Rugby League World Cup

Taniwharau have returned to the winners column in the Auckland Women’s Premiership following their victory over Otahuhu.

AUCKLAND WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP
Howick 50 – 34 Ponsonby
Friday night lights saw the Howick Hornets claim an impressive victory over Ponsonby. An offensive clinic from the home side playing at Paparoa Park put Cilia-Marie Po’e-Tofaeono over the line for six individual tries in the ten try performance. A close game throughout, with two points in it at halftime, the Hornets came out to get the job done with a 30-point second half.

Taniwharau 34 – 6 Otahuhu
Taniwharau have jumped back into the winner’s column with a victory over Otahuhu. Te Oriwa Ahuriri and Nyesha Hamilton got doubles on the day as they put the pressure on the Leopards with a balanced performance across the full eighty minutes. Taniwharau will look to continue to improve and strong wins together as they could make a late push for the top four, starting with a test against the Howick Hornets, a team in a similar position.

Manurewa 30 – 8 Otara
Manurewa have taken down Otara and claimed sole position of second place in the competition. Going into the competition sitting on equal competition points, both teams were looking to take control below first placed Pt Chevalier. The Marlins had a point to prove, shooting out to an 18-nil halftime lead through three converted tries. The pressure continued straight out of half-time with Kerehitina Denise dotting over for her second try as the second half begin and securing a hat-trick 20 minutes later. Maitua Feterika had a double in the contest.

Pt Chevalier 26 – 4 Richmond
The Pirates continue to roll and remain unbeaten after eight rounds of Premiership competition. A close game in the first half between the inner-city rivals, heading into the break with a four-point Pt Chevalier advantage, they had their work cut out for them heading into the second half. An evident increase of effort from the competition leaders put them in control and continue to hold firm control of the competition.

AUCKLAND WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Pukekohe 32 – 28 Glenora
The Pukekohe Pythons have claimed their first win of the season, taking down the Glenora Bears. The side has continued to show up week-in and week-out with less playing numbers than the rest of the competition teams and shown improvements throughout the season. The side scored six tries, to the Bears five, with Lilliarn Asafo getting a double in the sides effort.

Manukau 38 – 14 Manurewa
After getting their first loss of the season last weekend, the Magpies come out with a point to prove against the Manurewa Marlins. Scoring the first twenty points of the game, Manukau got off to a great start before Manurewa had a chance to hit back with two tries towards the break. The second half followed a similar trend with the Magpies scoring four consecutive tries before Grace Tautuhi crossed late for the Marlins. Roseleen Rave, Cassandra Tere and Delainah Marsters all scored two tries each in the contest.

The post Taniwharau return to the winners circle in Auckland Women’s Premiership appeared first on Asia Pacific Rugby League.

By Will Evans

The race for CRL Bartercard Mens’ Premiership finals spots tightened up with fast-finishing Hornby Panthers nabbing a crucial win and Northern Bulldogs going down convincingly at home in Round 11 of the Massetti Cup. Meanwhile, Linwood Keas, Halswell Hornets and Eastern Eagles consolidated the top three places on the table with big victories.

Hornby outlasted seventh-placed Celebration 22-12 at Leslie Park, but only after tries to Caleb Murphy and Allan Gillies provided the defending champs with some breathing space. The Lions had scored the opening try of the second half to level the scores at 12-all.

The result saw the Panthers claw to within two points of the fourth-placed Bulldogs, who were overwhelmed 34-4 by the in-form Hornets at Murphy Park. Long-serving centre Ken Tofilau scored two tries in the first half and fullback Jacob Nyman bagged a double after the break as the second-placed Hornets improved to a 9-2 record.

Hornby and Northern square off on Saturday in a pivotal showdown with three rounds remaining.

Eastern opened up a four-point gap in third spot courtesy of a 70-8 defeat of Papanui, with front-rower Uriah Esau cashing in for three of the Eagles’ 13 tries at Wainoni Park.

Linwood looks assured of finishing top of the table, going 11-0 with a 52-10 win over Riccarton. The Keas stormed to a 48-0 lead after Mika Moemalo Ulu scored his third try in the opening stages of the second half, but the Knights were able to stem the flow of points and peg a couple of tries back for themselves.

The Keas are four points clear of the Hornets, while the sixth-placed Knights are four points adrift of the top four and will need other results to fall their way to sneak into the playoffs.

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Round 11 of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup showcased some thrilling results, where the Queanbeyan Blues now reign supreme atop the competition ladder.

Queanbeyan Blues 34 d Tuggeranong Bushrangers 10
The Queanbeyan Blues have leapfrogged West Belconnen into first place after defeating the Bushrangers 34-10 at Greenway Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Captain-coach Terry Campese continued to take his side to new heights, starring in the 24 point victory with numerous scoring involvements and a try of his own.

It was a convincing first half performance from the visitors, running in five tries including two to winger Tyre Kimori to take a 24-nil lead after 40 minutes.

Tuggeranong were able to cross over twice late in the second half to end the Blues’ scoring run, through edge backrower Patrick Birch and fullback Damien Hayden.

The Bushrangers will now shift their attention to this weekend where they take on the Sharks, while Queanbeyan will have a well-deserved rest with the bye.

Goulburn City Bulldogs 12 d Gungahlin Bulls 8
The Goulburn City Bulldogs have bounced back from their 44-point loss to the Sharks in round ten with a hard fought victory over the Bulls at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval on Saturday.

On a muddy pitch, neither side threw the ball around too much, instead playing well through the middle of the field.

It didn’t take long for the home side to score, with a shift to the right finding fullback Caleb Edwards who stepped past a would-be defender and put centre Joshua Pokoney over for the first points of the afternoon.

