Club Rugby Player of the Year: Jason Robinson

Midway through Tamatea premier rugby side's pre-match warmup last weekend Jason Robinson got the call.

His workmate and fellow technician with P & T Contractors Henare Harris was still at work and unable to make the start of their fifth round Maddison Trophy encounter against Clive at Bill Mathewson Park. Former Magpies winger Robinson, 34, had to move in a space to fill Harris' berth and Hawks basketball captain and former Tall Black Paora Winitana replaced Robinson on the wing.

The late change didn't stop Robinson from producing a player-of-the-match performance in Tamatea's 32-16 victory, their first in the competition, and becoming the 14th weekly winner in the Tui Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award.

It was an appropriate reward for Robinson, a father of seven, who is in his 17th season with Tamatea's top side.

"Gerald Harris has the record of 22 years at our club. I might give that a nudge ... Ash is coming through the grades now and it would be good to play for another couple of years so I can play with him," Robinson said referring to his 17-year-old son, New Zealand touch representative Ash Robinson.

"It was good to get the win against Clive. Nui missed our loss to Hastings. He told us to get back to the basics and things about the things we can control ... it worked," Robinson said, referring to Tamatea coach and former Magpie Nui Bartlett.

The win completed a memorable day for Robinson. His daughter, Karamu High School Year 9 student Talon Robinson, had earlier scored two tries in her premier women's rugby debut for Clive and the Tamatea 12th grade team he coaches maintained their unbeaten run for the season.

"Talon has set the Olympics as her goal and 12 of our 12th grade team have been nominated for the Hastings East Ross Shield team trial," Robinson said.

He's in good shape for rugby but he still does some road running so he can keep up with his younger teammates.

If Robinson and his teammates can reproduce their form of last weekend there's a strong chance their second win could come in Saturday's sixth round encounter against the enigmatic MAC side at Flaxmere.

Best & fairest

Leaderboard

Napier Old Boys Marist v Taradale

3, Mark Collier (NOBM); 2, Jodi Allen (Taradale); 1, Kevin Uluave (NOBM).

Central v MAC

3, Rhys Marshall (Central); 2, Api Sione (MAC); 1, Lee Stewart (Central).

Tamatea v Clive

3, Jason Robinson (Tamatea); 2, BJ Bland (Tamatea); 1, Crete Cribb (Clive).

Hastings Rugby and Sports v Napier Technical

3, Peniasi Tokacece (Hastings); 2, Levi Guildford (Technical); 1, George Crichton (Hastings).Havelock North v Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports

3, Brendon Edmonds (Havelock North); 2, Danny Logan (Pirate); 1, Adam Bradey (Havelock North).

13 points: Tony Lamborn (Havelock North).

11 points: Tivaini Fomai (Hastings), Jesse MacDonald (MAC).

10 points: Brendon Edmonds (Havelock North), Tom Parsons, Peniasi Tokacece (both Hastings).

9 points: Angus Benson (Napier Technical).

8 points: Jodi Allen (Taradale), Marcus Donovan (Pirate).

7 points: Rhys Marshall (Central), Sam Giddens, Mike Coman (both NOBM).

6 points: BJ Bland (Tamatea), Api Sione, Everard Reid (both MAC), Kieran Coll, Andrew Gardner (both Taradale), Gillies Kaka (Havelock North), Tamati Samuels (Napier Technical), Ash Johnson (Pirate), Ausage Fomai (Hastings).

5 points: Danny Logan, Jarrod McCarthy (both Pirate), Sam Ebbitt (Clive), Bryce Barr, Warwick Slingsby (both Central), Semiperive Semeane (NOBM), Jonathan Ruru (Taradale), Peleti Oli (Tamatea).