Western Suburbs maintained their unbeaten run in the Eastern Alliance rugby league competition with a 32-22 win at Kirkpatrick Park.
Former Hawke's Bay Unicorns forward Richie Eagle celebrated his return to the Suburbs side, after a two-year spell because of a broken leg, with two tries.
Second rower Mitchell Marsh was another
to shine for Suburbs. Charlie Hooper, Loto Famo, Peter Ioane and Johnny Tauranga were their other tryscorers. Ioane's cousin, Tahi Ioane, kicked four goals for Suburbs.
Loose forward Jacob Dehar captured player-of-the-match honours for Omahu as they opened their campaign with a 62-22 win against Manutuke Mustangs. Standoff Shane Wickham, props Henry Heke and Mohi Kendrick and centre PJ Hanara also impressed for Omahu.
Heke, Kendrick and former Hawke's Bay players, Wellington-based Kererua Savage and Christchurch-based Simon Head have all been selected in the New Zealand team for the Universities World Cup which starts in Australia this month.
Former Unicorns winger Shane Foster made a polished debut as a referee at this level in the Omahu-Mustangs match.
Heke, Hanara and Jeremy Hepi all scored two tries each for Omahu while Wickham, Carlos Abbott, Elijah Hepi, Mahu Ropiha, Jason Kokiri, Lance Kupa and Mark Whati were Omahu's other tryscorers. Wickham and Dale White kicked two goals and Ropiha one.
* Hawke's Bay women's rugby league coach Alan Mason was buzzing last night. His team had reached the final of the national tournament in Auckland and went down 50-6 to Auckland A.
"We were rapt to make the final. Our main objective was to get a team up here as Hawke's Bay hadn't had one in this tournament in 15 years," he said.
Mason was hoping at least two Bay players would be selected in the Kiwi Ferns side for the November World Cup in Australia. The national side was expected to be announced later today.
