Crispian Stewart: Whakarewarewa Rugby Club sign off season with twin victories

Whakarewarewa players Rehua Ngatai (left), who celebrated his 50th premier game, Max Hutchings and Evergreen Poukohe Sorenson with the Tai Mitchell Shield after beating Ngongotāha.

Hākinakina community news is a weekly update on our own local community sports and athletes.

Opinion

While our beloved Chiefs fell just short of Super Rugby Pacific glory over the weekend, the curtain also fell on our premier local rugby clubs as the ‘red and blacks’ of Whakarewarewa travelled to take on Ngongatahā at the village domain.

The scene was set. It was a cloudy and cold afternoon, with the field framed by dozens of local vehicles looking for the best view from behind the wheel.

The game was in the balance at halftime with the maroons trailing by 12-10.

Local supporters Simon and Jo had every faith in the red and blacks finishing strongest, and their faith was well-founded.

Whaka pounced on a couple of errors in the second half and secured the Tai Mitchell Shield for another season, winning 31-10.

It was a bittersweet result for the Greg Gillies-coached Whaka as they finished fifth in the Baywide competition, missing out on the semis and ultimately ending their season.

But all was not lost as the Tai Mitchell Shield was celebrated in the changing rooms with the usual post-match beverages.

The shield is up for grabs every time the local premier teams clash. Ngongotahā had a brief reign last season, but it has been a regular feature at the Whaka clubrooms for the last five to six years, and this season will be no exception.

Ngongatahā coach Roger Ngatai was pretty philosophical about the result and was quick to mention the amazing legacy Whaka were forging.

He has a couple of young chargers in his ranks who have impressed, including 22-year-old fullback Haydn Benge, who has a natural attacking instinct, while 19-year-old loose forward Fakalei Palelei has been drafted into the Bay of Plenty Steamers’ wider training squad.

There are a couple more finals weekends ahead, but there won’t be any Rotorua club presence for the first time in several seasons.

Last weekend was the end of the season for most of the premier players across the Bay, which has prompted discussion around the calendar and fixtures beyond June in future scheduling.

Whakarewarewa secured some additional silverware across town, with their premier development team getting over Kahukura 26-20 to take out the Central Bay of Plenty Paul Scott Trophy.

It was standing room only at Purenga Park to cap off a memorable day for Rotorua’s premier rugby club - a red and black weekend in Rotorua, Ngongotāha and Hamilton.

For your community sports news and stories, please contact Crispian.stewart@eves.co.nz.