Pirates-Old Boys dominate, into final
Pirates-Old Boys beat Marist 56-26 last weekend on centrestage at Rugby Park.
POB were the minor premiership winners, and started warm favourites after comfortably beating Marist the previous weekend in the last round-robin match.
POB scored the first converted try to right wing Sam McLachlan before Marist drew level after 10 minutes.
They scored the next two tries when second five-eighth Napo Seru charged the ball up from 10 metres out from the line and create the line break and momentum for flanker Kosei Miki to "pick and go" over the line. A few minutes later POB spread the ball wide to left wing Sam Wheely to score in the corner.
Marist did well to score the next two tries to close the gap to 21-19, but five minutes before halftime, the competition's best centre Jaye Thompson broke the line and committed the cover defenders before off-loading to wing Isaac Rounds to put POB ahead 28-19.
Six minutes into the second half, POB made a break down the terrace side and Thompson followed up the inside to score under the posts.
Fullback Kaea Nikora finished off what was an excellent POB team build-up that included bursts from most of their key ball-runners. Sixteen minutes into the second half POB pushed Marist off their own scrum-feed and moved the ball quickly to Thompson on the left edge to coast to the line for his second try.
Things were looking dire at this stage for Marist but they did manage to score a try under the posts to make it 49-26 with 20 minutes remaining.
Replacement outside back Nick Munro scored in the corner with his first touch of the ball to round out the point scoring for the victors.
Woodlands beat the Eastern Northern Barbarians 15-5 in the semifinal at Oreti Park.
Woodlands finished the round-robin in second position and had earned home ground advantage but took the match out to the firmer sand-based surface at Oreti Park.
The Barbarians showed plenty of determination and passion as they have done all season, but losing openside flanker Leroy Ferguson to injury after 15 minutes and fullback Taylor Peterson just after halftime were a couple setbacks to their cause.
Barbarians coach AJ Aitken said the game was a real battle of attrition.
"We felt in control for most of the first half but when Woodlands got their opportunities they just pushed us so far back into our own territory that it was too hard to get out of."
Aitken said the Woodlands game-drivers were clinical in the second half.
"Liam Howley come on and together with Marty McKenzie and Fletcher Morgan they just ran a masterclass."
Aitken was pretty happy with the season's efforts.
"This was the first year with our new set up and I'm proud of the group. After we lost a few games on the trot, there were a lot of people who didn't think we would make it to the semifinals. We'll have a few beers today (Sunday) and after a few weeks off we'll start thinking about next season."
In division one action last Saturday, Pioneer beat the Riversdale Waikaka Vikings 28-25 in front of big crowd on sponsors day at Newman Park.
The Vikings looked good with the ball in-hand and outscored Pioneer three tries to two, but poor discipline let the Vikings down. Pioneer kicked their penalty goals to take the win and the Dwyer Cup after leading 16-15 at halftime.
Highlanders loose forward Hayden Michaels donned the Pioneer jersey for the first time in five years. He only managed seven minutes on the park before Ryan Davers came on as his replacement and delivered an outstanding performance — winning several crucial turnovers that swung momentum in Pioneer's favour.
Riley Smith slotted into the fullback role seamlessly and kicked well under pressure to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Pioneer's hooker Kerry Power was man of the match, while blindside Sam Calder also stood out. Pioneer had three sets of brothers on the field; Eugene and Joe Gillies, Jordy and Riley Smith Josh and Ryan Davers.
Gavin Hickey, playing for the president's grade team in the curtain raiser match made his 100th appearance in Pioneer colours. The milestone was made more memorable for Hickey as he was sharing the field with his three sons.
Second five-eighth Flynn Reed was best of the Vikings with try scoring wing Jacob French and centre Hayden Stephen also impressing on the day.
Edendale beat Albion 50-14 at the Showgrounds. Albion got out to a 14-point lead before the experienced heads of halfback Jahvis Wallace and Jeremy McLeod sparked Edendale into action and the visitors went into halftime leading 21-14.
Edendale scored some great tries in the second half, including two tries to man of the match Jahvis Wallace. Midfielder Jeremy McLeod is peaking at the right end of the season, while Logan van der Straaten had a solid game at centre while creating scoring opportunities for the backline. Adam Muir got through a mountain of work in the tight exchanges and lock George Muschamp was again at his best.
