U15 Club 10s

Kaikohe 29 - 32 Marist

Perfect conditions & a large crowd gathered for the clash between Kaikohe and Marist, which proved to be an epic battle with fantastic rugby on display.

Referee Troy Primrose Netzler was able to allow fluid and dynamic play, whilst maintaining discipline and in so providing a great game to watch. Kaikohe demonstrated  speed on their side and was able to run in two quick, converted tries. Marist counteracted with some strong ball carrying and 2 tries of their own, but no conversions. Kaikohe held Marist out at half time with the score at 19-10. The second half continued to have the same excitement with Marist scoring a quick try and then building in confidence. Big tackles, great passing and more tries by both teams. The game was close with both sides taking the lead right up until in the final minutes, Marist was able to kick the ball out and secure the win. 32-29. 

Marist 32 (J Cameron 3, A de Silva 2, S Hunt tries. J Cameron con)

Kaikohe 29 (R Phillips-Heihei 3, J Hemera, H Moon tries. R Knowles-Phillips 2 con)

Te Rarawa 91 - 0 Kerikeri

A great night in Ahipara for the locals as Kerikeri made the trip to play under lights on Monday. Kerikeri have had a tough run in the competition and this match up was no different. Te Rarawa’s depth of players with rugby knowledge stood out as they were far too strong for the girls from the Bay, but their spirits were not broken. Kerikeri has seen a huge jump in numbers across the season, and even though the Club 10s is winding down the players are still keen to keep on the field and prepare for the Girls Schools Rugby.

U18 Club 10s

Kerikeri 50-21 Wellsford Wolves

The strength of the players in the U18 girls teams is growing week to week as Wellsford & the Western Sharks are slowly closing the gap. Monday’s match up only saw the one match as the Sharks had the week off, but a plucky Wellsford really tested the experienced players from Kerikeri at Mangakahia RFC. Kerikeri were out of the gate quicker through strong play from there forwards but Wellsford bounced back with a few attacking players and eventually broke through the line to claim their own points. A seesaw match ensued as the power moved back and forth between the teams before the northerners were able to get a few tries to get out of the reach of the Wolves. Georgia Brierly led the way for the Wolfpack with some determined runs and blistering speed, while ably assisted by Savannah Bodman, Mya Wilson and Drew Crosbie. For Kerikeri, the experience of players like Mia Anderson, Leilani Erwin and Kahleah Nathan really took the game by the scruff of the neck to claim the victory.

The Girls Club 10s will return in two weeks time due to Queens Birthday, but a number of U18 players will be turning out at the Johnny Isaacs Memorial Tournament of the weekend.

Premier Women

Te Rarawa 33-24 City

The Blue & Whites made the trip north to tackle Te Rarawa in Ahipara on Sunday afternoon and a titanic battle was played out. Te Rarawa’s forward pack was the difference as the City forwards struggled to maintain the big ball runners who were able to get over the gain line, providing a good platform for their backs to launch their attacks. City didn’t lay down though, after the early set backs the team tightened up and started to give back a bit of the pressure that they were under. Sisters Lily & Serai Murray-Wihongi have been setting the score book on fire recently but were well contained by Te Rarawa, who had good performances from Justice Karena and youngster Rangimarie Chapman-Barber while captain Jurney Blair continues her stand out form to date.

Kamo Hawks 82-5 OB Marist

Kamo Hawks came out on top of the local derby with OB Marist at Pohe Islands under light even if the scoreline suggests otherwise. OB Marist have been enduring a tough season so far but showed some good glimpses of structured footy at times. The forwards gave as good as they got and managed to push the Kamo Hawks forwards around at scrum time. Kamo Hawks, however, were a bit out of reach as speedster, Savannah Bodman, playing in the mid-field was able to claim a hat-trick on the night and lead the majority of their attack. For OB Marist, getting across the try line provided a huge boost for the team who are enjoying the experience despite the scorelines.

Kaikohe 118-0 Horahora

Kaikohe bounced back from the bye week with an enthralling 118-0 win over Horahora on Wednesday evening. After the lose in round 2 in Ahipara, Kaikohe came out strong and didn’t let up. The Forwards were dominant but evenly matched by Horahora for the majority of the game, the big difference came in the backline where the youthful players off Kaikohe really began to shine. Tyler Nankivell is showing great skills and game management from 10 and came away with 16 points on the night. Manaia Webb continued her try scoring feat dotting down for five tries, as did Leilani Erwin while blind side Mia Anderson came away from the game with four tries and a couple of conversions.

This weekend the North vs South Women’s game will be the feature game at 245pm on Saturday at the Johnny Isaacs Memorial Trophy at Horahora RFC.

Check out the Northland Women's Rugby Facebook page for more women's rugby!

Photography credit: Brenna Maxwell Photography

Article added: Friday 31 May 2019