Wairoa in Focus: Bring on the Barry Cup

The Wairoa sub-union rugby team at the Te Upoko o Te Ika Invitation tournament at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Upper Hutt. Photo / Supplied

The Wairoa rugby team is looking forward to another big season defending the Barry Cup after one of the sub-union’s biggest missions at the weekend.

The team, coached by Sid Ropitini, played in division two of the Te Upoko o Te Ika Invitation tournament at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport, the high-performance Upper Hutt facilities that are the official training base of New Zealand rugby.

In the four-team section, Wairoa were beaten 12-10 by Manawatū Māori in their first game on Friday, and beat Wairarapa Māori 88-0 on Saturday.

The team will now prepare for the first Barry Cup defence against Te Araroa-based East Coast sub-union Matakaoa in Wairoa on September 8.

Ropitini said the leadership of prop Jordan Biddle and halfback Hickson Raroa were crucial in the team’s performances, during a weekend when they were able to take in some of the atmosphere of the facilities, and where the Black Ferns were also on a two-day training camp.

He said the team were invited to the tournament and also to last year’s Te Matau a Māui tournament in Hastings.

With the development of rugby in Wairoa, which saw local club Tapuae win the Poverty Bay premier championships this year, and Wairoa Athletic beat Nuhaka in the other senior grades final, it was achieving the aim of “wanting to develop opportunities for the whānau back home”.

Several other players from Wairoa are now in the Poverty Bay Weka NPC Heartland championship side, beaten 38-29 by West Coast in the opening round in Westport and 47-36 by Whanganui at Patutahi, Gisborne, on Saturday.

Wairoa regained the Barry Cup in 2022 and defended it throughout the trophy’s centennial season last year.