Rugby: Mega-milestone gained

Deidre Hakopa, left, and Lisa Ropiha will both play their 200th match for the Clive women's rugby team on Saturday. Photo / Warren Buckland

How appropriate ... Deidre Hakopa and Lisa Ropiha will both play their 200th match for the Clive women's rugby team together on Saturday.

They played every season during Clive's six-season streak of Hawke's Bay championship titles which ended in 2010. They have both had daughters, in Hakopa's case three, play alongside them for Clive, they have both played together for the Hawke's Bay Tuis and every year when the rugby season finishes they play for the Tamatea women's rugby league team which has won numerous Hawke's Bay titles.

"This milestone isn't something we thought about a lot. We're still playing because we're still having fun and we're enjoying our rugby," halfback Ropiha said.

Versatile utility Hakopa, 46, first started playing for Clive in 1994. She played for the Tuis from 1997 until 2009 and still holds four of the Tuis records.

They are the most tries, 21, most tries in a season, nine, most points in a match, 25, and most tries in a match. The last two came when the Tuis thrashed Southland 100-5 in the 2003 division two final on Napier's McLean Park when Hakopa scored five tries.

Hakopa played 39 division one games for the Tuis and Ropiha 43. Their number of division two games is unknown.

While the pair have done crossfit together in recent seasons and agree this allows them to keep up with younger teammates and opponents, they are adamant their days as posties have been the secret to their lengthy careers. Ropiha, 43, is still a postie and Hakopa is an administration worker for Prestige Ltd.

"I used to feel great coming from a morning's work on the bike before we played our games. It's not quite the same now I'm not on the bike," Hakopa explained.

"There used to be four of us posties in the team," Ropiha said, referring to former teammates Heather Skipworth and Anthea Toheriri.

Fourth-placed Clive will take on second-placed Hastings Rugby and Sports at Elwood Park on Saturday. Ropiha said the game will give them an ideal gauge as to where they are at in their quest to meet likely top qualifiers, unbeaten MAC, in the championship final.

"Hastings always pull out a big one against us. It's very much an on-the-day display which determines the outcome of these games," Hakopa said.

Ropiha pointed out their team is eager to perform well in the championship round, which they have dedicated to former club president Alan "Porky" Nisbet who died in March after a battle with cancer.

"Porky and his family did so much for women's rugby at our club, it would be awesome to have a strong finish to the season for him," Ropiha said.

Ropiha first played for Clive in 1997 after stints with Flaxmere and Havelock North. One of her highlights was playing alongside daughter Avelon during the 2012 season.

Hakopa has played with three of her daughters, Sian, Ema and Jana Rowlands and this season takes the field alongside daughter-in-law Rebecca Hurae.

"We've both played with several of our nieces too. On the odd occasion when we've been short of players Deidre and I always got asked where our nieces were," Ropiha quipped.

The pair ranked their chances of returning for another season next year as high. And could they be seen in Tuis colours again this season?

"If they were short, we would help them out. That's as long as it didn't clash with our club league fixtures," Hakopa replied.

On occasions such as this, it is normal for players to name their selections, a team consisting of players they consider the best they have played alongside. Ropiha and Hakopa both politely declined the opportunity.

"We would upset too many people. Look at No8, do we go with Hannah Wainohu or Jasmine Tihema, at openside Chanel Huddleston or Sharn Waru ... it's too tough," Hakopa said.