Heartland Championship 2024

[mikedogz]

[Bovidae]

I read that Patrick Hedley made his KC debut in a RS challenge recently. Not a bad idea for Nordstrom to be loaned out as he won't get too many opportunities for Waikato.

[Higgins]

@mikedogz Lot of players from Districts. What area is that club based in as I've never heard of it before?

[mikedogz]

Taumarunui Districts RFC, they won the competition this year.

[Higgins]

@mikedogz Thanks, it sounds like it is probably an amalgamation of the Taumaranui, Taumaranui Athletic and Mananui clubs by my uneducated guess.

[mikedogz]

Taumarunui Rugby & Sports Club ( The eels) is the other club in town. Districts website says since 2007.

[Higgins]

As I said it was an uneducated guess so looks like I will have to use the tried and reliable google gameplan to learn about the Districts outfit.

[Dan54]

Just on something I put in club rugby thread ,I reckon Dane Coles will be playing for the Nua this year. He played a clubb game for Paraparumu on weekend, so thinking he may of getting one in , as it would be his lat chance to get one in for year. I actually heard him say a few years back he fancied a season for the Nua before finishing!

[Daffy Jaffy]

Cody Nordstrom moves from Waikato Rugby to King Country

Sport, Sport, Rugby, New Zealand

Nordstrom goes from Mooloo man to a Ram

The 2024 Chiefs pre-season replacement has been named in the Heartland squad.

[mikedogz]

[Bovidae]

Those "Waikato" players all play for Hamilton Marist. Morgan is a TV product.

[Dan54]

@Dan54 said in Heartland Championship 2024:

Just on something I put in club rugby thread ,I reckon Dane Coles will be playing for the Nua this year. He played a clubb game for Paraparumu on weekend, so thinking he may of getting one in , as it would be his lat chance to get one in for year. I actually heard him say a few years back he fancied a season for the Nua before finishing!

And Colsey has put the cabosh on idea of playing again, said the game for Paraumu 2nds was just a final fling with some old mates he played with way back.
Good way to finish his career.

[Duluth]

[Bovidae]

Round 1
East Coast 11 - 13 Buller
King Country 27 - 30 Mid Canterbury
North Otago 14 - 16 Horowhenua Kapiti
Wairarapa Bush 24 - 37 Thames Valley
West Coast 38 - 29 Poverty Bay
Whanganui 36 - 37 South Canterbury

Round 2
Mid Canterbury 49 - 21 West Coast
Buller 27 - 54 King Country
Horowhenua Kapiti 27 - 30 East Coast
Poverty Bay 36 - 47 Whanganui
South Canterbury 69 - 32 Wairarapa Bush
Thames Valley 24 - 15 North Otago

[Bovidae]

Ian Foster watching the game in Te Aroha.

[Bovidae]

Round 3
Wairarapa Bush 19 - 69 North Otago
East Coast 23 - 17 Poverty Bay
Mid Canterbury 19 - 41 South Canterbury
West Coast 26 - 27 Horowhenua Kapiti
Whanganui 91 - 7 Buller
King Country 18 - 23 Thames Valley

[Bovidae]

King Country 18 - 23 Thames Valley

I've just watched a full replay of this game on Sky. It was the first game under lights at Rugby Park, Te Kuiti. Heavy rain during most of the game but the skill level was better than expected in those conditions. Cody Nordstrom is playing centre for KC. Tayne Tupaea had a really good game for TV at lock, as did their captain Matt Axtens, a contemporary of Sam Cane's. We even had a couple of club teammates playing for each team, including NZ U20 prop Will Martin who must be a late loanee for TV.

[Bovidae]

Highlights of the KC-TV game:

The Bill Osborne Taonga (their Ranfurly Shield) changes hands again as Thames Valley loses to Whanganui. TV won it off KC a week earlier, who had beaten Buller.

Round 4
Buller 17 - 20 West Coast
Horowhenua Kapiti 19 - 39 Mid Canterbury
North Otago 18 - 24 East Coast
Poverty Bay 24 - 39 Wairarapa Bush
South Canterbury 33 - 19 King Country
Thames Valley 14 - 16 Whanganui

[Duluth]

I see Horowhenua Kapiti is playing South Canterbury at Eden Park after the Auckland v Southland game

Seems like a strange choice.. Anyone know what the thinking is?

[Bovidae]

Some high-scoring games. Score 45 pts and still lose by more than two converted tries.

Round 5
East Coast 45 - 60 Thames Valley
Mid Canterbury 26 - 48 Whanganui
Buller 36 - 28 Poverty Bay
King Country 43 - 17 West Coast
South Canterbury 44 - 31 North Otago
Wairarapa Bush 45 - 62 Horowhenua Kapiti