YMP in celebratory mode after completing a perfect Poverty Bay Premier club rugby season in 2025, including a 21-7 win over Tapuae in the grand final. The black and whites are one of four teams in the 2026 competition and will again be led by hooker Shayde Skudder, who is chasing a fourth Lee Bros Shield as skipper. Photo / K.S Sports Media
YMP in celebratory mode after completing a perfect Poverty Bay Premier club rugby season in 2025, including a 21-7 win over Tapuae in the grand final. The black and whites are one of four teams in the 2026 competition and will again be led by hooker Shayde Skudder, who is chasing a fourth Lee Bros Shield as skipper. Photo / K.S Sports Media
Tiny White Opening Day will have a different feel to it.
This year will mark the first time in 30 years OBM will not field a team in either the Premier or Senior 1 grades.
At Paddy’s Park on Saturday, defending champions East Coast Farm Vets Young Māori Party willtake on Earthwork Solutions High School Old Boys at 1pm and hosts Larsawn Ngatapa will do battle with last year’s beaten grand finalists Kahu Scaffolding Tapuae of Wairoa at 2.45pm.
Poverty Bay rugby legend Sione Ngatu and Tim Gardner are back in charge of the Ngatapa Premiers, with Willie Brown likewise returning for YMP and Poverty Bay Weka Heartland Championship head coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman on deck again as player-coach of Tapuae.
HSOB have a new man at the helm in ex-Blue and Whites hooker James Jenkins.
HSOB began last preseason, their 100th, in rip-roaring fashion with a 43-0 win over Ngatapa at the Oval although 2024 champions Tapuae beat them 26-10 to start the season proper.
That opening day also featured a 29-12 show of strength by YMP against Enterprise Cars OBM and Ngatapa bounced back from the tough loss to HSOB to beat Pirates 37-5.
All of the 2026 Premier grade sides have a tight forward as their captain bar HSOB, who are led by centurion halfback George Halley.
Tapuae’s Ngahiwi Manuel and YMP’s Shayde Skudder are in the hooker jersey, while Jack Twigley of Ngatapa will command his side from lock.
Skudder, in his sixth year at the helm for YMP and having raised the Lee Brothers Shield three times for Poverty Bay’s oldest active club, is the most experienced skipper on show.
Experience and the ability to adapt to conditions will be important, as an easterly breeze and rain are expected as the forecast cyclone bears down on the country.
The officials for game one are Ben Holt, Hona Huriwai and Jared Pearse. Matt Smith, Neville Barwick and Danius Boyder are in charge of game two.
The season-opening occasion will continue the Tiny White Medal presentation tradition for overall player of the day – a sought-after honour in recognition of the All Black great. YMP winger Quaydon Chaffey-Kora won it last year.
Opening day will also feature the start of Senior 1 action, with Keelyn Smith in charge of HSOB’s home game against defending champions Charteris Choppers Wairoa Athletic on Oval 2. Tony Watson will control the YMP Bumbles-Mahia clash at Barry Park and an official for the Kevin Hollis Glass-Turanga Pirates Ngatapa match was still to be confirmed as of Friday afternoon.
The three games kickoff at 1pm, while at 2pm, Nūhaka V8s lock horns with GT Shearing Waikohu at Nūhaka Domain.
Poverty Bay club rugby will kickoff its season with the Tiny White Opening Day at Ngatapa on Saturday. All Black great Richard Alexander "Tiny" White played 55 games for the national side between 1946 and 1957 and more than 130 games for Poverty Bay.
TINY WHITE OPENING DAY TEAMS
East Coast Farm Vets Young Maori Party (1-15): Nehe Papuni, Shayde Skudder (c), Saigeon Carmichael, Willis Tamatea, Khian Westrupp, Legend Winiata, Shyann Wyllie, Jesse Kapene, Silas Brown, Kelvin Smith (vc), Timuaki Stewart, Anthony Karauria, Taine Aupouri, Izaiah Fox, Kahurangi Leach-Waihi. Reserves: Lekima Baleisuva/Matariki Kaa, Levi Cameron/Wirihana Raihania, Jordan Kingi, Jokatama Cewa, Rawiri Broughton (vc), Mitchell Purvis, Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea.
Earthwork Solutions High School Old Boys (1-15): Xayvier Kingi, Franco Ludwig, Salesi Niuvao, Fletcher Scammell, Leka Palusa, Sio Palusa, Ryan Jones, Siosiua Moala, George Halley (c), Te-Reimana Gray, Matthew Proffit, Rylan Tuwairua-Brown, Jacob Leaf, Bryan Howard, Cohen Loffler. Reserves: Viliami Mosaati, Mango Halofonua, James Grogan, Letani Seruwaqa, Liam Beattie, Braedyn Grant, Josaia Bosaka Tikicidre.
Larsawn Ngatapa (1-15): Campbell Chrisp, Ben Johnson, Sam Hudson, Latrell Walker, Jack Twigley (c), Jock Dodgshun, James Law, Logan Spencer, Blake Charteris, Rian Norton, Angus Chapman, Te Pirihi Puke-Riki, George Twigley, Mosese Bulicakau, Tsugunosuke Hirai. Reserves: Jack Hamilton, Ihaia Kerr, Lachlan Johnson, Ben Robertson, Etimoni Lavaka, Angus Lowe, Stuart Young.
