Rugby
Gladstone and Eketahuna will play their Wairarapa-Bush Tui Cup premier division rugby match under lights at Gladstone tomorrow night.
With just three series of preliminary round games before the semifinalists are found both sides will be desperate to secure maximum points here, particularly Gladstone which is very much in catch-up mode and can virtually kiss their chances goodbye if they happen to lose this one.
The tactics of the two sides are likely to be chalk and cheese with Eketahuna placing the emphasis on dominating the forward exchanges and Gladstone wanting to use the greater pace and skills of their backs.
The three premier division games being played on Saturday will see Pioneer and Greytown starting starting hot favourites against Marist and Carterton respectively but there should be little between Martinborough and Bush Sports in the match at Martinborough.
Tuhirangi maintained their unbeaten record in the senior reserve grade when they came from behind to beat Masterton Red Star 29-26 at Masterton last Saturday. Player of the day Jimmy Boyle scored two tries with others going to Alister Finlayson and Brad Fenwick. Bradley Legge added three conversions and a penalty.
Tuhirangi will be shooting for their 13th successive win when they confront Greytown at Pirinoa this Saturday.
The interclub rugby draw is:
Premier division: Tomorrow night: Gladstone v Eketahuna, Gladstone at 7.30pm (A Stringer; D Goodin and P Thompson). Saturday: Marist v Pioneer, Memorial Park 1 at 2.30pm (P Thompson; E Wallace and L Price); Greytown v Carterton, Greytown at 2.30pm (A Payne; G Moorcock and D Whitcombe); Martinborough v Bush Sports, Martinborough at 2.30pm (S O'Gorman; G Hall and home team); East Coast a bye.
Senior reserve: Saturday: Eketahuna v Gladstone, Eketahuna at 1pm (P Baucke); Marist v Pioneer, Memorial Park at 1pm (E Wallace); Carterton v East Coast, Carterton at 1pm (G Moorcock); Martinborough v Masterton Red Star, Martinborough at 1pm (G Hall); Tuhirangi v Greytown, Pirinoa at 2.30pm (S Andrew); Bush Sports a bye.
Manawatu colts: Saturday: Eketahuna v Dannevirke, Eketahuna at 1pm (D Goodin; C Henricksen and home team).
Secondary schools: Manawatu under-15, deferred to July 10: Wairarapa College v Hato Paora, Wairarapa College 2 at 3.30pm (L Price). Open grade: Saturday: Rathkeale seconds v Makoura firsts, Rathkeale 2 at 11.15am (V Peterson). Junior grade: Today: Kuranui v Rathkeale XV, Kuranui at 3.30pm (G Hall). Saturday: Wairarapa Gold v Makoura, Wairarapa College 3 at 10am (B Whale); Wairarapa Blue v Rathkeale White, Wairarapa College 4 at 10am (R Wakeling); Kuranui v Chanel, Kuranui College at 10am (L Price); Rathkeale XV a bye. Non-competition, July 11: Rathkeale seconds v Wairarapa seconds, Rathkeale 2 at 3.30pm (M Ford).