Poverty Bay club hockey: Champs Ngātapa make title-defending statement

Waituhi's George Whitehead, watched carefully by YMP's Gareth Knox in a game from a previous season, scored two goals in a 12-0 rout of YMP B in Poverty Bay men's club hockey game on Friday night. Photo / Paul Rickard

Come and get it.

Defending women’s champions Ngātapa delivered a statement-of-intent victory in week two of the 2026 Poverty Bay club hockey season at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

For many years, GMC Green have been known as “The Green Machine” and justifiably so.

But last year, PGG Wrightson Ngātapa ushered in a changing of the guard when they beat GMC in the Premier women’s grand final.

And last Saturday, they underlined their determination to extend their reign beyond one season with a 3-1 defeat of GMC.

“It was a tight match,” Poverty Bay Hockey chairman Kohere Tupara said. “Ngātapa continued their form from 2025 and have stamped their mark as the competition favourites.”

Olivia Angland, Lucy McHugh and Leigh Twigley scored Ngātapa’s goals as they made it two from two.

The Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI (GGHS) shrugged off a heavy opening-week loss to Ngātapa with a victorious week-two performance.

Tupara said the students were “stoked” after securing a 3-1 win over GMC Kowhai in a game in which both teams set up plenty of scoring opportunities.

Mya Carrington converted two of those for the GGHS side and Aisha Twigley got the other goal.

Monika Dinkel scored for Kowhai.

Tupara is excited at the prospect of an enthralling women’s competition this year, and the final game of the weekend only enhanced that belief.

Emerre and Hathaway Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) beat the returning YMP women 3-1.

“Both teams played well throughout,” Tupara said. “But Paikea pulled away at the end.”

Holly Riddick grabbed a double for “the Pinkies” and skipper Jo Cumming also got on the scoresheet.

Reigning men’s champions Laidlaw YMP were given a fright before seeing off a gritty Gisborne Resene LPSC Masters 4-1 on Friday night.

“Masters had an outstanding game,” Tupara, who captains YMP and was among the goalscorers, said.

They led 1-0 and it was 1-1 “for some time. YMP had to work extremely hard to get the win and were happy to get the three points”.

The classy Tamanay Tuhou was a major factor in that, finding the back of the net twice.

Henare Mohi scored five goals as Waituhi put 12 goals past YMP B without reply also on Friday night.

“Waituhi showed up in force and punished a depleted YMP B side, who did their best with 10 [men],” Tupara said.

“It was a strong showing from Waituhi after their loss last week,” he said, when they went down 8-1 to Laidlaw YMP.

Bruce Donald and George Whitehead scored two apiece for Waituhi.

LPSC Traktion have quickly gained traction.

They followed up their big week-one win with a 6-1 disposal of a Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI team rebuilding under coach Wade Manson after losing a large number of senior players from 2025.

Anthony Boyder smashed plenty of sixes at Harry Barker Reserve over the cricket season, and his hockey stick is as dangerous as his bat.

Having scored seven times in week one, he got three for Traktion in Saturday’s win and Jayden McKay, Matt King and Ethan Rogers added the others.

Three goals in the second quarter inflicted the major damage, but GBHS were competitive and were rewarded with a clinically finished goal by Dougie Wilcox-Taylor.

Traktion meet champs YMP this Saturday in a potentially juicy early-season duel between the arch-rivals.