The late Ray "Rocky" Parr in his Māori All Blacks strip. Photo / Supplied
After scoring a comfortable 36-19 home victory over defending champions Taihape last weekend Border looks certain to top the qualifying for the 2020 Tasman Tanning Wanganui premier club rugby championship.
The win retains a five-point buffer on the six-team field with Waverley Harvesting Border's remaining two qualifying outings against the bottom two sides – away to both Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist at Spriggens Park this coming weekend and then up the Waitotara Valley to tackle neighbours Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri.
Considering that the front runners beat Marist 79-19 and Ngamat 90-0 on Dallison Park earlier in the short season it looks certain that Border will retain the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield for 2020 and then host a home semifinal as the top qualifying team.
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau, six points off the pace, opened up a five-point advantage over Taihape in second spot with a runaway 60-12 home win over Ngamat last Saturday with veteran former reps Lasa Ulukuta (hat-trick) and Ace Malo (two) scoring half of the 10 tries.
Kaierau, seeking a Devon Road Country Club semifinal, now has a home clash with fast-improving McCarthy Transport Ruapehu, a team it beat 34-14 in Ōhakune at the end of last month, and then away to Marist.
Third-placed Taihape, assured of at least qualifying third but chasing a Memorial Park semi, is away to Ngamat this weekend and then home to Ruapehu.
Taihape has only played Ngamat away twice, losing 31-30 in 2017 and winning 47-10 the next season. Last year Taihape won 35-5 on Memorial Park after an 87-14 romp at the same venue in 2019.
Ruapehu moved into fourth overall position last weekend, scoring six tries to three on home soil against Marist who raced in a hat-trick of late tries.
The victory was vital for Ruapehu (now 12 points) because it edges ahead of Marist (11) and Ngamat (10) but has to travel to take on Kaierau and then Taihape, who won 34-14 and 45-24 respectively at Ōhakune earlier in the series.
Ruapehu's late finishing burst, snapping up the scalps of the two lowest-ranked sides, will be fully tested at both the Devon Road Country Club and in Taihape.
Although current form heavily favours in-form Border against Marist in Wanganui this weekend the visitors should remember that the green and whites have collected scalps over the past three seasons – lifting the Challenge Shield 27-25 at Dallison Park last winter and pocketing home wins in 2018 (42-20) and 2017 (30-22).
Ratana Unbeaten
A tight 21-16 home win over fellow previously unbeaten Marist Celtic gives Harvey Round Motors Ratana a good chance of winning the Stihl Shop Wanganui Senior Challenge Shield for the season.
Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Celtic retains the competition lead with 35 points but Ratana (33) has a game in hand and has an eight-point advantage over third-placed Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau.
There are no senior semifinals this season with a straight-out final between the top two qualifiers at Cooks Gardens on September 19.
Ratana's last three qualifying games are at home against Border (five points) and Kaierau (25) and away to Buffalos (10), Celtic has a bye then travels to play Kelso Hunterville (21) and hosts Bennett's Taihape (18).
Kaierau is home to Hunterville and away to Ratana and Speirs Food Marton (11) with fourth-placed Utiku OB (23) home to both Buffalos and Black Bull Liquor Pirates (eight) and away to Border.
Lions' scalp Memorable
The recent death of notable Raetihi rugby identity Ray (Rocky) Parr brings back memories of Wanganui matches against touring overseas teams. Between 1888 and 2006 Wanganui played 54 fixtures against touring overseas sides – 44 on its own and 10 games as a combined union.
Parr was in the front row of the Colin Meads-captained 1966 Wanganui-King Country team that scored a famous 12-6 victory over the British Isles.
Raetihi was in the King Country union that year but returned to the Wanganui union in 1970 and Parr, a Māori All Black, later became a Wanganui representative selector-coach.
The 1966 win, before 17,000 spectators at a packed Spriggens Park, was the only time that a combined Wanganui team beat a major touring overseas side.
Waiōuru supplied three members, all outside backs, to the 1966 combined XV – fullback Jim Sowter, who kicked two penalty goals, centre Peter Johns (later to become an All Black), and winger Jim Redward, who scored the only try of the day.
King Country supplied the remainder of the team including All Black locks Colin and Stan Meads.
Ōhakune provided winger Rangi Paki and No 8 Maurice Rush, who were to wear the Wanganui union colours four years later when the Ruapehu clubs switched unions.
A combined Wanganui-Manawatū-Taranaki team battled out a scoreless draw with Great Britain at New Plymouth in 1904 with All Black winger Mona Thomson (Wanganui OB) the sole local representative.
Six of Wanganui's combined games against overseas teams were played locally.
Wanganui hosted 44 fixtures on its own versus overseas sides including a one-all draw against Great Britain in 1888 in the WRFU's inaugural first-class match.
