Whanganui Senior rugby: Utiku Old Boys remain top of table

Week eight of the senior championship is done and dusted. Photo / Bevan Conley

Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby

Even in the uncertainty of the make-up of some of their opposition due to the Tasman Tanning Premier players potentially being available, the top three of the Whanganui Rugby Football Union Senior grade all did the business on the long weekend on Saturday.

The most keenly anticipated clash was the derby at Spriggens Park, as Forest 360 Marist Knights defeated in-form team Black Bull Liquor Pirates 27-14 in a rugged encounter.

Top of the table, however, remains with Utiku Old Boys, who faced a surprisingly strong Border Senior team at Dallison Park and pulled away in the second stanza for a 32-12 victory.

Border, with the prospect of a reinforced line-up at home, led 12-10 at halftime before Utiku found their feet after the long trip over from Taihape to finish strongly and retain the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield.

Remaining just a step behind Utiku and the Knights was McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, who did not let the prospect of a reinforced JJ Walters Asphalt Marton coming to Rochfort Park keep them from a 29-14 victory.

One team from outside the top eight were able to force their way back in as Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau scored the last points to secure a priceless 15-12 win over Tāmata Hauhā Rātana Brotherhood to leapfrog them into the quarter-final group.

Kelso Hunterville dropped back from the top four as they faced Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic, who reintroduced a handful of players from their back-to-back championships who had moved to Premier, with the visitors winning 34-27 at Hunterville Domain.

That result opened the door for Bennett’s Taihape to slot into fourth place, after a grinding 43-17 win away to McCrea Scanning Counties at Macnab Domain.

Results

Senior Championship, Week 8:

Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt Black Bull Liquor Pirates 27-14. HT: 12-7.

Dallison Park (Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield): Utiku Old Boys bt Border 32-12. HT: 12-10 Border.

Rochfort Park: McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu bt JJ Walters Asphalt Marton 29-14. HT: 17-7.

Country Club: Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau bt Tāmata Hauhā Rātana Brotherhood 15-12.

Hunterville Domain: Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic bt Kelso Hunterville 34-27. HT: 13-12 Hunterville.

Macnab Domain: Bennett’s Taihape bt McCrea Scanning Counties 43-17. HT: 14-5.

Women

Cooks Gardens: AGC Marist Clover bt Silks Audit Rātana 26-17. HT: 10-5 Rātana.

Marton Park: Speedy Signs Kaierau Marton Queenbeez 59-14.

Secondary schools

Whanganui secondary school teams got straight into the swing of things as their various grades kicked off in mid-May.

In the Central North Island competition, it was a tough start for the Whanganui Collegiate First XV, beaten 29-28 on May 11 by 2023′s runners-up St John’s Hamilton and then 41-24 by St Peter’s Cambridge the following weekend.

Collegiate rebounded with an impressive 43-17 away win over St John’s Hastings on May 25 and will look to improve on fifth place when they meet Francis Douglas Memorial College at home on Wednesday.

In the MRU’s Premier 1 grade, the Whanganui High School First XV have made a strong start since May 18 with away victories over Horowhenua College (38-14) and the Feilding High School Second XV (34-13), while the Cullinane College First XV had a bye in the first round and lost 21-7 to Palmerston North Boys’ High School Development in their opening fixture.

In MRU Premier 2, the Ruapehu College First XV are also off to a strong start with wins over Tararua College (17-14) at home on May 18 and then St Peter’s College (31-17) away, while Whanganui Collegiate Second XV lost to Feilding High School Colts (27-26) and Tararua (34-12).

Premier 3 saw the Whanganui High School Under-16s come out of the blocks swiftly with wins over Awatapu College First XV (20-17) and Feilding High School Red (29-12), while in Youth 3, the Whanganui Collegiate Blue squad defeated Palmerston North Boys’ High School Junior Black 50-21.

May 15 saw the MRU Secondary School Girls competition kick off, with the Cullinane Juniors securing a 47-5 win over St Peter’s, but that was followed by losses to Feilding High School Blue (39-0) and Manukura (86-0), ahead of this Wednesday’s clash with Palmerston North Girls’ High.