Sir Eruera Tirikatene Challenge Shield on the line for Hawke’s Bay Māori rugby side

Two of Hawke’s Bay’s most prominent Māori rugby players of the 1980s are being trotted out this week to give their modern era successors some oomph in a challenge for a revered trophy.

Te Matau a Māui and Wairoa will head to this week’s Te Upoko o Te Ika tournament in Upper Hutt, where Te Matau ā Māui will challenge for the Tirikatene Shield. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke’s Bay representatives are chasing the Sir Eruera Tirikatene Challenge Shield for the first time in more than two decades.

But former halfback and first five-eighths combo Paul Blake and Brian Morris, who both played for Hawke’s Bay when the Magpies were beaten 13-12 by Wellington in a 1982 Ranfurly Shield in Wellington, won’t be lacing up any boots for another trip back to Wellington.

Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay Rugby chairman Stewart Whyte said the two had been invited to present jerseys to players chosen for a challenge against Te Upoko o Te Ika Wellington Māori for the Sir Eruera Tirikatene Challenge Shield.

It is named after a late 1932-1967 MP and is the near-equivalent Māori rugby version of the Ranfurly Shield.

Blake is a 1979-1986 Magpies player and 1978-1984 Māori All Black who played five Prince of Wales Cup matches for Southern Māori. He can’t recall ever playing for the Tirikatene Shield, although Hawke’s Bay Māori teams of the era did include Magpies players when they were available.

The match will be played on Friday, August 23, the first day of the Te Upoko o Te Ika Invitational quadrangular in Upper Hutt.

The winner will on Saturday play the winner of a match between Poverty Bay side Tūranganui-a-Kiwa and Canterbury representatives Waitaha for the Binny Andrews Cup. However, the shield will not be at stake, being a trophy for home matches of the holder.

Reinforcing the current depth of rugby talent in Hawke’s Bay, Te Matau a Māui have stacked up an impressive list of victories since Hawke’s Bay representative Māori rugby was revived in 2022, including an unbeaten run in four matches this season and a tournament win in Hastings last year.

With sponsorship from RDCL Ltd and Tūpore Infrastructure Ltd, Te Matau a Māui have this year beaten Wairoa Sub-Union 68-14 at Taradale, Manawatū Māori 57-12 in Hastings, Poverty Bay side Turanganui a Kiwa 55-33 in Gisborne and, on Saturday, Hawke’s Bay Pasifika 45-33 in a Tamatea Arikinui Taonga match at Elwood Park, Hastings.

They scored seven tries to five, including two to second-half substitute Hunter Nuku, with five converted by captain and first five-eighths Jayden Falcon.

It is thought to have been at least 20 years since Hawke’s Bay last challenged for the Tirikatene Shield, which in recent years has been swapped mainly among Canterbury, Taranaki and Wellington.

Wellington reclaimed the shield last season with a 46-24 win over Taranaki in Hāwera.

The Wellington side had its own taonga match on Saturday, being beaten 40-35 by Wellington Samoan Rugby in the first match for the Connor Garden-Bachop Taonga. Te Upoko o Te Ika had previously beaten Heartland Championship union Horowhenua Kāpiti 43-40 and Manawatū Māori 38-7.

In other Hawke’s Bay representative matches on Saturday, the Saracens Hawke’s Bay Development side beat Manawatū B 46-26 in Waipukurau and Hawke’s Bay Under-19 beat Wairarapa Bush Barbarians 65-0.

In Gisborne, the Wairoa Sub-Union side, preparing for Division 2 in the Wellington tournament this week and its first 2024 defence of sub-unions’ trophy the Barry Cup, was beaten 36-19 by Poverty Bay development side Turanga Tuatara.

On Saturday, five Wairoa players were in the Poverty Bay side beaten 38-29 by West Coast in a Heartland Championship first round match in Greymouth. This week Poverty Bay have a home match against Whanganui.

Scorers: Te Matau a Māui (HB Māori) 45 (Hunter Nuku 2, Chaz Heke, Bronson Hokianga, Sam Jones, Taranaki Hokianga, Eugene Sandilands tries; Jayden Falcon 5 conversions) bt Hawke’s Bay Pasifika 33 (Francis Tuifao 2, Jay Tora, Tomasi Naicegulevu, Ulufotu Fautua tries; Alatasi Tupou 4 conversions). Halftime: 26-7.