It proved a good weekend for Wanganui's representative teams as both the development squad and the under-20s had big wins on Saturday.
As the curtain-raiser to the Pink Batts Heartland Championship game in Levin, development proved there is a gap in the overall depth between the A and B teamsof their Horowhenua-Kapiti hosts, thumping the home side 68-17.
Going on with it in the second half to score 41 points, Api Ratugolea scored a hat-trick of tries, while wider Steelform Wanganui squad members Tawhio Gupwell and William Short each got a double. Bobo Ulukuta, Tom Symes and Bronson Tumai got the other tries, while Isireli Baleitavuki and Jaye Flaws combined to kick nine of 10 conversion attempts.
Wanganui Development will be aiming for their third straight RDO Cup.
At the Rugby Institute in Palmerston North, the Wanganui U20s' tough preseason matches against adult teams had obviously paid off as they thumped the combined East Coast-Poverty Bay U20s 72-12 in their opening match of the Hurricanes B competition.
