New Zealand Club Rugby round-up, 2 July

It’s the end of the line for 2016 for some clubs across the country as some competitions such as North Harbour and Taranaki ended their round-robin seasons.

For players in leading clubs there’s one, perhaps two weekends remaining but for others their 2016 season is all over just a couple of days inside July and they can head to the beach now

Takapuna defeated Massey 27-19 in their last round top-of-the-table clash to secure the top qualifier’s berth for the playoffs. North Shore got up to finish second. Takapuna and North Shore have next week off, while the next four highest ranked teams have their own knockout series.

Defending champions New Plymouth Old Boys will meet Southern while Tukapa face Coastal in next week's Taranaki playoffs.

Fine weather beamed down on the rugby fields across much of the country, with the result being some highly entertaining games across the leading competitions.

New Brighton are leading the way after three rounds in Christchurch.

Oriental-Rongotai lead in Wellington, but eight points separates the entire field with three rounds of the regular season still to play.

In Manawatu, College Old Boys have secured first place for the semi-finals with a week remaining after beating Varsity.

Napier Old Boys Marist earned their sixth straight bonus point of the second round Maddison Trophy in Hawke’s Bay.

Waikato club rugby fired up with Melville taking top spot ahead of Hautapu, after their big win over Morrinsville and Hautapu’s 24-26 defeat to Hamilton Marist.

College Rifles and Suburbs are joint leaders after five rounds of seven of the Alan McEvoy Shield in Auckland.

Old Boys Marist hold a slender lead to second paced Mid Northern with one round to play in the Northland Southern Districts Premiers competition.

New Zealand Mitre 10 Cup provinces Premier Rugby Scores for 2 July 2016–starting at the bottom of the country and moving up - were:

Southland
Pirates Old Boys 34 - Marist 22
Star 38 - Blues 32
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 20 - Woodlands 10
Competition leaders: Eastern-Northern Barbarians

Otago
Kaikorai 30 - Taieri:27
Alhambra-Union 41 – Pirates 8
University 61 - Zingari-Richmond 0
Dunedin 32 - Green Island 19
Southern 23 – Harbour 20
Competition leaders: University

Canterbury
Section 1
New Brighton 26 - University 5
Sydenham 34 – Christchurch 25
Lincoln University 45 - Linwood 7
Section 2
HSOB 63 - Burnside 0
Sumner 43 - Shirley 7
Marist Albion 28-Belfast 13
Competition leaders after 3 rounds: New Brighton (S1), Marist Albion (S2)

Tasman
Nelson Bays
Wanderers 32 – Stoke 15
Waimea OB 26 – Kahurangi 23
Nelson 25 – Marist 21
Marlborough
Waitohi 44 – East Coast 12
Moutere 37 – Renwick 31
Central 75 – Harlequins 10
Competition leaders: Wanderers (Nelson), Central (Marlborough)

Wellington
Jubilee Cup
Upper Hutt Rams 46 – Ories 29
Poneke 28 – MSP 13
OBU 36 – Wellington FC 25
Tawa 29 – Wainuiomata 15
Hardham Cup
HOBM 23 – Norths 18
Petone 31 – Avalon 26
Johnsonville 29 – MSP B 29
Paremata-Plimmerton 23 - OBU B 15

Manawatu
Te Kawau 55 - Freyberg 12
COB 34 - Varsity 24
FOB Oroua 38 - Linton 17
OBM 17 - Kia Toa 14
Feilding: BYE

Taranaki
Clifton 34 – Stratford 31
Tukapa 37 – Spotswood 29
Coastal 42 – Inglewood 24
NPOB 39 – Southern 26
Top qualifiers – NPOB

Hawke’s Bay
Hastings 40 – Napier Tech 32
Napier Old Boys Maris 29 – Havelock North 20
MAC 26 – Tamatea 23
Taradale 36 – Central 15
Napier Pirate 39 – Clive 22
Maddison Trophy leaders after 6 rounds: NOBM

Waikato
University 33 - United Matamata Sports 25
Hamilton Marist 26 - Hautapu 24
Melville 45 - Morrinsville Sports 10
Otorohanga 25 - Fraser Tech 20
Hamilton Old Boys 50 - Te Awamutu Sports 14
Competition leaders after 17 rounds: Melville

Bay of Plenty
Baywide Premier 1
Rangataua 22 - Te Puke Sports 18
Mount Maunganui 23 - Whakatane Marist 15
Tauranga Sports 46 - Greerton Marist 7
Rotoiti 30 - Te Puna 28
Baywide Premier 2
Paroa 30 - Ngongotaha 5
Waikite 15 - Marist St Michael's 6
Whakarewarewa 47 - Poroporo 27
Arataki 25 - Opotiki 17
Competition leaders: Mount Maunganui Sports (Premier 1), Whakarewarewa (Premier 2)

Counties Manukau
Karaka 21 - Patumahoe 9
Pukekohe 13 – Bombay 10
Ardmore Marist 18 – Onewhero 11
Manurewa 60 - Te Kauwhata 8
Waiuku 44 – Papakura 13
Weymouth = BYE
Standings: Karaka (pool A) and Bombay (pool B) – one round to play.

Auckland
Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield
College Rifles 45 - Papatoetoe 10
Grammar TEC 17 - Pakuranga 7
Suburbs 35 - Waitemata 32
Marist 32 - Ponsonby 31
Portola Trophy
University 20 - Eden 11
Waitakere City 13 - Manukau Rovers 12
Te Papapa Onehunga 16 - Mt Wellington 14
East Tamaki 41 - Otahuhu 15
Competition leaders: College Rifles and Suburbs (Alan McEvoy) and University (Portola)

North Harbour
Takapuna  27 - Massey  19 
Silverdale 34 - Western Pioneers 25 
East Coast Bays 39 - Northcote 28 
North Shore 50 - Marist 0 
Glenfield 52 - Mahurangi 7 
Top qualifiers Takapuna

Northland
Southern Districts Premiers
Mid Northern 27 - Kamo.6
Old Boys Marist 51 - Sharks 10
Otamatea 78- Hikurangi 20
Wellsford 33 - Mid Western 27
Waipu. 39 - HoraHora 30
Competition leaders after 16 rounds: Old Boys Marist