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Hurricanes Hunters fullback Chicago Doyle makes a break against the Crusaders Knights on Friday.
Monday morning edition: A quad-tacular of Hurricanes matches this coming weekend in Wellington, and week two of pre-season fixtures in club rugby.
As well as inter-club pre-season rugby, all four Hurricanes teams will be in action on Saturday, one after another. The U20s and the Hunters [As] are both are Rugby League Park playing their Crusaders and Blues counterparts respectively, whilst the Poua [women] and the Hurricanes men are at Wellington Stadium playing Blues opposition.
Pre-season inter-club rugby this weekend in Wellington includes Wainuiomata v Poneke, Oriental-Rongotai v Old Boys University, Avalon v Stokes Valley and Petone Women v Kia Toa Women. In Palmerston North, College Old Boys play Upper Hutt Rams.
There are also two tournaments away this weekend, the annual New Zealand Marist Federation Spillane Cup and the Hamilton Old Boys Invitational tournament.
The Spillane involves Hutt Old Boys Marist and Marist St Pat’s (participation to be confirmed), whilst the Hamilton tournament involves Petone includes with the following clubs:
- Mid-Northern – Northland champions 2022
- Manukau Rovers – Auckland champions 2022
- Hamilton Old Boys A – Waikato champions 2022
- Takapuna – North Harbour champions 2022
- Mount Maunganui Sports – BOP champions 2022
- Petone Rugby Club – Wellington finalists 2022
- New Plymouth HSOB – Taranaki semi-inalists 2022
- Hamilton Old Boys Premier Reserves – Waikato 2022
More information and details on all of the above and more in one place on this website at the end of this week.
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The MSP touring side enjoyed a fruitful tour of Sydney, on the field as well as off it, winning two and losing one of their matches against local Shute Shield opposition.
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The Feilding Yellows beat the Johnsonville Hawks 38-29 in their first hit-out of the 2023 season:
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Good numbers reported at Maidstone Park for the Upper Hutt Rams club’s first hit-out of the 2023 season. The club’s Colts and Premier/Premier Reserve squads played their Wellington Axemen counterparts in separate matches.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CpZH_HVvsWn/
Hutt Old Boys Marist and Wainuiomata opened their seasons on Saturday at Mary Crowther Park.
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Hurricanes administrators will be hoping for healthy crowds at the Stadium this coming Saturday for the first men’s and women’s double header. The venue hosted the NZ Warriors NRL team on Friday night to a crowd of about 15,000 that looked bigger than what it was on TV with officials closing off most of the western side of the ground. It then hosted the Phoenix men’s then women’s teams in a double header on Saturday, with less than half that number for the men’s game and considerably fewer again for the women’s match. Whoever is bankrolling the Phoenix must have deep pockets!
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The Hurricanes Hunters were well beaten by the Crusaders Knights side on Friday at Rugby League Park on Friday. The Crusaders side won 47-14 in fine, windy conditions.
The Crusaders had already played one match for a win over the Highlanders and it showed in the run of play. Captained at second five by Alex Harford, they were organised, strong on defence and nailed their chances in piling on seven tries. A number of their players stood out, such as lock Jamie Hannah, openside Fletcher Anderson, No.8 Joe Brial (son of former Wallaby and Frank Bunce’s mate Michael Brial) and left wing Blair Murray. Murray was a Golden Boot winner as player of the match for the New Zealand Schools side against Australia a few years ago, out of New Plymouth Boys’ High School. The highlight of the match for the Hurricanes was prop Pasililo Tosi’s try, running from halfway to score on his own. The lowlight was the 40-minute drive out of the city afterwards.
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The Hurricanes could be playing the Blues on Saturday without their best player, Ardie Savea.
They could be playing without him for much of the competition as the law he has been cited under stipulates that Savea is alleged to have acted against the spirit of good sportsmanship and the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play. It will likely be at the lower end as he is one of the competition’s marquee players and eyeballs on games trumps everything.
Of course, the same action is lauded at the end of the All Blacks pre-game haka, so perhaps inconsistent.
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Results from the New Zealand Track & Field Championships this past weeekend.
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The Hurricanes U20s and Chiefs U20s met in a fixture in Taupo on Saturday.
No results posted that we could find, so nothing to report.
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The dates have been set for the annual Transit First XV pre-season Festival. The Wellington leg will be played at the NZCIS ground in Upper Hutt on Saturday 29 April and the Hastings leg is on Saturday 6 May.
The teams competing this year are: St Pat’s Silverstream, St Pat’s Town, Wellington College, Rongotai College, Hastings BHS, Palmerston North BHS, Gisborne BHS and Feilding High School. Feilding are taking the place of Napier BHS, who will be contesting the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament in Japan.
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Former Napier BHS and Marist St Pat’s midfielder Leo Thompson was playing for the Newcastle Knights against the Warriors on Friday night in Wellington.
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A reprieve for the Hurricanes Poua Women’s side on Saturday. They beat Matatū by a solitary point in Christchurch, but the home side turned down a shot at goal with three minutes to play from right in front. They instead opted for the lineout, which the Poua defended, although the South Islanders appeared to have scored the try only to be ruled as held up over the line.
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Interesting that three of the best/most experienced Wellington women’s backs are playing for the Chiefs this year and not the Hurricanes Poua. Georgia Daals, Dhys Faleafaga and now Amanda Rasch, who made her debut for them on Saturday in their 50-33 win over the Blues?
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How hot is it in Melbs? It's @SonnyBWilliams in a tank top hot 🥵🥵#SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/8yz29CLfUb
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) March 5, 2023
Sonny Bill Williams has inserted the casual attire clause to his commentary contract.
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An intercept pulled off from a clearance of the kick to start the game gave Chiefs second five-eighths Rameka Pohipi the fastest try in Super Rugby history on Saturday. The Chiefs beat Moana Pasifika 52-29.
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The Reds reversed their loss to the Hurricanes last week by thrashing the Force 71-20. The Force side included HOBM duo Jeremy Thrush and Chase Tiatia.
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Follow the Vancouver Sevens at the World Rugby website: https://www.world.rugby/
Onside:
This is one of the most weirdly wonderful tries you'll ever see. 😅 pic.twitter.com/qcwIyip2CO
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) March 5, 2023
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