Provincial rugby: Central Hawke’s Bay beaten by Wairarapa Bush in historic Tikokino match

The after-match line-up of the Central Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa Bush teams after the historic King's Birthday rugby game at Tikokino on Monday.

The Central Hawke’s Bay rugby sub-union team have been well beaten by Heartland championship side Wairarapa Bush in their bid to win the annual Stu Smith Memorial Cup match for the first time.

The visitors won 64-5 in fine weather in a historic King’s Birthday meeting at Matthews Memorial Park, Tikokino, on Monday.

It was possibly the first time an NPC union had played at the country ground, home of the Onga-Tiko club, and to some degree revived a Hawke’s Bay-Wairarapa rugby tradition dating back many decades.

The two unions’ annual regal birthday holiday game fell off the calendar in the 1980s and 1990s when it was no longer able to be slotted into the NPC’s competition draws.

On Monday, Central Hawke’s Bay (CHB), preparing to defend the Bebbington Shield in sub-unions rugby later in the season, were still in touch when down 24-5 at halftime.

But Wairarapa-Bush, an NPC first-division union in the 1980s, ran in 10 tries and showed some signs of being capable of being competitive in the Heartland Championship this year.

CHB sub-union chair Dylan Scott said the team, captained by Warwick Slingsby at No 8, competed well in the first half, contesting the high takes, with lock Dylan Wind particularly prominent.

Although CHB spent considerable time in Wairarapa Bush territory, the visitors scored four of their tries in the first half, inflating the score to 24-0 before Central claimed a try wide out to left wing Caleb Strong just before the break.

Wairarapa-Bush sped up the game to score six more tries in a deluge of 40 points in the second half, which Scott said was an indication of the higher level at which several had played, including first five/centre Tipene Haira, with 10 seasons and about 80 games in Heartland rugby.

Wairarapa Bush have won all four games for the cup, which was first presented in 2022 to commemorate a veteran player who spent most of his career in the two areas, starting at Tikokino.

Flying the flag for sub-union rugby, Central defend the Bebbington Shield against Northern Whanganui on July 19, followed by matches against Heartland unions King Country and Ngāti Porou East Coast in the following two weekends.

All three games are expected to be played in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Wairarapa Bush 64 (Charlie Brown 3, Faka’onga Lea’manu 2, Malakai Biumania 2, Charles Mataitai, Conall Doyle, Nathan Hunt tries, Ashton Coates 4, Tipene Haira 3 conversions) Central Hawke’s Bay 5 (Caleb Strong try). Halftime: 24-5.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.