Veteran MAC forward Everard Reid gets the send-off from his MAC Mana 11th-graders after bowing out of Premier rugby at Flaxmere Park on Saturday. Photo / Ian Cooper
One of the more unique careers in Hawke's Bay Premier club rugby ended in emotion as multiple-union representative Everard Reid limped from the field and took off the MAC jersey for the last time on Saturday.
Reid first wore the blue and white stripes in the top grade at the age of 15 when he raced across town after playing for Karamu High School and made up the numbers, one afternoon 22 years ago.
Now, aged 37 and dad to two sons and two daughters, Reid played the last of an estimated 200 games for the club at Premier level, interspersed with Poverty Bay and East Coast, with stints with Randwick in Sydney and Mounts Bay in Cornwall, England – while chasing surf as much as he was the rugby.
He also had almost 50 matches at first-class level, including a Ranfurly Shield defence for the Hawke's Bay Magpies in 2015 and extended careers in Heartland rugby for Poverty Bay and East Coast, as he earned three appearances in the New Zealand Divisional XV.
But signing-off didn't go quite as planned, the tall lock and flanker hobbling from the field early with a leg injury and MAC being beaten 31-29 by Napier Tech Old Boys (after leading three times during the game). The result saw both sides end their hopes of playoff rugby in two weeks' time.
MAC took the lead with two tries to prop Paula Latu in the first 10 minutes, led 24-19 at halftime and had a great chance to take the game when up 29-26 before conceding the last try inside the last 10 minutes.
The grandson of late 1935-1937 All Black Tori Reid had made his decision beforehand. Despite the injury, for which he really should have headed to the hospital, he wasn't going anywhere, apart from taking a seat with the team management at one dead-ball line.
It was there that he was saluted with the haka Tika Tonu, led by the MAC Mana 11th grade boys who'd beaten Hereworth School for him earlier in the day, and by the players from both sides.
Reid, saying life's priorities change and his body was starting to tell him things, wasn't the only one to leave early with an injury, a fate that also befell original referee Nicolaas Puuter, after suffering what appeared to be a muscle strain in the second half.
It was a game both sides had to win to have any chance of making the Maddison Trophy semifinals but not even Tech's maximum 5 points were enough and, whatever their result this weekend, they will finish in fifth place.
Clive did all they had to, to secure a place in the top four with a maximum-points 32-19 win over Tamatea at Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings, the fourth and fifth positions having effectively been decided by Clive's 40-33 win over Tech at the start of the competition on May 15.
Napier Old Boys Marist secured their playoff spot with a 52-22 win over Central in Waipukurau, while unbeaten Hastings Rugby and Sports and Taradale retained the No 1 and No 2 rankings despite the clubs agreeing to not play their game because of a family tragedy within the Hastings camp.
The No 3 and No 4 positions are expected to be decided by the Clive-OBM result this coming Saturday, Hastings finish the round-robin against MAC, Taradale play Tamatea, and Tech play Central.
Losing three key players through injury over the last week, Tech had deliberate plans to run the bigger MAC pack off Flaxmere Park and withstood the pounding of the return fire admirably as MAC made several strong raids into red-army territory, only to lose possession at some of the most important moments.
Each side scored five tries, the difference being in the goalkicking where Tech halfback Sheridan Rangihuna landed three conversions.
Also celebrating a bit of vintage was Tamatea prop Tane Cooper, aged 35 and marking his 100th Premier match with a try and conversion against Clive - who scored five tries, including one to fullback Tianua Poto.
With seven points also from the boot, Poto is now locked in a battle to be the first to hit 100 points in Hawke's Bay Premier rugby this season. He has 93 points, headed only by OBM's Bain Champion who went to 94 with conversions of two of his side's eight tries against Central.
OBM wing Michael Buckley scored his 11th try, drawing level with Taradale No 8 Iakopo Mapu in the quest to be the top try-scorer.
Napier Pirate had an important 39-19 Senior 1 win over Tech's Reserve side, to move back into the grade's top four and revive hopes of a return to Premier rugby for the first-round Nash Cup competition next winter.
The sides ended the day each on 17 points, Pirate claiming fourth place by virtue of the win, with Tech having the tougher last-week assignment against second-relegated side Havelock North which on Saturday made it 6-from-6 with a 13-6 win over Otane.
Beaten 20-17 by OBM's Reserve side, Dannevirke side Aotea remained the only Senior 1 side apart from Pirate and Havelock North in the running for promotion.
Meanwhile, Hastings Boys' High School made it 3-from-3 in secondary schools First XV Super 8 rugby with a 65-0 home win over Gisborne BHS, but Napier BHS had to settle for shared points in a 13-13 draw away against Tauranga Boys' College.
The Hastings win set up the match-of-the-season in Hastings next Saturday against near-perennial title-winners and fellow unbeaten side Hamilton BHS, who on Saturday had a 21-19 win over Rotorua BHS. Coming up, Napier will challenge Rotorua for the Moascar Cup.
In Central North Island schools competition, Lindisfarne College were beaten 17-15 by St John's Hamilton in Hastings, while St John's Hastings were beaten 56-10 by Whanganui Collegiate, in Whanganui.
Results of Hawke's Bay club rugby matches on Saturday, June 26:
Premier – Maddison Trophy
Napier Tech Old Boys 31 (Scott Mogford, Kyle Cornelisen, Manaaki Aranui, Amos Roddick, Elijah Martin tries; Sheridan Rangihuna 3 cons) MAC 29 (Paula Latu 2, Zedekiah Awa, Tolefoa Selesele, Elene Vola tries; Awa 2 cons). Halftime: 19-24.
Clive 32 (Anzelo Tuitavuki 2, Josh Greening, Petera Kahui-Ariki, Tianua Poto tries; Poto pen, 2 cons) Tamatea 19 (Jimi Harris, Lincoln McClutchie, Tane Cooper tries; McClutchie, Cooper cons). Halftime: 8-5.
Napier Old Boys Marist 52 (Pedro Bezanilla,2, Michael Buckley, Paul Lapa, Rick Hayes, Pouvi Fatialofa, Pula Faleiva, Liam Edwards tries; Jonty Stewart 4, Bain Champion 2 cons) Central 22 (Max Fryatt, Frank Lochore tries; penalty try; Tate Harte pen, con). Halftime: 31-10.
Hastings Rugby and Sports v Taradale not played.
Points: Hastings Rugby and Sports 25, Taradale 24, Napier Old Boys Marist 22, Clive 20, Napier Tech Old Boys 15, MAC 9, Tamatea 8, Central 6.
Senior 1: Taradale 38 Maraenui 12, Napier OBM 20 Aotea 17, Napier Pirate 39 Napier Tech OB 19, Havelock North 13 Otane 6.
Senior 2: Bridge Pa 37 Hastings R&S 17, Napier Pirate 38 Clive 26, Central 46 Eskview 12, MAC 31 Waipawa Country United 25, Porangahau 31 Havelock North 29.
Senior 3: MAC 32 Maraenui 15, Havelock North 41 Napier OBM 7, Taradale 39 Flaxmere 7, Clive a bye.
Colts: Clive 33 Napier Pirate 17, Central 10 Hastings R&S 10, Taradale 62 Onga-Tiko 14, Napier Tech OB 47 Aotea 5.