Wyndham beat Bluff 26-15 after leading 17-10 at halftime. Blindside flanker Jaden Walsh was the top performer on the day for the locals, with prop Oliver Woodrow and halfback Noah Sutton also playing high-quality games.
On an all-too-rare occasion, Wyndham and Bluff presidents' grade teams also played each other in the curtainraiser match, lifting the supporter numbers for both clubs on the day.
Tokanui had the weekend off and will head to Riversdale this Saturday to play the Vikings. Edendale hold second spot on the competition ladder and host a Pioneer team that has also secured a semifinal spot for the following week.
Albion will head down to Bluff for their last game of the year, while the minor premiership winners Wyndham will travel to Te Anau.
By John Langford
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NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
Gisborne kayaking, surf lifesaving great Liz Thompson stepping back
'We had an adults' group under way. We lost some of the equipment they were using in Cyclone Gabrielle but they are growing again ... I'll enjoy paddling with them.' Thompson is president of Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club – the first woman to hold that position – and is the first and so far only woman to be made a life member of the club. In his book, A Shade of Blue – A Touch of Gold, on the history of Waikanae SLSC from 1950 to 2000, Dick Glover reflected on candidates for the unofficial title of Waikanae 'Lifesaver of the Century'. In his opinion, five members stood out. 'There is really only one candidate for the women's title and that must be Liz Thompson, nee Blencowe,' Glover wrote. 'Liz's phenomenal record was that, since the inception of women's ski racing at national level, she was placed either first or second in a ski event in every one of the 15 seasons between 1983 and 1998. 'When her results in surf swims and leading role in R & R [rescue and resuscitation] are taken into consideration, she won 14 New Zealand titles and was placed second or third in 24 other events. 'Add to that her encouragement and coaching of young women competitors on top of personal training, a career as a policewoman promoted to sergeant and the onset of motherhood in the mid-90s. The mind boggles at how Liz could juggle so many facets in her life and remain a top competitor.' The other four in Glover's shortlist were Bruce Adams, Grant Bramwell, Alan Thompson and Barry McLean, with McLean getting the author's nod as Waikanae 'Lifeguard of the Century'. Liz Blencowe married Alan Thompson in 1991. Outspoken and driven, Olympic double gold-medallist Thompson could be a handful for officialdom, but Blencowe was a world-class athlete in her own right and they met on equal terms. Working together and separately as required, they built on solid foundations to establish Poverty Bay Kayak Club as a force in New Zealand canoeing. They met before the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when New Zealand canoeists competed in the Australian national championships. Alan Thompson was one of three Kiwi canoeists who competed in the Moscow Games (team coach was Gisborne's John Grant ... he and Thompson adapted running coach Arthur Lydiard's training methods to canoeing). Blencowe had been nominated for the Australian team by her sport – Australia competed in the boycott-affected Games under the Olympic flag – but she did not make the Olympic committee's selection. Their paths crossed again in 1982 at international regattas in the lead-up to the world championships. While European athletes went home between regattas, the New Zealanders, Australians and North Americans hung around the venues, because home was too far away. 'We got to know quite a few of them,' she said. 'I came to Gisborne at the end of '82. I had got to know Alan and the rest of the group. Not a lot was happening in the way of squad for me to train with in Melbourne [her base at the time]. I wanted a fresh outlook. I could have gone to Hungary, but I didn't speak the language, and getting into Hungary was a bit iffy at the time.' It came down to Canada or New Zealand, and Alan was a 'big factor' in her choice to come to Gisborne. Liz Thompson has her game face on, racing for Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club in a surf ski event during her competitive heyday. She returned to Australia for the selection trials for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was the only woman picked to paddle for Australia at the Games. Women competing in individual events then had only a 500m race in Olympic kayak sprint racing and Liz finished eighth in the final. Back in Gisborne, Alan was keen to have Liz as part of a women's programme. 