A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A MUCH-needed win eluded Hikurangi when they travelled to Te Araroa Domain to play Tokararangi in the Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby competition on Saturday.
They came close to a draw, but were pipped at the post by a last-minute Toka try.
The positive for Hiku was that they stepped up from previous performances, and matched Toka, placed third in the competition, for 79 minutes of the game.
Neither team had their first-choice squad.
Toka had to do a substantial player reshuffle due to the absence of halfback Israel Brown and first five-eighth Rapata Haerewa, a combination that wins games for them.
While Toka made better use of loose ball, Hiku dominated lineouts and scrums, regularly winning the home team’s ball.
Their tactic of using experienced lock Horace Lewis out in the backs to run league-style hit-ups worked for them in this game — he made several useful breaks, one of which took him close to the try-line.
The game was tight from the beginning.
Twenty minutes into the game Toka won a scrum, halfback Te Kooti Kingi fired it back behind the goal-line and it was dropped.
Hiku won the scrum in front of the posts, and wing Te Nati Tehema scored in the corner. The try was not converted.
Soon after, a Hiku offside gave Toka a penalty, which led to centre Te Whetu Waitoa scoring a try.
The score remained 6-6 till halftime, despite a couple of Toka attacks on the Hiku line just before the whistle.
Hiku came out firing in the second half, and after four minutes a pushover scrum led to a try by prop Pat McLean. Captain and fullback Kris Palmer added the conversion.
But Hiku’s lead didn’t last long. Ten minutes into the second half, Toka loosie Hone Haerewa burst down the sideline and scored. Pamona Samupo converted.
It remained 14-all for the next 28 minutes. The game ranged over the whole field as first one team then the other attacked. Defence was staunch and desperate, as when Hiku came close to a try after 25 minutes but were ruled offside.
Then Morgan Wirepa jr won the game for Toka in the last minute. He was out with the backs, and put in a kick to the corner. From the ensuing ruck, he burst over and scored in the corner.
The conversion attempt failed, and the fulltime whistle sounded.
Tokararangi 20 (Hone Haerewa, Te Whetu Waitoa, Morgan Wirepa jr tries; Pamona Samupo con) Hikurangi 14 (Pat McLean, Te Nati Tehema tries; Kris Palmer con).
Tokomaru United and TVC — two of the NPEC club competition’s top teams — battled it out at Tokomaru Bay Domain on Saturday.
United player-coach Joe Chaffey said his team dominated the first half, and the second half was TVC’s, but the visitors couldn’t catch up.
Tokomaru United held on to win 32-24.
Chaffey said TVC’s big forwards went well, and the combination between the halfback and first five-eighth Verdon Bartlett was effective.
For United, captain Reuben Gibson-Parkes was an effective leader, while fleetfooted double-tryscorer James Te Kahika was outstanding, Chaffey said.
Jason Babbington added the kicks as required.
Tokomaru United 32 (James Te Kahika 2, Matt Marino, Shane Te Mapi tries; Jason Babbington 3 con, pen) TVC 24 (Verdon Bartlett, Dion Highnet, Brett Douglas tries; Manaia Nyman 3 con)
Hicks Bay got off to a good start against Uawa but the Tolaga Bay-based outfit finished strongly to win 28-6.
Hicks Bay fullback Sean Murdoch was the first to score, and Uawa were kept scoreless for the first half.
A few words at halftime, and some team changes, gave Uawa the impetus they needed to score four tries in the second half.
Uawa 28 (Storm Moran, Harley Phillips, M Tangohau, Wiremu Gray tries; Jordan Patrick con, Chris Wanoa pen) Hicks Bay 6 (Sean Murdoch try).
Tawhiti had a strong start to their game against Ruatoria City on Saturday, but City tidied up their act in the second half and went on to win comfortably.
Ruatoria City 74 (Wiremu Ngatai 5, Ngarangi Tiapi 2, Pera Bishop, Tony Walker, Neihana Ratahi, Kahu Taharangi tries; Nathaniel Fox 2, Tim Barbarich 2 con) Tawhiti 2 (Trey Collins pen).
Waiapu had the bye.