Whanganui rugby: Tough pre-season hit out for women’s rep side

The Whanganui women’s side had a tough start to their preseason with a 51-22 loss to Manawatū wahine development.

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The new-look Longrun Spouting Whanganui women’s side had a tough start to their preseason with a 51-22 loss to Manawatū wahine development in Palmerston North on Saturday.

In the absence of regular skipper Kim Hunt, one of a handful of players not available due to injury and other commitments, the side was co-captained by lock Trassina Hooper and halfback Waimanawa Potaka-Osborne Whanarere.

Coach Junior Nepia said they were competitive for portions of the game, however, the higher speed levels of the match got away from them.

“Just trying to figure out [structure], we didn’t have a basis to work with.

“Now they understand, now we go to work.”

There was a Whanganui flavour to the opposition, as expat Keira Mete-Renata had a good match at second-five, while local players Kara Adrole and Brooklyn Walker slotted in at lock and centre respectively.

Nepia said they will be looking forward to having some of their regulars back for the big game of the preseason – facing the Taranaki whio’s full Farah Palmer Cup squad this coming Saturday.

“Just having really bigger bodies [return].”

Happenings

Kilgarriff

Whanganui rugby mourns the passing of former WRFU president Thomas Charles “Tommy” Kilgarriff, who died peacefully at Edale Rest Home in Marton on July 21, aged 82.

A proud Hunterville man, Kilgarriff became a WRFU board member in 2012, serving as vice-president (2017-18) and president (2019-21). A moment’s silence in his memory was held before kickoff to the Ranfurly Shield match on Saturday.

Northern

The Northern Whanganui team came perilously close to ending Central Hawke’s Bay’s 10-year tenure with the Bebbington Shield, after a 29-29 draw in the sub-union representative match at Napier’s Tremain Park on Saturday.

Northern wore Ruapehu club jerseys, Taihape shorts and Utiku Old Boys socks, while fielding a number of players involved in various Whanganui representative teams. Northern led 17-14 at halftime, but the home side would come back for the draw to save the shield.