Rookie Renee a stand-out for Tuis

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

GISBORNE Girls’ High student Renee Holmes backed up an impressive Farah Palmer Cup debut for the Hawke’s Bay Tuis with an outstanding display against Bay of Plenty in Napier at the weekend.

The 17-year-old, playing in only her second national women’s provincial competition game, was awarded player of the match in the Tuis’ 24-10 loss to the Volcanix at Park Island.

Holmes kept the Volanix midfield quiet for most of the match but it wasn’t just her defensive abilities that impressed Tuis coach Terangi Maeva.

Holmes also broke the line on several occasions and made plenty of hard yards up the middle that gave her forwards good front-foot ball.

She provided good service to her outside backs with her vision and crisp passing, and her communicating and organising of the backline defence also pleased the coach.

The Tuis pushed BoP to the final whistle but the visitors got the win to go along with their season-opening 10-all draw with Auckland.

The Tuis lost 41-10 to Wellington in week 1 in a milestone debut match for Holmes.

It meant she achieved the feat of playing football and rugby at the highest domestic level in New Zealand, having been a member of the New Zealand under-17 girls’ football team who competed in the 2015 National Women’s League.

Holmes and her Tuis teammates are back in home action this weekend against Otago, who crushed Tasman 82-0 at the weekend.