Greytown celebrate their ‘Moose’ Kapene Cup victory with a spine-tingling haka. PHOTOS/FILE
Ridiculous rule hurts Wai United
The Wairarapa winter club sports season is effectively over, all except netball. But with little else on in this covid-19 impacted period, it’s time to dish out some awards.
The Top Dog Awards
The Farriers Dalefield women’s hockey team take top spot for winning back-to-back Wellington premier titles with a 3-0 win in a shootout after the final with Harbour City finished in a 1-1 stalemate.
It’s Dalefield’s second title in a row, and fourth in six years.
Greytown rugby club completed a rare unbeaten season, winning the Chris ‘Moose’ Kapene Memorial Cup final 30-25 over a brave Carterton, and also the Lane Penn Trophy for winning the Town and Country series.
Douglas Villa Magpies footballers flew into Capital division two after finishing second on goal difference in division three.
The promotion is the second in a row for Magpies who only returned to the Capital leagues in 2020, after several years’ absence.
The Best Effort
Trust House Wairarapa United’s 5-0 demolition of bitter rivals Napier City Rovers at Trust Memorial Park in April would take a lot of beating.
Four goals were scored in the first half, in what was arguably United’s best-ever performance in their history in the Central League.
A honourable mention goes to Greytown’s 63-21 annihilation of Eketahuna in rugby’s Lane Penn Trophy final.
The Stand Up and Be Counted Award
Dalefield women’s hockey goalkeeper Amy Rossiter-Stead stood firm in a nervy shootout with Harbour City in the Wellington premier championship decider, saving all three opposition attempts. That made it Amy 8, Opposition 0 – she also saved all five against Hutt United.
Coach of the Season
It isn’t easy being a player-coach but Katherine van Woerkom took to it like a duck to water,.
In her first year at the helm, she led Dalefield women’s hockey team to a second straight Wellington premier title. To top it off, the modest van Woerkom was also named final MVP.
The Spine Tingler
Greytown’s haka to celebrate winning the ‘Moose’ Kapene sent shivers up one’s spine.
The Golden Whistle
Hockey umpires Pete Sigvertsen and Regan Fricker, who regularly controlled two Wellington premier games at Clareville, often having to go from one pitch to the other with only minutes to prepare, and at times in awful conditions.
An honourable mention goes to Alistair Payne, who once again displayed why he is Wai-Bush’s number rugby referee. Cool, confident, and very capable, why he is not on a national
panel beats me.
The Can I Go Away and Hide Award
Tumu ITM Wairarapa United goalkeeper Grace Minniss would’ve wished the Memorial Park turf could’ve opened up and swallowed her in the 2-5 W-League loss to Wellington United Diamonds.
In a day she would rather forget, Minniss had a hand in four of the away team’s goals.
The Here Today Gone Tomorrow Award
The sudden resignation of Phil Keinzley in June left Wairarapa United without a coach for the remainder of the Central League. Player-coach and women’s coach Paul Ifill stepped in to fill the void, with the team fifth with one round to play.
The Are They Being Ripped Off Award
The netball season isn’t over but are our netballers getting a fair deal?
Ten games, with the first five having no bearing on the championship, which is decided over five games, plus semis and a final, doesn’t seem right for New Zealand’s premier women’s sport.
The Absolute Bloody Ridiculous Rule
The NZ Football transfer window, which closed on June 30, allowed the wealthy corporate-backed big clubs to rob other clubs of their best players heading into the crunch time of the Central League.
Big fat cheques enticed Wairarapa United’s prolific goal scorer Jared Cunniff to Olympic and influential midfielder Hugo Delhomelle to Miramar. Both, though, spent a lot of time getting splinters in the bum.
Whoever said the new national championship would be amateur must have been on Mars or Jupiter.
Rising Stars
Wairarapa United’s two national men’s age-group training football squad members Riley Grover and Jonty Roubos, and national U-20 women’s squad member Tui Dugan are three to keep an eye out for in the silver fern.
NZ junior squash representative Mackenzie Tait is making every post a winner, and look out for Wai-Bush prop Tupou Lea’aemanu to be a big hit at Hurricanes U-20 level.
Fifteen-year-old Emma McLeod wasn’t a regular for the Dalefield premier women’s side, but she showcased her talent when given the chance. The big question will she choose hockey or cricket?
The BIG Prediction
Wai-Bush will celebrate 50 years in style and win the Meads Cup at a packed Memorial Park sometime this side of Christmas.
The Big Thank You Award
To all the coaches, managers, players, and supporters [one-eyed or not] that I have pestered, cajoled, and disturbed their Sunday morning breakfast. Thank you!!
