Heartland Championship - news

[Stargazer]

Two Queen's Birthday matches have been announced. There may be more.

• Ngati Porou East Coast v Poverty Bay - Saturday 5 June 2021, k/o 2pm, Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
• Wairarapa Bush v Hawke's Bay Saracens - Monday 7 June 2021, k/o 2pm, Memorial Park, Masterton

The three Heartland provinces have announced their Queen's Birthday squads (to be reduced to a matchday squad):

[mikey07]

@stargazer I notice Guildfords in the bush squad

[Machpants]

You know your old when the coaches were in your year at college

[Stargazer]

@mikey07 Yes, he's back playing for Greytown, the old club and province his dad and uncle played for. Zac also played for Greytown and Wai-Bush in 2016.

[mikey07]

@stargazer yeah I know I remember watching him on main freight rugby.

[Higgins]

I notice Tolo Fahamokioa who has had runs for both Hawkes Bay and Wellington is down amongst the unavailable list for Bush.

[mikey07]

@higgins I saw that aswell well his stocks have fallen.

[Higgins]

@mikey07 He also turned out for Waikato last season as well so perhaps going to the Bush is not such a large falling of stocks as first appears!

[mikey07]

@higgins or maybe he’s working his way around the country to have a stockpile of jerseys 😂

[Stargazer]

@higgins Fahamokioa is also playing for Greytown, like Guildford.

[Yeetyaah]

Poor form signing Guildford again. I believe people deserve second chances and can change but his behaviour hasn't.

[Stargazer]

@yeetyaah You can also look at this from another angle. He has been doing really good work for the community (mental health & suicide prevention), esp for Maori men. Playing for Wai-Bush is another way for him to give back to the community he's part of. He's still a good player and he'll be good for the team. They'll be getting more out of this, than he does.

[Yeetyaah]

@stargazer cool and I'm glad to see that. But rugby obviously isn't doing favours for his mental health. He's had chances and wasted them. No way he deserves to represent a region in rugby.

[Stargazer]

@yeetyaah I think it's wrong to discus someone's personal mental health problems on this forum, so I won't respond to that, but I think the people at Wai-Bush will be at a better position to judge whether he deserves to represent them, than we do.

[Yeetyaah]

@stargazer what else is a forum for? We discuss everything else. But sure, I'll leave it.

[Stargazer]

The Heartland Championship draw has been released.

Media release: https://www.provincial.rugby/news/action-packed-rugby-schedule-ahead-with-2021-domestic-rugby-draws-announced-today-3/

Draw: https://www.provincial.rugby/assets/Heartland-Championship-Draw-202191.pdf

There's a double header on Sat 21 August, when the Thames Valley v Mid Canterbury bame is played at FMG Stadium Waikato before the Waikato v Taranaki game.

[Stargazer]

Saturday 5 June 2021 - 1pm - Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru
(insta) North Otago v King Country

Saturday 5 June 2021 - 2pm - Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
(FB) Ngati Porou East Coast v Poverty Bay (insta)

Monday 7 June 2021 - 2pm - Memorial Park, Masterton
(FB) Wairarapa Bush v Hawke's Bay Saracens

Has anyone be able to find a livestream?

[Stargazer]

Found it:

NPEC v Poverty Bay

https://fb.watch/5WDQlZ5PCJ/

same: https://www.facebook.com/RadioNgatiPorou/videos/772009330144590

[Stargazer]

Too bad for Ngati Porou East Coast that this wasn't a competition game, because it would have ended their long losing streak. They beat Poverty Bay 28 - 19 (HT: 23 - 14). I only saw part of the game, but NMS scored at least one try.

In the other game, North Otago was too strong for King Country: 27 -19 (HT: 19 - 14).

[Stargazer]