Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby
The Tasman Tanning Senior competition has reached the penultimate weekend, with four teams looking to punch their ticket to Cooks Gardens and crown a fresh champion for 2025.
Defending champions the Utiku Old Boys went out on their shield at Macnab Domain last Saturday as the season’s great success story, McCrea Scanning Counties, secured their away semifinal against the Forest 360 Marist Knights.
Leading 17-3, Counties showed all their guile to eventually end Utiku’s title reign 26-17, with their try-scorers including prop Frazer Matthews, flanker Tamati Aramoana and their marquee player, Lindsay Horrocks.
Counties did lose to the Knights 40-19 in the first week of the competition, but they proceeded to lift the Whanganui Rugby Challenge Shield off fellow semifinalists Direct Connect Marist Celtic and rattle off five straight defences, before losing by one point to the top qualifiers, McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu.
Celtic, in their 50th anniversary season, have come through a competitive mid-table pack to beat their Spriggens Park neighbours, the Seales Winslow Pirates, 36-19 and earn the trip up to face Ruapehu.
A family-oriented team, Celtic are skippered by rugged veteran Maikara McDonnell, while first five Wineti McDonnell slotted five kicks in the quarter-final, with two tries credited between them.
Prop Jeremy Seal, winger Ranginamu Lambert and centre Te Oranga Whareaitu also dotted down.
It is historic to have both Marist teams in the semifinals, as the 2024 runners-up, the Knights, are determined not to be denied the crown.
Their 73-16 quarter-final win over Kelso Hunterville saw No 8 Brandon Burberry score a hat-trick, while standout fullback Joey Devine had 16 points from two tries and three conversions.
Winger Heemi Metekingi, centre Epeli Delasau, hooker Cyprien Bernard, prop Raponi Tofa, flanker Kane Hinga and reserve Benidito Vakaruru also scored.
Hosting Celtic, the undefeated Ruapehu will appreciate the upstart Border Seniors gave them more of a test than would have been expected in their 26-0 quarter-final win.
Their try-scorers were flanker Taipari Wirepa, winger Tahatika Te Riaki, hooker Aaron Wilson and skipper Kahl Elers-Green.
July 5, 1pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change)
Marist Celtic Knights v Counties, Spriggens Park; Ruapehu v Marist Celtic, Rochfort Park.
The fourth semifinalists for the 2025 Tasman Tanning Women’s competition was confirmed last week as Hunterville claimed a historic playoff spot in their first season of existence.
The Rangitīkei-based club side must now face the undefeated AGC Training Marist Clovers, who signalled their clear intentions after a big victory over defending champions Byfords Construction Taihape.
Sitting three points behind fellow newcomers the Heidi Macaulay Realty Bulls heading into the final round-robin games, Hunterville secured their spot with a 61-0 win over the Marton Queenbeez at Marton Park.
Flanker and skipper Brooke Henderson scored four tries and kicked a conversion, while second five Charlie Bennett got a hat-trick.
The other try-scorers were centre Gracen Coe, winger Amoe Harawira, halfback Stacey Jones and flanker Tia Karatau-Kiu, while first five Maraea Graham slotted two conversions.
Hunterville knew by Saturday that a win would take them to fourth, as Silks Audit Rātana had done them the favour the night before at Cooks Gardens by beating the Bulls 86-0.
No 8 Hayley Gabriel scored a hat-trick, with doubles coming from flanker Tash Kingi, centre Mikayla Heka, reserve Lexes Martin Tekoari and first five Armani Martin, who also added a conversion.
Rātana will now make the trek up to Memorial Park to see if they can tip up Taihape for the first time in two seasons.
Taihape will be stinging from their 64-7 defeat to Marist at Cooks Gardens last Friday night.
Second five Tiana Kauika scored a hat-trick, while fullback Alice Ireton had a 24-point haul from two tries and seven conversions.
Marist’s other tries were by prop and skipper Sosoli Talawadua, prop Waimarie Rauhina, No 8 Lavenia Nauga-Grey, centre Awatere McLean-Wanoa and winger Kesaia Siganisucu, with Taihape’s try coming from lock Leigha Stormont.
Semifinal draw
July 4: Marist v Hunterville, Cooks Gardens, 5pm; Taihape v Rātana, Memorial Park, 6.30pm.