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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

League: Elated Razorbacks nail first title

By Gary Hamilton-Irvine
Rotorua Daily Post·
18 Aug, 2014 05:00 PM2 mins to read

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Phillip Rameka, the Reporoa lock (with ball) during the Bay of Plenty District Rugby League reserve grade final on Saturday. PHOTOS/STEPHEN PARKER

Phillip Rameka, the Reporoa lock (with ball) during the Bay of Plenty District Rugby League reserve grade final on Saturday. PHOTOS/STEPHEN PARKER

Celebrations will still be going in Reporoa after their local rugby league side secured a maiden title in the reserve grade.

The Reporoa Razorbacks joined the Bay of Plenty District Rugby League reserve grade in 2011 and qualified for their first grand final this season.

They destroyed Pacific Sharks reserves in the final on Saturday 50-16 at Puketawhero Park.

A good crowd from Reporoa and Tokoroa watched the game.

Reporoa started the better of the two sides, shooting out to a 12-0 lead. The first half turned into a try-fest as the sides crossed for seven tries between them in the opening 40 minutes.

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Perhaps the most important try came on the stroke of halftime, when Reporoa's star player, Phil Rameka, secured his hat-trick.

With time up on the clock, Pacific tried to keep the ball alive in their own 20m zone.

Unfortunately for Pacific, they lost possession with a loose pass and the ball fell to Rameka.

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With players scrambling, he put his head down and dashed 15m to score under the posts. His teammates swamped him after the try as Reporoa's lead pushed out to 30-12.

Pacific never really got back into the game after halftime and Reporoa scored three more tries to kill off the match.

Reporoa's big halfback, Selwyn Lloyd, also scored a hat-trick.

Rameka, a Waicoa Bay Stallions representative, said his side were excellent on Saturday. He put the victory down to heart and a great start.

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"Just the heart and all the pride the boys have got in the jersey," he said. "And we could not have wished for a better start." He said he was stoked to get a hat-trick.

Reporoa coach Laurie King was elated.

"It is awesome, absolutely awesome," King said.

Pacific had done them a big favour two weeks earlier when they beat them in the first week of the play-offs.

"They did us a big favour. We had not lost a game all year and the boys were getting over-confident."

He said his side really wanted it on Saturday and the support was excellent.

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After the game, Reporoa performed a spirited haka in front of their supporters.

RESULT: Reporoa 50 (Phil Rameka 3, Selwyn Lloyd 3, Aaron Karaha, Dennis Newton-Phillips tries; Shaun Phillips 6 con, 2 pen, Phil Rameka con) defeated Pacific 16 (Matthew Nairn, Sialaoa Alaelua, Levi Dawson tries; Shaun Ryan 2 con).

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