Whanganui club rugby: Undefeated Marist and Rātana clash in women's showdown

NZ Herald

08-05-2025

In the earlier matchup, Rātana fullback Carrie Rennie had a massive game with four tries and three conversions for a 26-point haul, while first-five Armani Martin scored 19 points from a try and seven conversions.
Doubles came from flanker Te Amorangi Karaitiana and winger Lee Arna Nepia.
However, there was a cheer for the Queenbeez' first points of the campaign, with winger Farren Rowe scoring a try.
It sets up a big Saturday for the Queenbeez, who have their best chance of an inaugural win in the competition when they host the newcomers Heidi Macaulay Realty Bulls, who will be looking to do the same.
Bulls lost last week at Memorial Park to defending champions Byfords Construction Taihape 48-10, with Taihape's former Black Fern Ruth McKay scoring two tries at hooker.
Marist had to play Hunterville without their inspirational prop Lavenia Nauga-Grey, who joined club-mate Talawadua in becoming a fully-fledged international player.
Nauga-Grey came off the bench for the Fijiana in their test match against Australia in Suva on Saturday, with the Wallaroos winning their first-ever game in Fiji, 43-7.
Draw
May 8: Marist vs Rātana, Cooks Gardens, 6.30pm
May 9: Marton vs Bulls, Marton Park, 1pm. Hunterville def to Taihape.
Senior competition
They can be the Jekyll and Hyde team of Tasman Tanning Senior, but when the crew of Seales Winslow Pirates are on song, you underestimate them at your peril.
Beaten seventh-placed quarter-finalists last year by eventual champions Utiku Old Boys, Pirates got payback on that game in the opening round this season, shocking their hosts 20-17 at Memorial Park.
Expectations had to be tempered in Week 2 after a heavy 53-12 loss at Spriggens Park to contenders McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu, but the team righted themselves last weekend with a 29-12 away win over Border at Dallison Park.
It sets up a big clash on Saturday for the Whanganui Challenge Shield with holders McCrea Scanning Counties.
'That Border game was a bit scrappy, just because we had a few new boys playing, we just gave them a run and it got a bit messy,' said Pirates coach Matt Davis.
'But this week, we'll put our best team on the field because Counties look like they're a pretty good team.
'We've got a couple of cups on the line – we've got a local one that's played between Counties and Pirates that we play for every year.'
Like last year, Pirates will look to bring in some noteworthy Fijian talent, but currently two of them are hurt among other regulars having to sit out.
'We haven't really had the same team every week, we've got a couple of injuries to key players at the moment,' said Davis.
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'We're sort of down on the Fijian [numbers of] boys – they're still out of town, but we're getting good numbers – it's just those injuries are hurting us at the moment.
'We're still trying to play that flair style, but it's just a bit hard at the moment, we don't really have the cattle to do it, but we're still trying.'
Eager to get their hands on the Shield, Pirates want to set themselves up to become a Top 4 team and earn a home quarterfinal.
They are skippered once again by hooker Josh Callaghan, while young flanker Tatara Cook continues to impress.
Prop Uriah Toru has scored two tries, while backing up the front row on the bench is the evergreen war horse Brett Turner, 24 caps for Steelform Whanganui and a Meads Cup winner.
1pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change):
May 9: Hunterville vs Ruapehu, Memorial Park (7pm)