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From the Mike Lewis Pictures Favourite photos of the year galleries – more HERE
If you are in the North Island it is season over as far as 15s rugby is concerned. If you are in the south there is one more week to go with Canterbury hosting Otago in the 2025 NPC decider in what is somewhat of a ‘back to the future’ final. Otago haven’t been NPC champions since 1998.
Confirmed Sevens tournaments coming up in November:
- 27 October (Labour Day): Wellington Condor 7s, Naenae Park.
- 15 November: Feilding Blitz Sevens. Johnston Park, Feilding. Link to register https://forms.gle/CqVLri96d1a6VWy7A
- 22 November: WRFU Club 7s Leg One, Mary Crowther Park
- 29 November: WRFU Club 7s Leg One, Venue TBC.
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The Heartland Championship concluded this weekend, with twin wins for South Island teams.
Horowhenua-Kapiti threw plenty at North Otago in the Lochore Cup final on Sunday before going down 64-47.
The mighty Nua fell behind 0-14 early, but they then hit back to with three tries of their own to lead 19-14 and it was then 19-19 at halftime.
The home team lifted their efforts early in the second spell and they surged ahead to lead 40-19 with three consecutive tries including an intercept and the Nua were chasing the game for the next 30 minutes. They did reply with two quick tries of their own to trail 40-33, but that was as close as they got as North Otago pulled clear for a comfortable win.
The Hammers are the kings of New Zealand Heartland Rugby after defeating Thames Valley 21-18 in the Meads Cup final at a packed Ashburton Showgrounds on Saturday – a reversal of the 2024 final, which saw the Swamp Foxes prevail 37-29 at Boyd Park in Te Aroha.
Mid Canterbury completed the season with a perfect 10-0 record, something that even the 2013 and 2014 Meads Cup champion teams, coached by Glenn Moore—the 2017 Black Ferns Rugby World Cup-winning coach—failed to achieve.
Mid Canterbury joins Wanganui (2008 & 2016) and South Canterbury (2021-2023) as teams that have won the Meads Cup undefeated. Throughout the season, they won four games by a converted try or less and scored more than 30 points in all eight round-robin matches.
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Rest in Peace Memphis Strachan.
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It is not just places like Wellington, Auckland and North Harbour that can’t get crowds along anymore. Taine Plumtree was No. 8 as the Scarlets fell 29-18 to the home team Lions in cavernous Johannesburg.
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The Centurions are holding fundraising raffle. Details below or visit the fundraising website page HERE
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Rest in peace Brian Frederikson
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Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has shared his preference to move the Rugby Championship window to February, at the same time as the Six Nations.
Read more HERE (Link to Rugby Pass article): https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rassie-erasmus-prefers-february-start-for-rugby-championship/
Surely this wouldn’t happen with New Zealand? Super Rugby without the best 35-40 players in the country away with the All Blacks, what is the point?
This column is a collaborative effort, so to contribute with news and information or observations and tidbits please get in touch. However, we are winding down for this year and there might not be many more of these to come in 2025 so it might be 2026 when it all kicks off again!
