Rugby: Heartland warm-up for Ngāti Porou East Coast in Napier tomorrow
The Sky Blues, once again coached by 2003 Kaupoi and 82-game Poverty Bay player Kahu Tamatea, face Central Hawke's Bay on Tremain Field from 2pm.
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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Rugby: Heartland warm-up for Ngāti Porou East Coast in Napier tomorrow
Fresh from the naming of their 2025 Heartland Championship squad this week, Ngāti Porou East Coast will blow out the cobwebs in Napier on Saturday. The Sky Blues, once again coached by 2003 Kaupoi and 82-game Poverty Bay player Kahu Tamatea, face Central Hawke's Bay on Tremain Field from 2pm.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
History-making King of the Coast win to William Brown at Tolaga Bay
Brown, the Queenstown-based former Poverty Bay head greenkeeper, turned Sunday into 'a day of best'. Having admitted to being 'a bit rough' on the Saturday in beating Kawerau's T.K. Whata 5 and 4 in round one and Auckland-based Waikohu member David Solomann on the first extra hole in the afternoon quarter-finals, after 'Solly' had birdied the 18th, Brown flicked the switch on Sunday. He needed to. His semifinal opponent was Marcus Lloyd, a quality left-hander and New Zealand Māori Golf stalwart from Bay of Plenty's Springfield course. Brown saw off Lloyd 2 and 1 in what turned into a history-repeating day in several ways. Last year, Brown also beat Lloyd in the semis – on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff – and just like 2024, it set up an all-Brown final against good mate Hukanui Brown. Patutahi's Brown – the KotC champion in 2019 – saw off Poverty Bay's Tony Akroyd (sinking a 10m birdie putt on the second extra hole) and Mahia's Wade Wesche to advance to a semifinal against Ōpōtiki's Micky Huriwaka, who in round one played his 15-year-old son Elijah in a tournament for the first time ... and won on the 17th. Huriwaka was 2-up with two holes to play, only for Brown to birdie the 17th and par the 18th to take it to extra holes, eventually winning on the 20th after Huriwaka three-putted. William Brown turned up the heat in the final of the King of the Coast, winning seven holes in a row to beat Hukanui Brown on the 12th hole. Photo / Paul Rickard Heading into the final, William Brown was well aware he was a victory away from exclusivity. He won the first two holes against his fellow Tairāwhiti representative, then Hukanui got one back, but that hint of a comeback was obliterated from the sixth hole on. William Brown won seven holes on the trot, four of those with birdies, in a Mike Tyson-like blitz that not only underlined his sovereignty over the KotC, but stamped an exclamation point on it. 'The second day was a whole lot different,' he said, estimating he was 5-under over the two rounds. Brown has great respect for golfing history and was elated to have made his own. He plans to add to it too, although the Poverty Bay Open in September could be his only chance for the rest of 2025. A greenkeeper at the Jack's Point course (he plays pennants golf for Cromwell), Brown is set to move into an irrigation technician role. With that is the opportunity to go to the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. Unfortunately, that is the same week as the men's national Interprovincial, which Brown has competed at for Poverty Bay-East Coast and now Tairāwhiti for 16 consecutive years. This year would have seen him join an elite club of players to have clocked up 100 national Interprovincial matches. Brown is confirmed for the P.B. Open, but is unlikely to make the East Coast Open at Te Puia Hot Springs in November due to work. In other results from the KotC, Regan Hindmarsh (Patutahi) won the Cook Handicap second 16; B.J. Sidney (Tolaga Bay) the Ūawa Handicap third 16; and Max Ratana (Kawerau) the Hauiti Handicap fourth 16. The tournament was played in perfect weather on a course that received high praise from everyone, including the champion. Brown said it was 'the best I've seen it in my time'. Meanwhile, two of the players in the tournament will be shifting their focus to Heartland rugby. Huriwaka and Sidney were this week named in the Ngāti Porou East Coast squad for the Heartland Championship, which starts on August 16. The NPEC squad also features loan player Sheridan Rangihuna, who played national interprovincial golf for Poverty Bay-East Coast in 2011.
