Wellington representative teams win Piri Weepu Sevens

Above: Lise Soloa swings in to score Wellington’s first try in the Piri Weepu Sevens Men’s Cup final against Horowhenua-Kapiti

The Wellington (WRFU) Men’s and Women’s teams warmed up for next weekend’s Central Region Sevens qualifying tournament in Palmerston North with comprehensive tournament wins in today’s Piri Weepu Sevens at Mary Crowther Park.

The one-day Piri Weepu Sevens event was down on teams from last year but not on action as the final day of rugby in Wellington for 2014 finished with a flourish.

In fine, windy conditions, both winning sides marched to their respective finals untroubled. The Wellington Women completed a dominant day with a 41-0??final win over a visiting Hawke’s Bay club side Havelock North that included some Hawke’s Bay women’s NPC players and the Wellington Men pulled clear of the Horowhenua-Kapiti representative Sevens team to win their final 30-15.

Led by captain Kat Simpkins, who scored a bucket load of tries, the Wellington Women had too much dash and unyielding defence for their opposition, beating club teams Old Boys-University 45-0, Havelock North 49-0 and Wainuiomata 48-0 in their round-robin games.

Some front-line players including Hayden Schrijvers, Vaea Fifita, Greg Foe, Sheridan Rangihuna, Tamati Samuels and Ryan Setefano were on hand but not playing for the Wellington Men’s side for this tournament, giving the full squad a good hit-out.?

The team responded with early wins over the team that beat them in the semi-finals of this tournament last year, the Pacific Warriors (45-0), Horowhenua-Kapiti (34-12) and Johnsonville (37-17). They then beat the Fijian Flyers – effectively the Wellington Development team – in their Cup semi-final match (26-7).

Horowhenua-Kapiti preyed on Wainuiomata’s mistakes in winning the other Cup semi-final (28-21). After Horowhenua-Kapiti scored a runaway try early in the second half, this semi-final was hanging on a knife-edge with Wainuiomata attacking Horowhenua-Kapiti’s line but then dropping the ball and allowing the visitors to scamper clear to score the match-winner.

The Men’s Cup final saw the Wellington team score four tries out wide and skip to a 20-5 halftime lead playing into the wind, only for Horowhenua-Kapiti to hit back with two tries and close the margin to 20-15. However, late tries to Taniela Manu and Nick Grigg sealed victory.

The Men’s Plate final was a thriller, with Marist St Pat’s and the visiting Manawatu Fijians all locked up at 19-19 at the end of regular time. MSP seemingly scored the winning try, only for the Manawatu Fijians to score again and thus force a golden point decider. The Manawatu Fijians then scored almost immediately from the kick-off and they won 24-19.

MSP had progressed through to the Plate final by winning their Plate semi-final by default, after their opposition the Pacific Warriors withdrew from the tournament with not enough players owing to earlier injuries.

Several notable players were on show across several of the teams, a selection being former Samoan Sevens internationals Fa’atonu Fili (MSP) and Uale Mai (Wainuiomata), recent Samoan European Samoan tourist Jack Taulapapa and veteran Corey Burt (both Johnsonville), and Wellington club players Joe Hill, Brandyn Laursen and Te Wehi Wright (all playing for Horowhenua-Kapiti).

2014 Piri Weepu Sevens Tournament Results were (scores and results all unofficial):

Men’s Pool Play

Horowhenua-Kapiti 26 – Johnsonville 5

Wellington Flyers 17 – Marist St Pat’s 5

Horowhenua-Kapiti 33 – Pacific Warriors 15

Wainuiomata 27 – Manawatu Fijians 7

WRFU 45 – Pacific Warriors 0

Marist St Pat’s 19 – Manawatu Fijians 15

WRFU 34 – Horowhenua-Kapiti 12

Johnsonville 21 – Pacific Warriors 10

Wainuiomata 21 – Wellington Flyers 12

Wainuiomata 28 – Marist St Pat’s 5

Wellington Flyers 27 – Manawatu Fijians 5

Women’s Pool Play

WRFU 45 – Old Boys University 0

Havelock North 26 – Wainuiomata 5

WRFU 49 – Havelock North 0

Wainuiomata 26 – Old Boys University 7

WRFU 48 – Wainuiomata 0

Havelock North 27 – Old Boys University 7

Men’s Cup semi-finals

WRFU 26 – Wellington Flyers 7

Horowhenua-Kapiti 28 – Wainuiomata 21

Men’s Plate semi-finals

Manawatu Fijians 38 – Johnsonville 19

Marist St Pat’s WBD – Pacific Warriors LBD

Women’s semi-finals

WRFU 46 – Old Boys University 0

Havelock North 26 – Wainuiomata 17

Men’s Plate final

Manawatu Fijians 24 – Marist St Pat’s 19 (Golden Point win)

Women’s final

WRFU 41 – Havelock North 0

Men’s Cup final

WRFU 30 – Horowhenua-Kapiti 15

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