Rugby: The 'other' Whanganui players going for national titles

Timoci 'Jim' Seruwalu

While Steelform Wanganui's Mitre 10 Heartland Championship campaign ended a week earlier than any season since 2013, there are still a number of expats vying for national titles in the NPC finals this weekend.

Down the road in Levin, former Wanganui senior players in loan midfielder Timoci 'Jim' Seruwalu and reserve halfback Kane Tamou will be in the frame for Horowhenua Kapiti in Sunday's Lochore Cup final against their other neighbours Wairarapa Bush.

Both men played in last year's Meads Cup final, but on opposite sides, with Seruwalu coming off the bench for Wanganui while Tamou did the same for his adopted union.

Horowhenua Kapiti beat Wairarapa Bush 37-21 in round five of the competition in Levin, and are trying to win their first Heartland title in their union's 125th anniversary season.

Kane Tamou

Tomorrow night in Hamilton is the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final, and Otago will be attempting to repeat their Ranfurly Shield success with another win over Waikato.

Likely to be among them are talented backs and former Whanganui schoolboys in Vilimoni Koroi (Whanganui High, Feilding Ag) and Jona Nareki (City College), with Nareki this week named team MVP at the Otago rugby awards.

Waikato were top qualifiers in the Championship division, but Otago had their number on October 13 with a 23-19 win to lift the Shield.

Cullinane College old boy and newly-minted All Black Brett Cameron will be looking to kick his Canterbury team to the Mite 10 Cup Premiership in Saturday's final against Auckland at Eden Park, with the home union offering free entry to the public.

First-five Cameron landed three penalties and a conversion in Canterbury's comeback win over Tasman in the semifinal in Nelson.

Brett Cameron

The only national final Wanganui will not be represented in was the one they really wanted as South Canterbury hosts Thames Valley in Timaru for the Meads Cup final.

The Waikato country team upset Wanganui 17-7 at Cooks Gardens last Saturday, with one of the points of contention being a possible first half try by Wanganui second-five Penijamini Nabainivalu, which was disallowed and ruled a knock on.

Video footage now available of the game supports Taranaki referee Richard Kelly and local touch judge Aaron Conlon's decision that Nabainivalu's full-stretched dive did land millimetres short of the tryline, with the ball then rolling forward.