New Zealand Club Rugby round-up, 25 June

Torrential rain hit many competitions in the upper North Island as the championship rounds continued to unfold.

In a mud bath in the Waikato, Hautapu, with the help of All Black Liam Messam, moved a point clear of Melville at the top of the standings after defeating United Matamata Sports 48-12. Melville defeated the Hamilton Marist Ravens 15-6.

In Auckland, College Rifles and Suburbs are joint leaders in the Alan McEvoy field after the former's win over Waitemata and both Ponsonby and Suburbs’ losses. In the Division 2 grade, University have won all four matches by big margins.

Four of the five North Harbour Premier contests were close. Takapuna were the one side to win by a big margin – 52-0 over minnows Mahurangi – and they continue to hold a narrow lead heading towards the pointy end of the season.

The semi-finals have been found in Taranaki with a week to spare. Top qualifier Old Boys will be joined by Tukapa, Coastal and Southern, with the minor places to be decided. For non-representative players in the other teams they can basically hang up their boots for the year and it’s still June.

First round winners Napier Old Boys Marist lead the Hawke’s Bay Maddison Trophy outright but are being pushed hard by Taradale, while College Old Boys in Manawatu and Oriental Rongotai in Wellington continue to hold sway in their second round competitions.

In the South Island, Central beat Moutere 31-17 in a top-of-the-table Marlborough clash, while New Brighton and Christchurch are going well in Canterbury and Belfast edged Burnside 23-19 in the battle of the also-rans.

In Otago, University defeated Harbour to stay top, while it was business as usual for Southland leaders the Eastern Northern Barbarians. 

New Zealand Mitre 10 Cup provinces Premier Rugby Scores for 4 June–starting at the bottom of the country and moving up - were:

Auckland
Alan McEvoy Shield
Grammar TEC 18 – Suburbs 14
College Rifles 21 – Waitemata 9
Papatoetoe 32 – Ponsonby 22
Pakuranga 30 – Marist 22
Portola Trophy
Eden 47 – Otahuhu 0
Mt Wellington 22 – Waitakere City 8
University 53 – East Tamaki 0
Te Papapa-Onehunga 27 – Manukau 24
Leaders after 4 rounds: College Rifles, Suburbs (Alan McEvoy), University (Portola)

Bay of Plenty
Baywide Premier 1
Greerton Marist 18 - Whakatane Marist 17
Tauranga Sports 12 - Rotoiti 5
Rangataua 24 - Te Puna 0
Mount Maunganui 17 - Te Puke Sports 13
Baywide Premier 2
Opotiki 33 - Marist St Michael's 5
Poroporo 13 - Ngongotaha 7
Whakarewarewa 67 - Arataki 21
Paroa 19 - Waikite 0

Canterbury
Section 1
New Brighton 43 – Linwood 23
CHCH 25 – Lincoln University 11
Sydenham 25 – Canterbury University 14
Section 2
High School Old Boys 34 – Shirley 12
Belfast 23 – Burnside 19
Marist Albion 29 – Sumner 26

Counties Manukau
Karaka 15 - Onewhero 10
Manurewa 33 – Papakura 3
Waiuku 26 - Te Kauwhata 8
Ardmore 25 - Bombay 17
Weymouth defaulted to Patumahoe
Pukekohe = BYE

Hawke’s Bay – Maddison Trophy Round 5
Central 23 – Central 0
Taradale 32 - MAC 22
NOBM 78 - Tamatea 3
HRS 30 - Pirate 20
Havelock North 23 - NTOB 15

Manawatu
Old Boys Marist 15 – Feilding 8
College Old Boys 38 – Kia Toa 8
Te Kawau 32 - FOB Oroua 27
Varsity 28 - Linton 10
Freyberg: Bye
Competition leaders: College Old Boys

North Harbour
Takapuna 52 - Mahurangi 0
North Shore 18 - Bays 13
Glenfield 22 - Silverdale 16
Massey 23 - Northcote 16
Marist 17 - Western 14
Competition leaders after 13 rounds: Takapuna

Northland
Southern Districts Premiers
TBC

Otago
Kaikorai 60 Zingari-Richmond 22
University A 26 - Harbour 22
Southern 62 - Pirates 11
Dunedin 48 - Alhambra-Union 32
Taieri 30 - Green Island 6
Leaders after 13 rounds: University

Southland
Woodlands 57 - Star 5
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 34 - Pirates Old Boys 3
Marist 22 - Blues 6
Competition leaders: Eastern-Northern Barbarians

Taranaki
New Plymouth Old Boys 25 – Coastal 13
Spotswood 19 – Clifton 10
Stratford 15 – Inglewood 0
Tukapa 11 – Southern 9
Competition leaders after 13 round: NPOB (confirmed top qualifiers)

Tasman
Nelson Bays
Wanderers 36 - Waimea Old Boys 10
Nelson 53 - Kahurangi 7
Wakatu 40 – Stoke 5
Marlborough
Central 31 – Moutere 17
Waitohi 36 – Renwick 12
East Coast 35 - Harlequins 28
Competition leaders: Wanderers (Nelson) and Central (Marlborough)

Waikato
Waikato premier club rugby, Rd 16
Hautapu 48 - United Matamata Sports 15
Melville 15 - Hamilton Marist 6 
Fraser Tech 27 - Morrinsville Sports 5
Otorohanga 31 - Hamilton Old Boys 14 
University 29 - Te Awamutu Sports 17 
Leaders after 16 rounds: Hautapu

Wellington
Jubilee Cup
Marist St Pat’s 49 – Old Boys University 19
Wellington 32 – Poneke 30
Wainuiomata 51 – Upper Hutt Rams 20
Ories 30 – Tawa 22
Hardham Cup
Paremata-Plimmerton 33 – Avalon 29
Northern United 104 – Johnsonville 12
OBU B 30 – MSP B 24
HOBM 43 – Petone 31