'He brought in Blair Campbell as coach and recruited three ski paddlers from Ōtaki,' Liz said. 'I had to teach them how to paddle a kayak. 'The boys had done really well. Brian Wilson and Benny Hutchings were the coaches, and Grant [Bramwell], Alan [Thompson] and Robbie Jenkinson were among the paddlers training together. 'Kayak club members used to train from Bill De Costa's section at the end of Fitzherbert St. The woman next door used to let us use her hose to wash the mud off. 'Then the Kiwanis club got behind us and built a clubhouse at Anzac Park. It was opened in 1985. When the girls from Ōtaki arrived, we had changing rooms and hot showers ... amazing facilities.' Kayaking and surf lifesaving co-existed in Liz and Alan's sporting world from 1983 to 2000, with coaching taking a steadily increasing share of their time. From featuring in the lifesaving medal tallies primarily as an individual competitor, Liz Thompson partnered up-and-coming athletes in the double ski, winning nationals gold with Jackie Callahan twice and Leigh Webster three times, and silver with Kristen Glover twice. The first double ski win with Webster, in 1995, came early in Thompson's pregnancy with daughter Kim, and the third, in 1998, came when son Quaid was 5 weeks old. At the latter carnival, Thompson was also a member of silver-medal-winning teams in the women's taplin relay and women's six-place. She gained particular satisfaction from coaching Rachel Beale in the lead-up to her victory in the women's under-19 surf ski in the national champs at Ōakura in 2000, and being handler for Webster when she won the women's ironperson race in the nationals at Gisborne's Midway Beach in 2001. And apart from a few years off when her children were small, she's done her bit on beach patrols. Thompson was born in Mackay, North Queensland, on January 10, 1961. The family lived further south, in a town called Sarina, which didn't have a hospital. A brother, David, is three years older. Their father Lou worked for Kraft Foods and was in Queensland 'for something to do with Vegemite'. Mother Pat was a swimming coach and physical education teacher. When Thompson was 2, the family headed back to Melbourne, her parents' hometown. Pat Blencowe used fun and familiarity in her swimming lessons. She let children get familiar with the water by playing in it and when she introduced them to swimming, it was breaststroke first. In her own swim coaching for Waikanae SLSC, Thompson adopted her mother's approach and didn't teach freestyle until her charges had mastered the 'lifesaving breaststroke'. When Quaid was 7, and about to compete in a breaststroke race, Thompson explained the stroke in terms she had used teaching it to him: 'Open-the-curtains arms and squash-mosquito legs'. Quaid duly won the race. As a youngster, Thompson had followed her brother into whitewater kayaking and soon added slalom and sprint versions of the sport. In 1981, she competed in the world championships of all three disciplines but eventually concentrated on sprint races. She had coached in one discipline or another from the late 1980s, but after a break when the children were young, she got back into kayak coaching after daughter Kim and a few friends became interested and helped development coach Agi Szabo. When Szabo left, Thompson stepped up. 'You have to help them to enjoy what they're doing, or they won't keep coming back,' she said. 'From the outset, you want to teach the basics of good technique. 'A big thing is having a peer group. If you get a good group coming through a holiday programme and some stay on and join the club, it's a lot easier if they have mates down there. It's more fun. 'If I'm running a programme for youngsters getting into paddling, I want to see the kids who haven't found their 'thing' yet. A lot of 12-year-olds just love getting out on the river, love the fact that they're quite good at it. You can teach them the rest. 'Every kid who has done a season or two has got something out of it, learnt about themselves, about co-operating as a team, about self-discipline. Even if they don't continue, they have learnt something. It is not wasted effort. You have done something for that kid.' Thompson was inducted into the Surf Life Saving New Zealand Sport Hall of Fame in 2016, along with – among others – Cory Hutchings and sometime Waikanae competitor Anna Ballara. Alan Thompson had been inducted in 1995. In February this year, Liz Thompson was announced as one of four 2024 recipients of the Canoe Racing New Zealand Outstanding Service Award recognising outstanding contribution at club, regional or national level over at least 10 years of service to the sport.
