waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Oranges, Bay 17-9 'nua
Ranfurly Shield, ITM Cup & Heartland Championship: NZ domestic comps 2015
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waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Bay 43-16 'nua & time just about up. Turning point the binning of 'nua captain, been pretty much one-way traffic since.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
FT Bay 50-16 'nua but all the damage done in the last 15 min, was 20-16 prior to 'nua captain Fox getting (rightly) binned. Good performance from the 'nua boys, esp first up for the season, keep that up & they could have a decent Heartland campaign this year.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Match report:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-bay-all-the-way-in-ranfurly-shield-challenge
Highlights:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-bay-all-the-way-in-ranfurly-shield-challenge
Highlights:
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Mid Canterbury 12-11 Hawkes Bay after 50 mins, on comes Ihaia West & FT it's HB 57-12 MC.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...eld-challenge-crushed-by-hawkes-bay-onslaught
Highlights:
Northland next challenger.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...eld-challenge-crushed-by-hawkes-bay-onslaught
Highlights:
Northland next challenger.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Great to see the Heartland championship team have given it a real go in challenges. Just goes to show the 'old log of wood' is still able to do what it's always done, lift every bugger that has a crack at it. I know a couple of mates that played shield challenges in the 80s, highlights of their careers they reckon , and could not quite describe the feeling of getting out there and playing for it!
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
You know you're in NZ when you put SkySport1 on at 1:30 of a Saturday afternoon & they're showing a replay of St Andrews v Christchurch Boys 1st XV: 2 x cameras, Keith Quinn & Brendan Laney commentating, spectators 6 or 8 deep on the sidelines despite the crap weather & making plenty of noise......... good for the soul, that (today it's a coupla D'Auckland schools so meh to that 
).
FTR St Andrews ended CBC's 32-match winning streak v all-comers & got their first win v Boys since 2003:
).FTR St Andrews ended CBC's 32-match winning streak v all-comers & got their first win v Boys since 2003:
Hugh Jarse
Rocky Elsom (76)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-AK (Andrew Kellaway)-xpa1/t31.0-8/p600x600/11223989_1003700916309695_5658823916421149801_o.jpg
NORTHS SKIPPER HEADS ACROSS THE DITCH
The club is excited to announce that Norths 1st grade captain, Ben Matwijow has been offered a contract to play for Canterbury in the ITM Cup, which sadly means this weekend will be the last of Maj in the red & black for 2015. “I’m really excited about the opportunity ahead & developing my rugby in one of the best rugby environments in the world. It’s also great to stay in the colours of the red & black. It has been a great honour captaining the First Grade side for the 2015 season & although it saddens me to leave the boys at this stage of the season, I take comfort knowing that they are in the great hands of a really good coaching staff & senior playing group”, Said Matwijow
It was in 2009, when Ben had just finished playing colts at Norths and was undecided on whether to pursue his playing career into grade. “I am so glad I made the phone call to him and disturbed him on a mid-north coast beach when he was undecided on returning after the 2009 season. Ben had a solid season in colts but certainly wasn’t a stand out, there was just something in him that showed us he had real potential and he has developed into that very player. It’s great to see his development over those 7 years”, praised Rugby Director Grahame O’Donnell.
Head Coach Simon Cron believes Maj will only come back better for the experience, “Canterbury is a huge opportunity for Maj and his ability to play both Lock and Blindside has helped open the door. The coaches from Canterbury called me last Wednesday about Maj and we had quite a detailed discussion about what he can offer and they then took the opportunity to watch some of his games online. It is great for players at Norths to be able to have opportunities open up at ITM as well as in the NRC. I think his experience in New Zealand will help him continue his growth as a player”.
Matwijow celebrated his 100th grade game last weekend against West Harbour and will run out this weekend for this final match for 2015 while notching up his 100th first grade game. Well done Maj, we wish you the all the best in New Zealand and look forward to your return in 2016.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/northsrugb...4724.209134029099725/1003700916309695/?type=1
NORTHS SKIPPER HEADS ACROSS THE DITCH
The club is excited to announce that Norths 1st grade captain, Ben Matwijow has been offered a contract to play for Canterbury in the ITM Cup, which sadly means this weekend will be the last of Maj in the red & black for 2015. “I’m really excited about the opportunity ahead & developing my rugby in one of the best rugby environments in the world. It’s also great to stay in the colours of the red & black. It has been a great honour captaining the First Grade side for the 2015 season & although it saddens me to leave the boys at this stage of the season, I take comfort knowing that they are in the great hands of a really good coaching staff & senior playing group”, Said Matwijow
It was in 2009, when Ben had just finished playing colts at Norths and was undecided on whether to pursue his playing career into grade. “I am so glad I made the phone call to him and disturbed him on a mid-north coast beach when he was undecided on returning after the 2009 season. Ben had a solid season in colts but certainly wasn’t a stand out, there was just something in him that showed us he had real potential and he has developed into that very player. It’s great to see his development over those 7 years”, praised Rugby Director Grahame O’Donnell.
