Rugby: Wanganui Barbarians win on Chatham Island

Wanganui Barbarians rugby.

The Wanganui Barbarians became the first team to defeat Chatham Island Rugby Club on their home soil in 23 years with a 45-22 win on the island on Saturday.

The team of 28 players, which on match day expanded out to 32 with extras from the wider touring party of 45, scored seven tries against their 25-man opposition, who play a festive match once a year.

Among the current Steelform Wanganui players in the group, fullback Tom Symes burned off his chasers to score two tries.

Captain-coach Peter Rowe also scored, playing at second-five, as did first-five Lindsay Horrocks, lock Jack Hodges, and reserves Scott Pedley and Dwayne Bishop.

Halfback David McNabb added five conversions.

Although the four quarter match was played with golden oldies scrums due to Chatham's lacking a specialist front rower, Barbarians manager Jerome McCrea said that was where the niceties ended.

"The Chatham's ref did a great job, quite a contest around the ruck.

"It was pretty physical, full-on contact. Wasn't no friendly.

"They didn't throw the towel in, came back in the third quarter, scored a couple of tries."

The Barbaraians had a lot of current club rugby players, and McCrea had no injuries to report ahead of the start of the season, although there were plenty of sore bodies.

He said the tour group had a fantastic four days on the island, which was capped off by Saturday's aftermatch function with "every seafood going".

"I've never seen anything like it."

The party had been pig hunting, fishing and tank diving, exploring parts of the island where they were knee deep in paua.

McCrea said they have begun plans to host the Chatham team for a return game in March 2020, where the team will stay in Whanganui and get to go deer hunting – the only thing they cannot hunt themselves at home.