Rugby: Wanganui players and physio celebrate milestones in East Coast game

Cameron Crowley

Saturday's Mitre 10 Heartland Championship win over East Coast in Tologa Bay also saw significant milestones for Steelform Wanganui team members both on and off the field.

Winger Cameron Crowley played his 50th first class game for Wanganui in what has been a two-tenure career.

He debuted in 2008 as a livewire 18-year-old, scoring four tries against East Coast, at the start of what would be a Heartland Player of the Year campaign.

Crowley played for Wanganui from 2008-10, before departing for Perth on a semi-professional contract.

He returned home in 2015 and came back into the Wanganui fold the following season, having now won four Meads Cups.

Craig Clare

First-five Craig Clare, currently in vintage form, played his 100th first-class game in what has been an excellent career across several provinces since 2003.

It was his 24th match for Wanganui, following games for the Highlanders, Otago, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu, as well as New Zealand Under 21, Universities and the Heartland XV.

His first national championships were the 2016-17 Meads Cups.

Physio Kent Stembridge.

And team physio Kent Stembridge became the latest member of the support group to have been involved in 100 games for Wanganui, having first joined the squad in 2006 under then head coach Milton Haig.

Wanganui captain Roman Tutauha offered his congratulations to all three men.

"That was another motivation for us to get up," he said.

"Not just for the union, but rugby in general, those are outstanding achievements."