Rugby
No team shapes as clear favourite for the premier title, with the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's Tui Cup competition starting tomorrow.
Points gained in the preceding Kapene Cup series - won by Greytown - are not carried over, which means all nine teams are back to square one. All will be aware of the importance of a strong start if they are to be serious contenders for the major spoils.
A brief preview of tomorrow's games:
BUSH SPORTS v EAST COAST, Pahiatua, at 2.30pm: Can East Coast coach Ritchie Robertson do it again? Last season, Robertson guided Greytown from a solid but unspectacular Kapene Cup campaign to the Tui Cup title and you wouldn't bet against him repeating that feat. Just as he did with Greytown, Robertson has used the Kapene Cup to try out combinations but now the serious business begins it will be a different story. That East Coast has a backline capable of putting any defensive system at club level to the sword has been well documented and the challenge for Bush Sports - who will be celebrating their old-timers' day - will be to dominate the forward battle and deny them quality possession. The odds must favour an East Coast victory but it's hard to dismiss the sneaking suspicion that the final scoreline may be a lot closer than many pundits are predicting.
EKETAHUNA v CARTERTON, Eketahuna, at 2.30pm: Eketahuna will fancy their chances of gaining an edge up front through the ruggedness of their pack, while Carterton will probably be thinking that if they can break even in the forward exchanges they just might have enough of an advantage in the backs to pull this one off. Word is that Carterton are about to unleash a proven midfield back from the Poverty Bay region and so the composition of their rearguard will be noted with particular interest. Even if those rumours are true we'll plump for an Eketahuna win ... just!
MARIST v GREYTOWN, Memorial Park No2 at 2.30pm: Note the venue here. Marist are hosting the defending Tui Cup championships on what is basically their home ground, supposedly to allow Masterton Red Star to celebrate their old-timers' day by having their senior reserves side play the 2.30pm game on the No1 surface at rugby headquarters. On paper it should be Greytown all the way. They lost just the one match in taking out the Kapene Cup series and have built well on the rapid progress they made in 2012. Marist have been better than their formline would suggest but it's hard to imagine them bettering Greytown at back or forward.
PIONEER v GLADSTONE, Jeans St, at 2.30pm: This should be a cracker of a game. Gladstone did enough in the Kapene Cup to suggest they will give the Tui Cup a decent shake, although you'd have to think the loss of star lock Andrew McLean through injury will lessen the impact of their pack, particularly in lineouts and broken play. Pioneer can never be discounted, such is their ability to create tries out of nothing and they invariably produce their best form on their beloved Jeans St grounds. Gladstone is our pick, but it wouldn't surprise if it was the other way around.
The full draw for tomorrow is:
Premier division: Bush Sports v East Coast, Pahiatua, at 2.30pm (A Payne); Eketahuna v Carterton, Eketahuna, at 2.30pm (S Andrew; G Hall and P Bauke); Marist v Greytown, Memorial Park 2, at 2.30pm (C Jefferies; P Thompson and D Harris); Pioneer v Gladstone, Jeans St, at 2.30pm (D Adams; B Whale and K Lochhead); Martinborough bye.
Senior reserves: Bush Sports v East Coast, Pahiatua, at 1pm (no referee available); Eketahuna v Carterton, Eketahuna, at 1pm (P Baucke); Marist v Greytown, Memorial Park 2, at 1pm (P Thompson); Masterton Red Star v Martinborough, Memorial Park 1, at 2.30pm (G Moorcock); Tuhirangi v Pioneer, Pirinoa, at 2.30pm (G Reisima); Gladstone bye.
Women's premier: Eketahuna v Massey, Eketahuna, at 1pm (G Hall).
Secondary schools: Rathkeale firsts v Tu Toa firsts, Rathkeale, at 12.30pm ( D Harris; M Ford and L Price).
College open grade: Makoura firsts v Wairarapa thirds, Makoura, at 11.15am (B Whale).
College junior grade: Kuranui v Makoura, Kuranui, at 10am (J Head); Chanel v Rathkeale XV, Chanel, at 10am (K Lochhead); Rathkeale White v Wairarapa Gold, Rathkeale 3, at 10am (L Price); Wairarapa Blue v Rathkeale Green, Wairarapa 4, at 10am (M Ford).
Refereeing the Rathkeale firsts v Tu Toa match at Rathkeale will be Dylan Harris from the Far North Coast in northern New South Wales. He will spend the next week in the Wairarapa-Bush region as part of an annual referee interchange, while in July our No1 referee, Chris Jefferies, will do likewise in Harris' area.