Wairoa rugby gets reward with 11 players in Poverty Bay squad

Tapuae midfield back Rana Hubbard, one of 11 Wairoa players in the Poverty Bay Heartland rugby championship squad, pictured in the Poverty Bay club final in Wairoa on July 13. Photo / Paul Rickard

Wairoa rugby clubs have had 11 players named in a 36-man the Poverty Bay squad for this year’s Heartland Championship in the wake of the town’s clean sweep of Poverty Bay’s two major competitions.

Tapuae midfield back Rana Hubbard, one of 11 Wairoa rugby players in the Poverty Bay Heartland Championship squad, pictured in the club final in Wairoa on July 13. Photo / Paul Rickard

The players are Tapuae’s Atonio Marewai, Duran Smith, Harawira Kahukura, Keanu Taumata, Ngahiwi Manuel, Iowane Filimone, Kingi Te Amo, Kyoni Te Amo, Paoraian Manuel-Harman and Rana Hubbard, and Wairoa Athletic player Jordan McFarlane.

The selections come after the unbeaten triumphs of Tapuae and Athletic in winning Poverty Bay’s Premier and Senior titles respectively.

And there are plenty of opportunities for those not named in the squad, with a Wairoa home-round having started on Saturday, when Raupunga Hawke’s Bay competition side YMP beat Mahia 24-10, and with the sub-union side having its first outing on Saturday against Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay Māori at Taradale.

Both teams are preparing for the Te Upoko o Te Ika Invitational tournament in Wellington on August 22-23, when Te Matau a Māui will mount Hawke’s Bay’s first challenge for representative Māori rugby Ranfurly Shield-equivalent the Sir Eruera Tihema Tirakatene Shield in more than two decades.

Wairoa is also preparing for its first 2024 defence of east coast sub-unions trophy the Barry Cup.

Meanwhile, in another move for country rugby the Central Hawke’s Bay sub-union side was beaten 36-24 by Heartland championship side King Country in Taupo on Saturday, ahead of CHB’s first 2024 defence of the Bebbington Shield against Northern Whanganui in Napier on Saturday.

It was 24-0 to King Country at half time, and 36-0 before win Alex Dickey scored CHB’s first try in the 19th minute of the second half. First five-eighths Bain Champion converted, as he did with one of CHB’s three tries in the last 10 minutes scored by centre Titiana Aria, fullback Noho Rini and lock Dylan Wind.

The match against Northern Whanganui will be played at Tremain Field, Park Island, having been originally scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the Hawke’s Bay Magpies’ Ranfurly Shield defence against Heartland rugby union Whanganui at McLean Park.

Meanwhile, Hastings-based Geotech engineering firm RDCL and civil infrastructure firm Tūpore Infrastructure have been confirmed as lead sponsors of Te Matau a Māui Māori rugby in the next step of a representative Māori rugby revival started two years ago.

RDCL managing director Cam Wylie stepped up as a sponsor three years ago, keen to ensure that Māori rugby continued to be a positive pathway for young Māori players, and said: “It’s about mana and whakapapa. I’m a strong believer in the advancement of Māori culture and people and rugby is a fantastic vehicle to bring people together for great outcomes and creating leadership pathways.”

To ensure the future of Māori rugby in Hawke’s Bay, he also approached Tūpore chief executive Gavin O’Connor to join as a lead sponsor, to ensure less of a financial burden on the team and players.

The Tamatea Arikinui Challenge Taonga, up for grabs in Te Matau a Maui’s match against Hawke’s Bay Pasifika on August 17, pictured with (from left) Te Matau a Maui manager Tom Blake, Gavin O’Connor, of Tupore Infrastructure, team co-manager Chad Harris, coach Murdoch Paewai and chairman Stewart Whyte.

Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay Māori coach Murdoch Paewai is keen to build on the performances of 2023 which saw the team win the Te Tini a Māui regional tournament, beating Wairoa 33-14 in the final.

His squad is: Sam Coombs, Brendan Edmonds, Jayden Walker, Avian Rihia, Kassidy Ewart, Fraser Taurima Heperi, Nick Agnew, Rocky Hoffman, Uenuku Hoerara, Chaz Heke, Bailey Johnson, Phil McRoberts, Donnovan Mataira, Kurtis Arlidge, Ethan Smith, Eli Rore, Ramo Leef, Tamati Rautahi, Thomas Eden, Eugene Sandilands, Taranaki Hokianga, Charlie Varcoe, Taylar Greville, Bronson Hokianga, Karl Hewitt, Zedakiah Awa, Tamati Samuels, Jayden Falcon, Jordan Thompson Dunn, Dennon Robinson-Bartlett, Jesse Paewai, Ted Walter, Brayden Cunningham, Tawhiri Gifford Kara, Sam Jones, Cruz Davies, Ash Robinson-Bartlett, Trent Conway, Peyton Kemp, Ritchie Herangi, Ben TeHau, Troydyn Bird.