by Auckland's hero Orene Ai'i. It was a vigorous final, especially the marginal tackling from Harbour forward Matua Parkinson.

Halfback Ben Meyer scored the first two tries for Harbour for whom New Zealand captain Eric Rush, substitute Tim Cowley and Aisea Tuilevu stood out. Ai'i scored Auckland's try when he stood up Tipoki with a huge sidestep.

Wellington caused the upset of the day when they knocked out the champion team of the last four years, Waikato, 26-5, in their Cup quarter-final.

The tightest match was the hard-fought semifinal between North Harbour and Northland. It finished with an all-in brawl and when Northland forward Alan Tubbs threw a right-hook, he was ordered off by Manawatu referee Neville McAlister after a touch judge intervened. Tubbs later received a caution from the judicial committee. At least two North Harbour players could have followed him off.

Wellington won the women's final beating Canterbury 43-14 after Canterbury had led 7-5 in the first half.

Two players had been ordered off during Saturday's pool matches, Auckland speedster Dan Parkinson against King Country and Counties-Manukau player Steve Irwin against Thames Valley.