2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby
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@Stargazer Yeah, that's her. Apart from watching a lot of the Championship Final won by my ladies against Clive I had not seen any of the ladies rugby (the kick of times/venues not fitting in with my schedule) so was not aware of my favourite player's re-appearance.
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In addition to the Magpies and Tui wtgs playing a preseason game tomorrow (as posted in the Magpies thread), the Central Hawke's Bay sub union also plays a preseason game against Wairarapa Bush for the Stu Smith Memorial Cup. Kick-off is at 2.00pm at Central Park, Waipukurau.
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@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
The Tui play another preseason game, this Saturday (24 June 2023), against Manawatū. I think it's in Waipukurau.
I had totally forgotten about this game; no wonder, with the HBRU not informing us about any of the preseason games thus far. And you guessed it (or not), the Hawke's Bay XV team also played another preseason game against Manawatū. I'll post the relevant bits about that game in the Magpies thread.
The full time score of the women's game is a bit of a mystery. On the Manawatū Rugby Facebook page it says that the final score was 29-19 in favour of the Tui. According to the article below, the Tui won 40 - 0 (HT: 26 - 0).
Coaches were philosophical with regard to the weather turning wintery last month during the men’s and women’s senior rugby trials.
“It’ll be good experience playing in the wet” was their response, as a cold wet southerly swept Dannevirke just as the wāhines’ game started at Rugby Park.
That experience will help during the national competition, to start this month.
There was keen interest from Tararua District in the Manawatū Wahine Development Squad as 11 of the 23-strong squad came from Bush and Wairarapa Wahine Toa teams.
From Bush were Jessica Bills, Katelyn Donaldson, Ruby-May Ngaruhe, Martha Broughton, Samantha Olsen, Kaia Walker-Waitoa and Claudia Smith.
Wairarapa Wahine Toa fielded Anna Meek, Missy Williams, Annemieke van Vliet and Xanthe Somerville.
Unfortunately for Manawatū, they started into the strong wind and Hawke’s Bay capitalised, scoring two tries in the first 10 minutes.
One try was the first of three by prop Ashley Palu, who also created two try-assists. She had recently played for the South Island Matatu team and was relatively fresh from the Skye Super Rugby Aupiki competition, in which her team won the final.
The game was played with great pace, a wet ball causing a few passes to go to ground, but the power of a big pack, good tactical kicking with the wind and slick wingers had Hawke’s Bay up 26-0 at halftime.
Manawatū turned with the wind and, after conceding a try early on the game, became a good even contest. This was a trial for players on both teams and there was plenty of determination, skill and talent on both sides – plenty to work with, in the words of both coaches.
A try in the last minute to Hawke’s Bay made the final score 40-0, which in no way was a fair reflection of play, especially in the second half.
Hawke's Bay and Manawatū rugby trials entertain crowd
The cold weather provided a good test for rugby trials.
Edit: I did some more digging and on the Manawatū website both teams are described as development teams. It's confusing, because the article in the HBT says that Ashley Palu played for the team on Saturday and she has several FPC seasons under her belt, as well as two seasons with Matatu. The HBT may be wrong though, because one of the photos in the article has a caption that suggests the prop in the photo is Ashley Palu, but that's definitely not her.
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@Stargazer Is there any local Dannevirke free community newspaper as they may have a report?
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The Hawke's Bay U19 team has been named. Not surprised to see two Magpies in this team, Tom Allen and Patrick Tuifua, as they're both in their first year out of school.
Some good players in the squad, this year, and a fair bit of length in the second row, with both Alllen twins named.
Other players to keep an eye on are halfback Kade Manuel, first fives Jordan Soli and Kobe Deacon, winger Bryson Pakoti-Crawfored (Hurricanes U20) and some frontrow power in Newlands, Fonohema and Tevita. Not sure where Kingshouse Tupuola playes these days; at school, he played both at hooker and at number 8.
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Team to play Auckland tomorrow at Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park (12.05pm).
Some familiar names, some new.
Teilah Ferguson's mum is back in the Tui squad. IIRC, in Teilah's debut year for the Tui, Julie played as well. Now that Teilah's back in the Bay, her mum is back in the squad as well.The player in the 23 jersey wasn't in the FPC squad named earlier. She looks incredibly young on the Tui squad page, so maybe they were still waiting to get dispensation from NZR (required for 16-year-olds). The same applies to a few other added players.
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@Stargazer Disappointed to see my favourite Number 26 has not made the matchday 23.
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From the Hawke's Bay Māori Rugby - Te Matau a Māui FB page:
Very pleased to announce the 2023 Te Matau a Maui Tane squad, with their first game against Wairoa Sub-Union at Lambton Square, Wairoa on Saturday 29th July, 2.30pm kick-off. Congratulations to all players on your selection.
Coaches:
Murdoch Paewai, Mutu Ngarimu, Albe Baker, Andre Taurerewa.
Physio: Blake Taylor
Manager: Tom Blake
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I don't recall seeing Hisamitsu Shimada, Yuhei Sugiyama and Ryo Kikkawa during my stay up in the Bay and I saw all teams play bar MAC, Pirates and Havelock. Does anyone know anything about these guys? Come to think of it Bear WIlliams is also an unknown name to me.
Looks to be a touch short in the locking department, at least in numbers. -
@Higgins Those Japanese players must be here on some special arrangement. Many provinces have Japanese players on some kind of development contract. All three are players from Japanese League One clubs: Hisamitsu Shimada from Red Hurricanes Osaka, Yuhei Sugiyama from Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Ryo Kikkawa from [Hino Red Dolphins](Ryo Kikkawa). It's a weird one, because they're not even that young. I hope they're just added to the squad and don't take the place of a local player, but it's possible that the player movement isn't in one direction only. Maybe some Hawke's Bay players will get an opportunity at the respective clubs in Japan?
Bear Williams last played for Cornish Pirates. If you click that link, you'll also see the name of Shae Tucker, a Napier lad who played one game for the Magpies in 2018, which I can't remember at all. He played 4 seasons for Cornish Pirates. Maybe Tucker is responsible for Williams ending up here for some kind of OE?
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Sugiyama and Kikkawa played for Pirates this year, Shimada played for Clive and Williams for NOB Marist.
Brandon Televave (MAC) also appeared for Moana Pasifika U20 earlier this year and, interestingly, Semi Vodosese has also been named in this year's Whanganui's 37-man initial Heartland squad.
Another to play in HB club rugby this year - Konradd Newland (Pirates) - has also been named in that initial Whanganui squad.
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@Number-10 It doesn't surprise me that they have played club rugby here, too. It's a similar scenario to that in Southland, except that there Japanese players actually made their NPC squad. I saw Newland being named in the Whanganui wtg squad. Ezra Malo not going back to Whanganui, this year?
Mefi Tupou has been named in the Otago Development squad, I think. It looks like the Highlanders want to keep him in the system there?
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For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
