The victorious Aotea Premiers after a win in April over Havelock North.
In a season of two halves, Aotea Rugby Seniors ground out a win by three points 34-31 over Tamatea at Rugby Park back earlier this month to win placement in the 2024 Hawke’s Bay Premier Division for the third year in a row.
After just one win in the 2022 Premiers season but making it through in 2023 again, Aotea early on looked to have all the skills and size to perform much better.
They started their matches with great energy and motivation, a huge pack and a pretty slick backline partly bolstered by players from the Dannevirke Sports Club seniors which had disbanded working well together.
Early games were however disappointing as fitness levels were not high enough and it was not until April that Aotea put in a full 80 minutes to beat Havelock North and develop some confidence in itself.
Another win over Clive in May increased that feeling but some lessons were also inflicted by top teams when the side was let down by players not turning up, either physically or mentally, one game conceding 100 points while scoring 35. Work commitments played a part in this.
After 10 games in the Nash Cup, Aotea had won three games but lost several by disappointingly tiny margins.
This put Aotea into the second half of the competition playing for the Hepa Paewai Memorial Trophy as one of the bottom five with the top six playing for the Maddison Trophy.
The addition of some Fijian players working planting pines in the district bolstered the team, which had suffered injuries to some key players, and they soon made an impact.
After a close loss to Clive 19-18 and a loss to eventual winners Napier Pirates 37-10, Aotea played Havelock, losing 36-30 after a great comeback but winning two important bonus points.
It was then Aotea faced Tamatea on exactly the same points, the winner going into the Premier Division next year.
At Rugby Park on July 1, a nervous but supportive crowd witnessed a game that seesawed with the lead changing, an exciting match with Aotea hanging on to win 34-31. It was a great game for locals to watch in the team’s last game at home.
With their position in the Premier Division secured for 2024, Aotea played Pirates again in the Hepa Paewai Memorial Trophy semifinal in Hawke’s Bay and nearly caused a boil-over.
Thoroughly enjoying the match with the pressure off, a massive forward effort resulted in Aotea coming back from 20-45 to score 22 unanswered points in the last 20 minutes, losing by three points in a frantic finale.
Aotea’s coaches are philosophical. Head coach Jaerrad Stephenson said both the team and he as a coach have learned a lot this year which will help them again in the Premiers next season.
Forward coach Graham McNair said his forwards really stepped up, his scrum being in the top three in the Premier division and his lineout stable without much height. He said some prospective signings for next year could strengthen the pack.
Both say having a Premier team playing in Dannevirke is great for local players as a pathway to greater rugby honours. They hope it attracts good players to the town, while seeing this quality of rugby in Dannevirke is good for spectators and kids who will come out and watch, helping the club and sub-union coffers.
An exciting match between Hawke’s Bay Māori versus Wellington Māori is set to be hosted at Rugby Park on August 26 and several Aotea players will feature.