Otago Daily Times
23-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Players from Japan, Dunedin in Herden's Old Golds mix
Kenta Iemura, pictured in action during the Town v Country game at Maheno on Saturday, is a newcomer in the North Otago squad. Photo: Masi Photography Some old, some new, some borrowed, some Blue Revs. New North Otago coach Luke Herden has spread the net widely to name his first Heartland Championship squad. Herden has named a bumper 35-strong squad containing four Japanese players, a handful of potential loan players from Dunedin and some intriguing newcomers from the local ranks. Significantly, he and assistant coaches Kilifi Fangupo and Ralph Darling will welcome back seasoned forwards Hayden Tisdall, Kelepi Funaki and Junior Fakatoufifita, all of whom are proven Heartland performers and were sorely missed last year, when the Old Golds broke a record 25-year streak and missed the playoffs. "They're X-factor players," Herden said. "They also do a lot of the gruntwork and give us a lot of go-forward, and they've also got a lot of experience. "Tizzy's just a workhorse, Kelepi could play at a higher level, and Junior as well. When we get them going, they'll be very good." The newcomer with the highest pedigree is Danny Tusitala. The 33-year-old halfback has played five tests for Samoa and has extensive NPC and Major League Rugby experience. Another feature of the squad is the selection of front-rower Gaku Shimizu and versatile back Kippei Taninaka, who played for Valley this year, and inside backs Kodai Okazaki and Kenta Iemura, who spent time in Dunedin with the Harbour club. The Valley link is from coach Barry Matthews' relationship with former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, now guiding Toyota Verblitz, while the Harbour players hail from Shizuoka Blue Revs (Yamaha), where former Old Golds trainer Adam Keen now works. Iemura and Okazaki, in particular, will be keenly monitored, as last year's regular 9-10 combination, Jake Matthews (shoulder surgery) and Greg Dyer (Southland), are absent. "They've got a great skillset, and a very quick catch-pass, things that will benefit our squad and how we want to play," Herden said. North Otago have suffered in recent years from not being able to find some stability with their loan players. They largely looked outside Dunedin in 2024 but Herden, a Dunedin teacher who is immersed in the local rugby scene, is confident two Zingari-Richmond players, flanker Flavius Roberts-Vili and centre Ben Fakava, and University prop Steve Salelea will provide good value. "I think it's important, when we get loan players, that they understand their role and are committed to North Otago. "In the past, we might get a player in for a couple of weeks and then Otago might want them back and we have to start again. "We're looking for players on the pathway to playing for Otago, and our goal is to develop them and have them hit the ground running." All-rounder Ben McCarthy returns to the squad, but the St Kevin's old boy is no longer listed as a player of origin. That system has been dismantled and Heartland squads will now be allowed a maximum of four loan players — previously three plus an origin player — in their match-day squad. Interesting newcomers from Citizens Shield rugby include Kurow forward Mitch Morton, Valley flanker Robbie Lailvaux and Athletic Marist lock Asaeli Ngahe, while Maheno first five Lachie Kingan returns to the Old Golds after a long absence. Experienced loose forward Cameron Rowland, a co-captain with Mat Duff last year, is being looked at as an option at hooker. New father Duff has made himself unavailable, while the other major loss from last year is classy centre Hayden Todd. The Old Golds have one preseason game, against Otago Country in Wānaka, before their Heartland opener in Whanganui on August 16. North Otago Heartland squad Forwards: Cam Rowland, Hayden Tisdall, Gaku Shimizu, Jake Greenslade, Kelepi Funaki, Mateo Qolisese, Paea Pala, Steve Salelea, Temesia Bolavucu, Anthony Docherty, Asaeli Ngahe, Epineri Logavatu, Apenisa Tuiba, Faran Poasa, Mitch Morton, Flavius Roberts-Vili, Junior Fakatoufifita, Robbie Lailvaux, Sailosi Vea, Savenaca Rabaka. Backs: Danny Tusitala, Kippei Taninaka, Kodai Okazaki, Seru Cavuilati, Isaac Clunie, Kenta Iemura, Lachie Kingan, Ben Fakava, Matia Qiolevu, Posiano Kamoto, Tini Feke, Ben McCarthy, Ben Paton, Hopoate Finau, Seva Druma.
