Ngāti Porou East Coast stalwart Sam Parkes doing what he does best in a 2023 Heartland Championship game against North Otago. Parkes will rack up his 100th first-class game in the King's Birthday derby against Poverty Bay. He has played 80 games for the Coast and 19 for the Bay. Photo / Paul Rickard
Ngāti Porou East Coast stalwart Sam Parkes doing what he does best in a 2023 Heartland Championship game against North Otago. Parkes will rack up his 100th first-class game in the King's Birthday derby against Poverty Bay. He has played 80 games for the Coast and 19 for the Bay. Photo / Paul Rickard
Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi won’t lack for motivation in the 178th clash between the Coast and Poverty Bay Weka in their annual King’s Birthday weekend derby at Ruatōria tomorrow.
They will be doing it for two of their own - halfback Sam Parkes, who will be playing his 100thfirst-class game, and flanker Richard Green, who will run on to Enterprise Cars Whakarua Park for his 50th game in the Coast jersey.
A special presentation will be made to Green, and the jersey he wears in tomorrow’s game will be embroidered with an acknowledgement of his milestone.
Parkes did not know it was his 100th when contacted earlier in the week.
He played 19 games for Poverty Bay in 2013 and 2014 and 80 for the Coast - the first of those in 2012, the rest between 2015 and 2024. He has scored 176 points for the Coast; 72 for the Bay.
He also won the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal for Heartland Championship Player of the Year in 2022.
Parkes rates the Coast’s 2012 Heartland Championship Meads Cup win as a highlight of his career so far, alongside captaining the team to the Lochore Cup title in 2022.
Among his most memorable teammates are Coast centurion and “very good mate” Verdon Bartlett and “one of my best mates” Te Rangi Fraser - the pair making up the 9-10 combination.
“But my brother Ben is the most memorable Coast player who has had the biggest impact on me. I’ll never forget watching him play for the Coast while I was at school and the motivation it gave me to be like that.”
Diehard Coast man Richard Green will play his 50th game in his seventh season for the Kaupoi in derby day at Ruatōria on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard
Ben Parkes played 13 games for the Coast in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016, and their father Murray wore the Poverty Bay jersey for 51 games from 1982 to 1988.
Saturday’s game, which kicks off at 2pm, will be the latest entry in 102 years of duels between the sides.
The Bay have won 128 times; the Kaupoi 44.
The Weka won last year’s King’s Birthday weekend derby fixture 50-12 at the Oval to retain the Anaru “Skip” Paenga Memorial Trophy, which is up for grabs when the teams meet in Gisborne.
The Kaupoi beat the Weka 23-17 in week 3 of the 2024 Heartland Championship at Ruatōria to defend the PJ Sayers Cup - the prize for games played on the Coast.
The Coast have a new skipper in Tokomaru Bay United second five Apirana Pewhairangi, while the vice-captain is Waiapu scrum anchor Perrin Manuel.
They are ready to go toe to toe with newly minted Bay co-captains hooker Shayde Skudder and No 8 Siosiua Moala.
On the bench for the Weka will be forward James Grogan, who last wore the Bay jersey in 2017 as captain.
The Sky Blues will be coached by Kahu Tamatea while Paoraian Manuel-Harman is in his first season as coach of Poverty Bay.
Tamatea confirmed his boys were, as always, excited about the local derby.
Manuel-Harman said: “We’re thrilled to give young guys an opportunity on this great occasion and can’t wait to see the connection of this new group really flourish.”
The referee for the big game is Matt Richards, who will be assisted by NPEC officials Joseph Coleman and Sean Murtagh.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has been in Gisborne today to report to the board of New Zealand Rugby. The board has been in Gisborne for King’s Birthday weekend and will dine with the board of the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union tonight. Robertson has other commitments and is not able to join the board at the Coast-Bay fixture.
Poverty Bay Weka, 1-23: Lance Dickson, Shayde Skudder (cc), Sam Hudson, Harawira Kahukura, Petelo Palusa, Niko Lauti, Ryan Jones, Siosiua Moala (cc), Silas Brown, Nic Proffit, Bosca Tikicidre, Anthony Karauria, Cohen Loffler, Braedyn Grant, Matt Proffit. Res: James Grogan, Wayne Hema, Atonio Walker-Leawere, Latrell Walker, Nox Ranitu, George Halley, Mitchell Purvis, Te-Reimana Gray.
Ngati Porou East Coast Kaupoi, 1-23: Manahi Brooking, Jorian Tangaere, Perrin Manuel (vc), Rico Te Kani, Jesse Rye, Richard Green, William Bolingford, Hoani Te Moana, Sam Parkes, Carlos Kemp, Tipene Meihana, Apirana Pewhairangi (c), Treymaine Butler, Tawhao Stewart, BJ Sidney. Res: Tristan Rutene, Jayden Leiua-Pokia, Teina Potae, Tuterangi Ngarimu, Uetaha Wanoa, Safin Tuwairua-Brown, Hamuera Moana, KC Wilson.