Notable scalps by Wanganui included 11-6 v Australia in 1913 and twice against Fiji, 14-11 in 1951 and 16-11 in 1980.
Wanganui players and match details of combined teams who played visiting overseas sides
1894 – Wanganui-Manawatū 13, New South Wales 0 at Wanganui Recreation Ground – Local backs: John Le Jacob (Fordell), Duncan Blair and A. Jackson (Kaierau), Forwards: Robert McLean (Kaierau), O.W. Riddell and J.W. Emmerson (Waverley), J.A. Blair and J.W. Morton (Wang). Scorers: H.I. Isherwood try, K.D. Duncan pen, DG.
1904 – Wanganui-Manawatū-Taranaki 0, Great Britain 0 at New Plymouth Recreation Ground – Back: Mona Thomson (Wang). NZ won only test 9-3 in Wellington.
1905 – Australia 18, Wanganui-Taranaki 13 at Hawera Recreation Ground – Back: Earnest McDonald (Wang). Forwards: Peter Murray (Wang COB), Alfred Guscott (Kaierau). R. Hamerton (Patea) had previously played for Waverley and Wanganui reps. Scorers: P. Ryan (Star) and Guscott tries, A. Hargrave (Tukapa) pen, goal from a mark. NZ won only test 14-3 in Dunedin.
1925 – New South Wales 13, Wanganui-Taranaki 11 at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth – Backs: Mick Darby (Wang OB), Scorers: A.R. Collier (Taihape), Albert Delves (Tech COB), Henry Kingi (Utiku). Forwards: Lloyd Stewart (Kaierau). Scorers: Collier, G. Coulton (Stratford) and D. Johnston (Okaiawa) tries, H.W. Brown (NP COB) con. NZ beat NSW 16-10 in Auckland.
1946 – Australia 17, Wanganui-Manawatū 15 at Spriggens Park – Backs: Dixie McCarthy (Moawhango Huia), J.U. Potaka (Rata), Knox Welsh (Tech COB). Forwards: S. McNicol (Moawhango Huia), G.W. Gerrie (Kaierau), Scorers: E. Bresnehan (Kia Toa) try, Welsh 2 pen, con). NZ won test series 2-0.
1955 – Australia 38, Wanganui-King Country 8 at Spriggens Park – Backs: Allan Webby (Tech COB), David Mander and Duncan Glengarry (Waverley), Forwards: Fyfe McGuigan (Kaierau), Don Stewart (Marton), Jack Karatau (Marton Athletic). Scorers: Ray Coffin (Pio Pio) try, B.W. Karam (Kaitekei) pen, con. NZ won test series 2-1.
1956 – South Africa 36, Wanganui-King Country 16 at Spriggens Park – Backs: David Mander (Waverley), Budge Lockett and Jim Wallace (Kaierau). Forwards: Jock Fitchett (Wang OB), Bill Eriksen (Wang Pirates), Jack Karatau (Marton Athletic). Scorers: Colin Meads and Laurie Knight (Waitete) tries, W. Coffin (Pio Pio) 2 pen, 2 con. NZ won tests 3-0.
1965 – South Africa 24, Wanganui-King Country 19 at Spriggens Park – Backs: Peter McDonald and Phil Gaugrodger (Waiōuru), Lyndsay Meads (Hunterville), Paul Tainui (Taihape Pirates). Forwards: Con O'Leary (Waverley), Nick Botica (Utiku OB). Maurice Rush (Ōhakune - then King Country) later played for Wanganui. Scorers: Rush, H.F. Tapsell (Karioi), Howard Paiaka (Pio Pio) tries, I.N. Ingham (Kio Kio) dg, McDonald pen, con. NZ won test series 3-1.
1966 – Wanganui-King Country 12, British Isles 6 at Spriggens Park – Backs: Jim Sowter, Jim Redward and Peter Johns (all Waiōuru), Rangi Paki and Maurice Rush (Ōhakune) later played for Wanganui. Scorers: Redward try, Sowter 2 pen, I.N. Ingham (Kio Kio) dg. NZ won test series 4-0.
1971 – British Isles 22, Wanganui-King Country 9 at Spriggens Park – Backs: Buff Milner and Michael Natusch (both Waiōuru). Forwards: John Knofflock (WHSOB), Maurice Rush (Ōhakune), Sandy McNicol (Waiōuru), Tom Spry (Karioi). Scorers: L. Virtue (Taumarunui), I.R. Milburn (Athletic) tries, Rush pen.
1977 – British Isles 60, Wanganui-King Country 9 at Taumarunui – Backs; Richard Murray (Marton Athletic), Bill Osborne (Kaierau), Colin Howard (Bulls), Francis Hill Forwards: Bruce Middleton and Brent Dallison (Waverley). Scorers: R.T. Snowden (Waitete) try, Hill pen, con. British Isles won tests 2-1 after 11-all draw in final game in Auckland.