Head Coach Simon Cron believes Maj will only come back better for the experience, “Canterbury is a huge opportunity for Maj and his ability to play both Lock and Blindside has helped open the door. The coaches from Canterbury called me last Wednesday about Maj and we had quite a detailed discussion about what he can offer and they then took the opportunity to watch some of his games online. It is great for players at Norths to be able to have opportunities open up at ITM as well as in the NRC. I think his experience in New Zealand will help him continue his growth as a player”.
Matwijow celebrated his 100th grade game last weekend against West Harbour and will run out this weekend for this final match for 2015 while notching up his 100th first grade game. Well done Maj, we wish you the all the best in New Zealand and look forward to your return in 2016.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/northsrugb...4724.209134029099725/1003700916309695/?type=1
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Ben Matwijow on the bench for today's pre-season match v Wellington in which John Schwalger will make a return to rugby after his lung issues in 2014.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
*Cough* Angus Ta-avao *Cough*
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
My last day in NZ & even tho there's no live rugby all is not lost: Toyota Grass Roots Rugby first up at 11, Club finals from King Country, Bay of Plenty, West Coast & Marlborough, followed by First XV's at noon, feature match the St Pat's derby, Silverstream v Town:
Highlight of the day, tho, was KC final, tiny Waitomo v the much larger & wealthier Taupo: gutsy win for the boys from the bush followed by a great post-match from their skipper & an awesome haka to finish. Gotta find a (legal, of course) way to watch this stuff...................
Highlight of the day, tho, was KC final, tiny Waitomo v the much larger & wealthier Taupo: gutsy win for the boys from the bush followed by a great post-match from their skipper & an awesome haka to finish. Gotta find a (legal, of course) way to watch this stuff...................
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Hey I didn't like it either, can't do anything about it but I've criticised it. Should add that he's Wallaby eligible immediately at least.
ACT Crusader
Jim Lenehan (48)
You know you're in NZ when you put SkySport1 on at 1:30 of a Saturday afternoon & they're showing a replay of St Andrews v Christchurch Boys 1st XV: 2 x cameras, Keith Quinn & Brendan Laney commentating, spectators 6 or 8 deep on the sidelines despite the crap weather & making plenty of noise... good for the soul, that (today it's a coupla D'Auckland schools so meh to that
FTR St Andrews ended CBC's 32-match winning streak v all-comers & got their first win v Boys since 2003:
I've been hearing good things about McKay that plays 1st 5 for Boys. Looks a good prospect in attack and also can tackle.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
The 14 semi-pro ITM Cup provinces made a collective surplus of $1.2M for the 2014 financial year, the third consecutive surplus after five consecutive years of losses from 2007 - 2011.
Great news & IMO proof that making the Unions put their financial & governance houses in order was a far better long-term strategy than simply culling the "lesser" Unions as NZRU proposed in the mid- to late-2000's & vindication of the stance taken by e.g. Canterbury & Waikato in support of the likes of Tasman & Bay of Plenty.
Also interesting that the revenues generated by the "Big 5" Super Rugby franchise base teams has dropped below 50% of the total, almost certainly for the first time ever.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...l-rugby-unions-record-combined-annual-surplus
Great news & IMO proof that making the Unions put their financial & governance houses in order was a far better long-term strategy than simply culling the "lesser" Unions as NZRU proposed in the mid- to late-2000's & vindication of the stance taken by e.g. Canterbury & Waikato in support of the likes of Tasman & Bay of Plenty.
Also interesting that the revenues generated by the "Big 5" Super Rugby franchise base teams has dropped below 50% of the total, almost certainly for the first time ever.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...l-rugby-unions-record-combined-annual-surplus
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Useful guide to ITM Cup Premiership (Top 7) here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...to-the-2015-npc-premiership-rugby-competition
It pains me immensely to say it but I suspect D'Auckland will win their first title under the Premiership/ Championship format & my Cantabs will go out in the semis again, possibly to 'naki. Keep an eye on Counties-Manukau, they could be the Highlanders of the comp..............
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...to-the-2015-npc-premiership-rugby-competition
It pains me immensely to say it but I suspect D'Auckland will win their first title under the Premiership/ Championship format & my Cantabs will go out in the semis again, possibly to 'naki. Keep an eye on Counties-Manukau, they could be the Highlanders of the comp..............
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
ITM Cup starts Thursday: Southland v Auckland, 5:35 Eastern. Friday it's Waikato v Tasman then Bay of Plenty v North Harbour; Saturday Taranaki v Wellington & Otago v Canterbury; and finishing with Counties-Manukau v Manawatu & lastly Hawkes Bay v Northland which will also be a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
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