2021 Hawke's Bay club rugby
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@stargazer Pretty easy to see who is leading the points table, even if only on points differential. Long may it stay that way although the next two games are against the Doolies (away in a cross over match) and then home to Taradale. Something tells me that my guys will be doing well to still be undefeated after three games might be something that might be about as hard as winning a Powerball Jackpot (even if the ticket comes from Stortford Lodge Pharmacy)
Incidentally the Draws page shows only the nine teams entered in the Colts Grade, down from the earlier reported eleven. Those listed are Defending Champion Tech Old Boys, Pirates, Taradale, Clive, Central HB, Aotea, Hastings and Onga Tiko.
EDIT: Upon rechecking this morning one team seems to have disappeared (unless I miscounted in the first place!) -
@stargazer how long has MAC been around ..?
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@steven-harris Since 1934.
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@stargazer said in 2021 Hawke's Bay club rugby:
@steven-harris Since 1934.
I think prior to that they competed in the senior comp while still a college too.
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Article about this weekend's club rugby:
Seeing their names, I'm hoping that at least one of Humphrey Sheild (HRS) and Shamara Brooks (Tamatea) step up, this club rugby season. Not sure what Brad Weber's plans are if he misses out on the ABs, but if we're going to miss both him and Fakatava this NPC season, we desperately need a good back-up for McLeod (who himself is a big step down from Fakatava and Weber). I don't rate Rangihuna (Napier Tech). Good thing about Brooks is that he already played alongside McClutchie at Hastings Boys (including in that 2017 Final) and now again for MAC (although the article says that McClutchie played at fullback; I hope he won't play there every game).
I also notice two returnees:
Prop Gene Syminton (Taradale) and 1st five Jayden Falcon (Clive) have returned from Manawatu. I don't think Jayden is as good as Tiaan, but I must admit I haven't seen him play for a few years. -
A player who has transferred to the Hawkes Bay from Auckland this season is Jay Tuivaiti ,younger brother of former North Harbour no 8 Jim who now plays in Italy.
A real athlete at 6”4,plays 6 or 8 equally well,and has brilliant skills in the air and is a devastating ball carrier ..he was on Auckland’s radar 2 x seasons ago and highly rated by some very good rugby people .
I tried to get him up to Northland, but he broke his ankle leading up to the start of the 2019 Mitre 10 cup season and was in rehab throughout most of 2020
He’s one to watch ,not sure which club he has linked up with -
He’s playing for Clive.
I’ll watch him with interest when I watch Clive, who have made a few signings this year.
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@number-10 probably a position the Magpies have covered , but you can never not have enough depth ..he was bought down to the Bay by Mark Ozich through his Waitemata Rugby connections, so that tells me he’s been promised something..Northland offered him a PUDC but he wanted a full contract at the time .
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I came across an article that suggests Kienan Higgins has moved up to Hawkes Bay from Wellington. He’s a good, smart footballer who could make a play for the Magpies squad this year.
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@canes4life Yep, I posted last week in this thread that he's playing for Taradale. We've quite a bit of good midfielders already (incumbent Magpies and Academy), so I expect he'll struggle to get a spot in the Magpies, unless multiple players are leaving or injured. Nevertheless, good luck to him. You never know.
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@stargazer I thought he was an ex St. Pats player so how in the blazes did NOBM miss out on him?
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Another player that has joined Hawke's Bay club rugby from Wellington is Sam Combs, but he's a returnee. He's a Lindisfarne College product who went to Wellington in 2017 to attend Uni and played for OBU. He's a LH prop.
According to the post "School leavers to watch 2021", Treyah Kingi-Taukamo - the former Napier Boys' halfback who was poached by St Kent's - will play for OBU. I think I posted elsewhere already that he had signed with the Wellington Academy (and he would have been in the Hurricanes U20s if he hadn't been injured).
Luke Donaldson (NOBM, not to be confused with the player of the same name from Canterbury) has also moved to Wellington and will play for Marist SP. Not sure, but isn't he from Wellington originally, and just going back?
I haven't been able to discover more Hawke's Bay school leavers ending up in Wellington. Still haven't been able to find out where Jayden Stok has ended up. Did he go to Waikato? Otago? Or did he decide to stay?
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@stargazer Yeah Luke Donaldson was originally from St Pats Town. He was one of the three that moved up to Hawkes Bay after school.
Also on Kienan Higgins, his bro Riley Higgins (Hurricanes Under 20s) will be playing for Petone in Wellington this year so I'd assume older bro pissed off knowing full well little bro might just be a little better.
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@canes4life Luke Donaldson wasn't one of "the three". That was his brother (I think), Zach Donaldson. I just looked it up, because I thought the same thing.
Yeah, I guess Kienan is just trying it in Hawke's Bay because he couldn't make it in Wellington. He wouldn't be the first Wellington reject trying it in the Bay, nor will he be the last. If correct, he clearly doesn't know who he's competing with for a Magpies spot, including Super Rugby players Danny Toala, Neria Fomai, Stacey Ili, Sam McNicol, AB7s Ollie Sapsford, Jordan Thompson-Dunn from our Academy and Hurricanes U20. If all these players are available in 2021, we're already stacked in the midfield.
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@stargazer you are right on that one. How old is Luke Donaldson then?
Yeah I’m looking forward to that R Higgins, Thompson-Dunn combo for the Canes Under 20s. From what I’ve seen and read they don’t seem to be the biggest guys but they are both highly skilled and have plenty of smarts, probably more in the Crotty/C Smith mould.
Kienan Higgins is a bit of a battler but he is good enough to take the next step. Whether he can or not with all the other midfield talent in the Bay atm is another question.
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@stargazer Olly Spasford played bloody well in the 7s down here at Hataitai Park today. Admittedly I saw only one game of his team (was rather busy behind the scenes to pay too much attention to matters on the field), played against the Tongans from memory. Solomone Funaki played for the Tongans by the way.
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@higgins Good to hear Sapsford went well. He has improved a lot as a player (XVs and 7s) since his first year in the black and white hoops.
Surprised that Funaki played for the Tongan team; he wasn't on the team list, so must have been a late addition.
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Club Rugby - Saturday, 10 April 2021:
Premiers - Nash Cup (round 2), k/o 3pm:
Napier Pirate v Clive (Tamatea Park 1)
MAC v Hastings (Flaxmere Park 1)
Tamatea v Havelock North (Bill Mathewson Park 1)
Taradale v Central (Tareha Rec Reserve 1)
Napier OBM v Napier Tech (Tremain Field 1)According to the article below, Pouri Rakete-Stones will play for Napier Pirate. No mention of Danny Toala playing for Hastings. I assume Lolagi Visinia won't be playing for Clive; I understand from some very sad posts on his instagram that he may be on bereavement leave this week. I couldn't find Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Caleb Makene and Neria Fomai on any of Otago club rugby's team lists.
All clubs will miss their players who have been selected for the SRA U20 tournament. This particularly affects Central, who'll miss Frank Lochore, Harry Godfrey and Troy McIvor. Taradale will play without Jayden Walker, Hastings without Jordan Thompson-Dunn and NOBM without Jonty Stewart.
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@stargazer I was talking to some of the Tongan Management and they pointed him out to me. He was one of the two number threes they had on the field (not one with the white hair!) Apparently my best mate (who has been roped in as the team mini bus driver) has nominated me to provide the team with some pani keke tomorrow!!!!!!!
Minnows exceed expectations in club rugby's first round
College Sport Wellington
