WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
A new era for the Martinborough Football Club kicked off on Saturday when the club’s first women’s team took the field against defending Wairarapa women’s champions Carterton Royals.
What began modestly as a messenger chat group, spearheaded by Michelle Ford and comprising five local Martinborough women, quickly gained traction with the result being 18 women lining up for their first competition game. Despite some encouraging early opportunities, Martinborough fell to a 3–0 defeat.
Martinborough will celebrate another milestone on Saturday with a home club day, featuring the Junior Football Festival in the morning, followed by the women’s against Wairarapa United reserves at 12:30 pm and the men’s team playing at 2.30 pm.
In the women’s local league game, DV Mitre 10 Mega Geebeez and Wai United Reserves battled to a 3–3 draw.
In Capital Division One, Wairarapa United slipped to a 1–0 loss to Wellington United Emeralds.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
DV Skulls and Progressive Engineering Masterton Athletic share the lead in Wairarapa Division One after four rounds.
Skulls easily accounted for Feathertson United Property Brokers 7–0, and Athletic edged Carterton Redbacks 3–2, while Douglas Villa Cam’s Flooring beat Greytown Tremains 1–0.
Douglas Vets retained their unbeaten record in division two-three with a 4–2 win over Greytown Property Brokers, Greytown Umbrella Group Spartans thumped Carterton Raiders 10–1, Masterton Zifggy’s Glass Presidents were also big winners, 8-0 over Evergreens, Featherston defeated DV Mitre 10 Megabeens 6–3, and Greytown The Offering and Carterton Reapers battled to a 1–1 draw.
HOCKEY
Carterton Vets’ 4–3 win over Old Boys was the only close game in a round of high scores in Wairarapa Men’s Division One. Gladstone Bulls trampled Dalefield Dodgers 19–1, Tremains Red Star were 7–0 winners over Featherston, and Comvita Kia Kaha dispatched JNL 9–0.
Dalefield were too good for Featherston, cruising to an 11–1 victory in Women’s Division One and maintaining their unbeaten start. East Coast triumphed 3–0 over Comvita Kia Kaha, and Gladstone Gold were 2–0 victors over Tremains Red Star.
In Women’s Division Two, Featherston Foxies beat Eketāhuna Tuis 5–0, Property Brokers got the better of Coasties 2–0, Gladstone Heifers edged Featherston Force, and Martinborough scored a 2–1 win over Wairarapa Mitsubishi.
INDOOR BOWLS
A comeback victory over a strong Upper Hutt side was the highlight of the weekend for Wairarapa’s representative indoor bowlers.
A 16-strong team travelled over the hill on Sunday for the traditional Burton Bates Trophy fixture, with each player playing two games of singles, pairs and fours. After the morning’s first round, the hosts held a 37–34 lead, but Wairarapa overcame the deficit and came away with a 58–54 victory.
On Saturday, Wairarapa finished second in the Horn Trophy tournament in Levin. Horowhenua took the trophy with 23 points, ahead of Wairarapa with 17 and Bush Ruahine with eight points.
This Saturday, Wairarapa will travel to Pahiatua to play Bush-Ruahine for the Tombs Trophy.
BOWLS
Wairarapa’s junior bowlers [five years and bowling] ended a 25-year drought with victory in the WKWM quadrangular tournament also featuring teams from Wellington, Kāpiti and Manawatū.
Wairarapa topped the men’s points table at Levin with 8.5 points, one point ahead of Wellington, while the women were convincing winners at Foxton with 10 points from Kāpiti on seven.
Overall, Wairarapa finished with 18.5 points, with Kāpiti on 12 points in second place.
