New kit for Pirates
Following recent seasons when they have enjoyed a collaboration with the Kaitaia Rugby Club, the Pirates are again sailing solo this season, with three of its four youth teams playing in a new strip of scarlet shirts, navy blue shorts and red socks.
The Pirates sides playing Mangonui JMB and North Zone IMB competitions include in under 7s, 9s, 13s and 16s grades. Officials fund-raised internally for the new playing kits by holding garage sales, raffles and the like and thanked supporters from the wider community for donating various goods, including Dion and Christine Masters who sponsored the under 7s uniform.
The club, which has returned to renovate its clubrooms on Sunray Park while playing home games on adjacent Arnold Rae Park, was in the process of funding a strip for its JMB under-9s team.
IMB results
Results from round 5 of the North Zone IMB played May 18 were:
Under-14s: Kaeo 43 17 Eastern Waipap, Kaikohe 38 Kerikeri 10, Takahue 34 Otiria 10. Standings: Kaikohe (played 5, 189/45) 23 points, Takahue (5, 179/ 90) 20, Otiria (5, 90/ 167) 15, Kaeo (4, 124/ 83) 8, Eastern Waipap (5, 91/158) 7, Kerikeri (4, 27/157) 0.
Results from the under-16s: Kaikohe 22 Kerikeri 5, Pirates 34 Otiria 40 (unconfirmed), bye Eastern Waipap. Standings: Otiria (played 3 f/a 198/46) 15 points, Pirates (3, 131/102) 11, Kerikeri (3, 44/27) 10, Kaikohe (4, 139/75) 9, Eastern Waipap (4, 26/ 276) 0.
Northland U19s
WBHS 8 Ninety Milers 17 (ht 8-12): The Milers remained unbeaten after round five of the Northland under-19 competition and are 10 points clear at the top of the standings with an away win, one of the closest of the season, against Whangarei Boys High on Saturday.
Coach Dave Jurlina knew the game would be the side's biggest test this season and it was. Frustration and errors crept into the Milers' effort but the visitors managed to score two tries to one to lead at the break. With the wind behind them in the second, a determined Milers lowered their error rate but Jurlina and the team remained unhappy with an overall performance containing far too many unforced errors.
"A positive was that so many scoring chances were created and if they cut the errors down, the points will come easily," said Jurlina.
This week, the side travel to Dargaville to play second-placed Southern, always a tricky proposition at home. Tries by Hamish Pomare 2, and Dane Subritzky-Clark with a conversion by Mitchell Jurlina, while the standout was Cambell Matthews.
UK Kerikeri 49 Waipu 3: The homeside forwards dominated their visiting counterparts in Kerikeri last weekend and although coach Bernard Goodhue was otherwise engaged, he heard Waipu arrived with not much more than the bare minimum. The result would have allowed his side to gain some rhythm before hosting Whangarei Boys High this Saturday.
Also, Kamo High 30 Old Boys Marist 7, bye Southern. Standings were, Milers (played 5, 220 for/ 61 against) 24 points, UK Kerikeri (4, 106/65) 14, Southern (4, 88/53) 14, WBHS (3, 39/46) 5, Kamo High (3, 53/63) 5, Waipu (4, 40/157) 4, Old Boys Marist 2, bye 0.
Mangonui JMB typo
Finally, the Mangonui JMB under-9 draw in Tuesday's Age contained a typo so the correct draw for this Saturday was Rarawa v Aupouri at 10.30am, Pirates v Kaitaia 9.30, Waipap v North Hokianga 10am, and Eastern v Takahue (to be played at Awanui) 9.30.