The new WRFU Women’s Club Rugby competition will have its first derby game on Friday evening as the table-leading Kaierau will take on Marist at the neutral venue of Cooks Gardens.
Kaierau are the only remaining unbeaten side after they travelled to secure an important 20-5 win over Taihape at Memorial Park last Friday.
The competition’s first Saturday game saw Marist travel to Marton Park, where they picked up a 56-0 win over the Queen Bees – on a day Whanganui Marist RFC certainly celebrated as all four of their adult teams were victorious.
This new competition is the latest iteration of WRFU women’s club rugby after the last venture in 1990.
Former WRFU president Kevin Foster was chairman of the subcommittee which launched a five-team competition in 1990 with Raetihi, Ohakune, Taihape, Counties and Marist – with a Pirates squad joining in 1991 to make an even six teams.
Games were played every second Sunday across the region and Foster, who would work the ticket entry gate, recalled they would take in $600-$1000 a match - solid numbers in that era.
“We were getting bigger crowds than they were getting at Spriggens Park for the Saturday men’s games,” he said.
The advantage of having a regular women’s competition was clear on September 21, 1991, when a Whanganui Women’s representative side played Taranaki and put on over 40 points (in the days of four-point tries).
Coached by Bob Barrell and John Transom, and managed by Barbara Harding, the team then got big wins over Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay before playing the dominant Wellington side - losing 10-4 but becoming the first team to score a try against Wellington at the provincial level.
The local women’s competition ended in 1994, a cautionary tale that such ventures need strong ongoing public support at the grassroots level to remain viable.
Week 3 draw
May 5: Marist vs Kaierau, Cooks Gardens, 6pm
May 7: Marton Queen Bees vs Taihape, Marton Park, 3pm
For three seasons, they’ve been so close but so far to being a part of the WRFU club finals day in which their Memorial Park neighbours regularly partake, but a reinforced Utiku Old Boys is determined 2023 will be the time.
In the past over-shadowed by Taihape Rugby & Sports Club - who sent both their squads to finals day last season with Bennett’s Taihape winning the Senior Division 2 title - Utiku were only two points away from playing that match, beaten 18-17 by Kelso Hunterville in the semifinal.
It follows 2020 where they finished fourth in a Covid-disrupted Senior season which did not have semifinals, and 2021 where they held the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield and were looking strong until dropping their last couple of matches.
Knowing a solid start in the face of strong opposition was crucial this campaign, Utiku began by lifting the Challenge Shield vacated by Premier-bound McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, beating Counties 33-5.
A week later, only goal-kicking proved the difference in their 19-15 loss to defending champions Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic, but Utiku rebounded by doing something few have accomplished in recent years – beating Tāmata Hauhā Rātana in the Pa, 20-10.
“It needed to be [a good start] if we want to be there at the end. It doesn’t get any easier this week,” said new coach James Maher, who is assisted by Tama Cahill and Munu Thorby.
“Kaierau look like a bloody good team – we watched them two weeks ago against Taihape.”
Currently, on Wednesday, Utiku are training and then feeding around 35 players, over three-quarters of whom are 25 or younger.
“It’s a good problem to have, but it’s a real headache to have to leave people out every week,” said Maher.
“The clubrooms are buzzing on a Wednesday night, it’s a real good culture.”
Eager to make sure if there’s a shepherd in the country who likes his rugby that they join their club, Utiku can call on a number of standouts which any WRFU Premier team would love to have on the books.
No 8 Joseph Abernethy stood out in the 2022 Whanganui Under 20s that won the HYC Heartland Series, while prop Gordon Coogan played the 2021 pre-season fixtures for Steelform Whanganui, with brother Mark named in the Development XV.
Former Ruapehu Premier player Gavin Martin slots into a backline which includes 2012 Whanganui representative Hepa Payne, returning after a layoff to co-captain the team with Max Buchanan.
“We’re not far away from having two teams. It’s the nature of club rugby that players come and go, but we’re just in a strong cycle at the moment,” said Maher.
“They get looked after and they enjoy it. If we can be successful, that’s the bonus.”
Senior draw
May 5-6, 1pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change):
Border vs Mustangs, Dallison Park (May 5, 7pm); Kaierau vs Utiku OB, Country Club; Pirates vs Mustangs, Spriggens Park; Ratana vs Hunterville, Ratana Pa; Marton vs Taihape, Marton Park; Counties vs Celtic, MacNab Domain (2pm).