Unheralded Wairarapa-Bush provided one of the main talking points at the Hurricanes regional sevens rugby tournament played in Palmerston North over the weekend.
Not only did their fourth placing qualify Wairarapa-Bush to contest the national sevens championships in Queenstown in January but on the way to achieving that objective they
provided the individual highlight of the event, a 26-17 defeat of one of the "big guns", Wellington.
That win followed a 17-12 victory over Horowhenua-Kapiti and a 43-7 loss to the powerful Taranaki combination and the manner of it spoke volumes for the character and resolve in the Wairarapa-Bush squad which had to come from behind after conceding a couple of early tries.
And it also came mighty close to earning them a place in the final, a countback on points differential relegating them to the playoff for third and fourth instead. And there they met Taranaki again, this time losing 29-0.
Expertly coached by New Zealand sevens star Lote Raikabula assisted by James Anderson, the tournament marked Wairarapa-Bush's return to the provincial sevens after an absence of some years and they made a huge impression with their energetic style of play. In fact, it was probably the edge they had in fitness which was a deciding factor in the win over Wellington.
