NZ Club Rugby 2023 ( General)
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@Smudge Struggling to confidently identify Girv other than most likely Hamish? I have been away for the best part of two club seasons and there has been a big change in playing personnel (as is obvious by the results recorded) and to a lesser extent the helpers and administrators. If it is Hamish then he is a good bloke that takes care of a lot of the admin and behind the scenes stuff and from memory is one of the directors of the Club. In fact I think I still might owe him for a copy of Keith Quinn's Wellington FC 150th Year book even though I still haven't picked it up yet! It is guys like Hamish that keep clubs ticking over when volunteers are becoming harder and harder to find and keep.
Hopefully the results will start improving as there is a lot of work getting done in that area but having been only average, at best, playing results wise for over 20 years now it takes a lot of ongoing persuasive confidence building needed to overcome the negativity of a prolonged down period to attract any players much less those with higher playing aspirations. It can be done as three or four years ago who would have believed that Paremata-Plimmerton would be leading the Swindale Shield and Johnsonville running in the top three or four sides this season. Even in the Axemen's poorer recent years you could almost ink in games against those teams as almost certain wins, but not now!!!!! It just shows you it can be done but it ain't easy nor something that happens overnight. As an aside there are four Axemen (Vaea Fifita @ Scarlets, Angelo Smith @ Melbourne Rebels, Olly Sapsford @ ACT Brumbies and Gareth Simpson @ Western Force and but transferring to maybe Harlequins - one of the Guinness Premiership teams anyway) currently running around in the major professional leagues so it can be done if players give the lesser ranked clubs a try. Not a bad record from a club with a modest playing record and something to look back with pride at as they all got their breaks at the Axemen.
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Fetuli Paea (Highlanders) & Xavier Tito Harris (NZ Sevens) making their debut for Manukau Rovers v Suburbs Round 11 tomorrow
Sione Tuipulotu starting at lock for Rovers ,Lolagi Visinia at fullback for suburbs
The Fetuli Paea starter is interesting one @Tim -
I couldn't see Paea getting a lot of gametime for Ta$man this year, if he was to stick with them
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@Steven-Harris Any relation to Harbour player Fatongia Paea?
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Tried to find out which Super Rugby players are returning to club rugby this weekend. Many clubs/unions haven't published team lists yet, but this is what I have found:
Hurricanes
Wellington
Pasilio Tosi (3, Paremata-Plimmerton)
Peter Umaga-Jensen (13, Wainuiomata)
Ruben Love (10, Wainuiomata)Hawke's Bay
Jacob Devery (8, Hastings)Bay of Plenty
Justin Sangster (4, Te Puna)Taranaki
Kini Naholo (14, Clifton)Also noticed: there's an Alex Fidow named at 23 for Ories. Is that the former Hurricane, or someone with the same name?
Highlanders
Otago
Folau Fakatava (20, Dunedin)
James Arscott (9, Green Island)
Scott Gregory (13, Otago Uni)
Saula Ma'u (18, Harbour)Hawke's Bay
Jonah Lowe (15, Clive)Bay of Plenty
Nikora Broughton (13!, Rangiuru)Taranaki
Rhys Marshall (2, Inglewood)Auckland
Fetuli Paea (23, Manukau)Blues
Auckland
Kurt Eklund (2, University)
James Lay (1, University)
Marcel Renata (3, University)
Corey Evans (12, Grammar TEC)Moana Pasifika
Auckland
Isi Tu'ungafasi (3, Grammar TEC)
Lolagi Visinia (15, Suburbs)
Sione Tuipulotu (4, Manukau)
Tomasi Alosio (22, Manukau)North Harbour
Henry Taefu (12, Northcote)Drua
Bay of Plenty
Etonia Waqa (6, Te Puna) -
@Stargazer yes that’s Alex Fidow the former Hurricane. Apparently he’s been playing in the backs and has shed a few kegs.
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@Canes4life thought he was in Queensland playing League?
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Caught up with Kurt Eklund who bought up 100 x games for Auckland University today
https://fb.watch/lmuvzYM4xV/ -
Alamanda Motunga (Papakura)
Zuriel Togiatama (Papakura)
Potu Leavasa ( Manurewa)
Jonathan Taumateine ( Manurewa)
Alexander McRobbie (Bombay)McNamara Cup (Premier Men):
Papakura 48-5 Ardmore Marist
Manurewa 36 -12 Bombay
Patumahoe 6-17 Pukekohe
Karaka BYE -
@Bovidae Hautapu looked really good in beating Old Boys for the 2nd time this season. With Te Awamutu tipping up Marist, you have to say Hautapu & Te Awamutu deserve the top 2 spots heading into the final round (and semi-finals). It will be interesting to see if any of the remaining teams can pose a serious challenge come semi-final time.
Tech looks almost a certainty for the Championship final, I can only see Matamata having a hope of challenging them.
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@OleOleOle Hautapu will only get stronger once they get some of their Chiefs players back. Salabiau looks to be scoring tries for fun.
When I have a quick scan of the team lists some clubs seem to have more changes than others each week. I don't imagine they are all injury-related.
