Rugby: Hooker fronts up 10 years after retirement

Loyal Veteran: Helen McGregor has labelled tonight's final as big as the Lions-All Blacks decider. Photo/Paul Taylor .

TARADALE women's rugby hooker, Helen McGregor, laughed when she became the focus of media attention in the build up to tonight's Hawke's Bay Championship final against Clive at Farndon Park.

"I know you're going to remind me you did my retirement story 10 years ago ... but I want to do as much as I can to keep Taradale in the competition," McGregor said.

The 44-year-old mother of four has been going beyond the call of duty with regular 80-minute displays for the fourth qualifiers, who upset defending champions MAC 24-22 in last weekend's semifinals.

Taradale coach Alby Baker said McGregor was the perfect role model for the youngsters in their squad.

"Helen has been playing regularly with injuries as most front rowers do and earlier this week she told me she was hoping to give me 40 minutes in the final. I told her she will be giving us 70 or 80 as our back-up hooker will be covering the loosehead prop role more and if she wants less minutes she will have to find another apprentice hooker for next year.

"Helen replied 'good as gold whatever the team needs' so we'll get another 80 out of her."

Baker labelled McGregor the best No 2 in the country in 2006. That was the year the Hawke's Bay Tues beat Auckland for the first time with a 15-13 victory at Park Island and the year the Black Ferns missed most of the NPC as they were on World Cup-winning duty in Canada.

It was also the year McGregor, in her fifth and final season with the Tues, won the Player of the Year trophy and Players Player trophy despite the Tues boasting three members of the World Cup winning side in utility back Amy Williams, who will play pivot for Clive tonight, prop Mel Ngatai and first five-eighth Rebecca Mahoney, who is now one of the country's top referees.

While McGregor, who has also represented Manawatu and Wellington, may not boast the same pace as she did back then she is still just as competitive.

"We came into the semifinals as the fourth qualifiers but we're going out to Farndon with the aim of winning. Because it's Tara dale's first year back we've been building each week as the season has progressed and we're peaking at the right time."

A Hastings District Council building accreditation manager, McGregor, first played for Taradale in 2005 and can recall playing in at least one championship title winning team against Clive.

"It was always us and Clive back then and it's no different this season."

"Last year I hooked up with Tech when Taradale didn't have a team but it was too hard. I can only play for one club and I ended up having just one game for Tech."

Tonight she will mark one of her former apprentices at Taradale, former Tues hooker Jesse Carter.

"I remember Jesse as a bright up and comer who was keen to learn. She didn't play in our previous two games against Clive so it will be nice to meet her again."

"Clive and us have recorded a win each against each other to date this season. So the final is just as big as the Lions-All Blacks decider and next week's State of Origin league decider for us," she added.

Teams for the 6.30pm final:
■CLIVE: Hinerangi Temara, Danielle Pomare-Mackay, Niamh Jefferson, Te Maari MacGregor, Arini Gillies, Amy Williams, Shaylee Tipiwai, Deidre Hakopa, Laurae Blake, Marlane Harmer, Charlie Hoggard, Rebekah Hurae, Yarnisae Whaitiri, Jesse Carter, Turuhira McIlroy. Reserves: Lisa Ropiha, Kara Huata, Jessica Bennett, Jade Tuhua, Leeanne Makea, Kirsten Kirkpatrick, Rome Teao, Lisa Grant.
■Taradale: Felicity Powdrell, Hailey Baker, Elizabeth Ghio, Natasha Greville, Danielle Tuifao, Sylvia Bockman, Gemma Woods, Whitney Olsen, Jasmine Taukamo-Apiata, Luana Eden, Tatiana Baker, Kandice Kemp, Natalie Cotton, Helen McGregor, Rowena Bart. Reserves: Caitlyn Wilkins, Carmeila Kingi, Nerissa McRoberts, Roberta Keefe, Michelle Pepene, Nikara Ross.