Otago Daily Times
24-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Start date for upgrades to stadium set
Showing off the potential look of the Aorangi Stadium courts after redevelopment are (from left) project director Paul Haggath, Thompson Construction and Engineering contracts manager Emily Hill-Pitt and deputy mayor Scott Shannon. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The ball is rolling as preparatory work has begun on the $24.2million Aorangi Stadium redevelopment project. The redevelopment of the facility in Morgans Rd is aiming to deliver a strengthened existing stadium, a new stadium and a link building with a gym and function room. Civil works and utility diversions were now under way, with the upgrade to the existing stadium expected to begin in October. Work on the new part of the stadium would begin January, 2026 while the entire project was predicted to be completed by mid-2027. In a statement, deputy mayor Scott Shannon welcomed the start of works. Having worked through the development phases, it was exciting that the project was moving on site, he said. "This is a major investment in our community and will bring modern and high-quality facilities for our local sports codes, as well as proving the capacity to hold regional and national scale tournaments. "We're also pleased that the design chosen enables us to continue to have a venue for large scale events and conventions, while still enabling sport to take place. "Once complete, Aorangi Stadium will be a cornerstone of sport and recreation in our district for generations to come." The development was being designed and built by Timaru-based company Thompson Construction and Engineering. Thompson's contracts manager Emily Hill-Pitt said that the company was looking forward to starting the construction phase of such a major community project. "We are honoured to be working with the Timaru District Council and ultimately for our community on this project. "As members of the community ourselves, our team and local subcontractors take great pride in contributing to a facility they'll also enjoy and benefit from." — APL
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Woodlands premier grade champs
Woodlands was crowned the 2025 Southland premier grade club rugby champions on Saturday after winning the Galbraith Shield final at Rugby Park. Woodlands beat Pirates Old Boys 40-30 in an entertaining match. Pirates were the minor premiership winners and started the game as slight favourites but Woodlands were confident. Coach Richard Jones said it was a pretty special win. "It was pretty gritty. We were confident within our group, nice and relaxed during the week with a good vibe. We knew we were strong." Woodlands first five-eighth Marty McKenzie was the most impactful player in the opening 15 minutes, organising the attack before he showed his silky skills to glide through the defence to score his team's first points. With Woodlands leading 19-17 at halftime, most pundits favoured Pirates to go on to win with the wind behind them but Jones had a different opinion. "Pirates are a strong side. They threw a heap at us but we knew if we worked hard, kept reloading and bringing the ball back into the wind then we can score points." Jones labelled the individual performances from prop Paula Latu, No 8 Ethan McDonald and halfback Liam Howley as massive. "Our young forwards Riley Smith, Alex Yallop and Caleb Karangaroa were also great." Reid Murray has played in the club's B team most of the season but he did a good job on the wing, as did regular loose forward Justin Shaw on the other side. Jones had praise for the solid players in the team. "Guys like Jahn Stodart and Drew Carter have been the guts of our team each week. "It's been a great group of guys to work with, a really enjoyable season." Pirates have been the most consistent side during the last five years under the guidance of coach Dayna Cunningham and deserved another competition win but their execution was not quite where it needed to be on Saturday. Their cause was not helped by fullback Kaea Nikora going off in the first half with a leg injury. Albion lost 31-30 to Bluff down at the port-side town in the last round-robin games of the division one club rugby competition on Saturday. This was a tough, physical contest and an exciting match to finish the season. The Albion players put in all of their effort but the result did not go their way and they were dropped into fifth on the points table by Bluff. Albion won five of their 14 matches in division one this year. The team and club had plenty of performances to be proud of and are grateful to all of their supporters. Edendale beat Pioneer 43-21 at Edendale. Lock Matt Ward was man of the match, while No 8 Cole Williams was another player to stand out, and first five-eighth Bram Fodie deserved to score his try, which was one of six for on the day for the Magpies. Utility back Josh Davers defended well for Pioneer, while Jayk Kirby and Braiden Patterson were also good for the visitors. The Magpies finished the round robin with 10 wins from 14 games and secured second position on the ladder behind Wyndham and will host a semifinal this Saturday against the Riversdale Waikaka Vikings. Wyndham beat Te Anau 46-5 in Te Anau after leading 22-0 at halftime. Blindside flanker Nathan Bee was man of the match, while right wing Luke Bryson impressed throughout the game and scored two of Wyndham's eight tries. Prop Kirk Given is also in good form leading in to this week's semifinal against Pioneer. Riversdale Waikaka Vikings beat Tokanui 39-22 in Riversdale on Saturday. Tokanui have won three of their 13 games and are scheduled to play Te Anau this Saturday in a catchup game from the regular season. By John Langford