The Bulldogs answered back with two consecutive tries until Gungahlin levelled the scores at 8-all in the 29th minute.

The score remained the same going into halftime however, only five minutes into the second half, destructive Bulldogs fullback Dillon Rota busted his way through multiple tackles to run 40 metres to score in the corner.

The 45th minute try was all that could separate the two sides with Goulburn City holding onto the four-point lead for the rest of the match.

Gungahlin will host the Magpies this weekend while the Bulldogs will look to build upon their win when they come up against the second placed Warriors back in Goulburn.

Woden Valley Rams 32 d Yass Magpies 8
The pain continues to mount for the struggling Magpies who fell to Woden 32-8 at Phillip Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Woden Valley winger Nicholas Baldwin continued his incredible try scoring form, running in two tries in his side’s 24-point victory, taking his tally out to ten for the season.

Yass scored their one and only try in the 15th minute through their fullback Bayley Maher, but the Rams scored the next two to give them a narrow 10-8 lead going into halftime.

However, it was all Woden Valley in the second 40 minutes with the home side scoring four unanswered tries to take the win.

Woden Valley host the inform Kangaroos back at Phillip Oval this weekend while Yass will try to end their six-game losing streak when they take on Gungahlin.

Queanbeyan Kangaroos 31 d Belconnen United Sharks 24
The Queanbeyan Kangaroos have begun to turn their season around registering their second consecutive win after defeating Belconnen United 31-24 at Seears Workwear Oval on Saturday.

The inclusion of halfback Sam Williams continues to have a huge impact the Queanbeyan side, bringing a field of knowledge and experience to the Roos over the past fortnight.

After the Sharks opened the scoring for the afternoon, the Kangaroos’ attack got rolling, running in 23-unanswered-points to end the first half.

But the Sharks wouldn’t go down that easy, scoring the first three tries of the second half to bring them within five-points of the home side.

However, time was against Belconnen United after two teams exchanged tries to end the match, giving the Roos a much needed seven-point win.

Belconnen United will face Tuggeranong in a huge clash at Bruce as both sides will be hungry to be back in the winners circle.

For the Kangaroos, they travel to Woden to take on the Rams in a real test for Queanbeyan against a top four side.

The post Queanbeyan Blues move to outright leaders in Canberra Raiders Cup appeared first on Asia Pacific Rugby League.

The Yass Magpies have continued their undefeated run in the Katrina Fanning Shield as we wrap-up round nine of the competition.

Yass Magpies 30 d Woden Valley Rams 10
The Yass Magpies continue to solidify their premiership credentials after defeating the Woden Valley Rams 30-10 on Saturday afternoon at Phillip Oval.

The Rams are the new kids on the block this year, experiencing a ton of success in their inaugural season in the Katrina Fanning Shield.

Although the Magpies made lightwork of the new expansion side, running out winners with a dominant 20 point victory.

Yass fullback Lucy Prosser bagged another four-pointer in her sides’ big win, increasing her try-scoring tally out to 14 on the season.

Yass will turn their attention to Goulburn this Sunday in a battle of the top two. Meanwhile, Woden will look to bounce-back when they host the Tuggeranong Bushrangers this Saturday morning.

Queanbeyan Blues 28 d Tuggeranong Bushrangers 6
The Queanbeyan Blues took no time returning to the winner’s circle after their tight six point loss to Woden at GIO Stadium a fortnight ago.

The Blues were dominant in their 26-6 win over the Bushies, with centre Klaudia Osztrenkovics bagging a double on the right-edge.

It’s been a year of up and downs for the Tuggeranong side, struggling to find any consistency in their 2022 campaign.

However, the sixth-placed side only sit two points outside the top four with plenty of time left to make a push for finals footy.

These two sides will meet again in two week’s time in the KFS Magic Round at Raiders Belconnen.

Although, the Blues will first shift their focus to the Harden Worhawks this Saturday, while the Bushies will have another tough task in the Rams at Phillip Oval.

Goulburn City Bulldogs 52 d UC Stars 0
Goulburn continue to show-off their dominance, closing out their sixth-straight win in a huge 52-nil victory over the UC Stars.

Goulburn fullback Krystal Blackwell starred in her sides’ big win, scoring a hattrick to add to her total tally of 13 tries on the season.

Annika Picker and Isabella Sheen also bagged doubles, with five-eighth Lauren Kelly kicking six conversions.

UC have had a tough couple of weeks against the two top sides in Yass and Goulburn, conceding a significant amount of points and struggling to find the try-line.

The UC side will look to get back to their winning ways when they host South Coast United at home this Saturday.

Goulburn will face-off against the Yass Magpies in a potential grand final trial match as the two sides look to separate themselves from the rest of the competition.

South Coast United 34 d Boomanulla Raiders 9
South Coast United snapped their two-game losing streak with a big 34-9 victory over the Boomanulla Raiders on Saturday afternoon.

It’s been quite a successful year for the new expansion side of South Coast, after closing the gap to just two points between them and the top four.

Fullback Isabella Anastasi and five-eighth Abbey Montgomery both starred in the performance, bagging a double each in the sides’ strong win.

It continues to be an incredibly tough year for the Boomanulla side, who still haven’t been able to string a win together this season.

Although, the side still have plenty of time to make adjustments and improvements with another five games remaining in the season.

This may be a perfect time to have the bye for Boomanulla, where they’ll shift their focus to Goulburn next weekend.

South Coast will travel to take on UC this weekend in an important clash for both sides as they set their eyes on a top four spot.

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Rotorua will create history by becoming the first venue in Aotearoa New Zealand to host the Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars.

The Australian Rugby League Commission today confirmed Rotorua as the venue for the 2023 All Stars, the first time the concept will be played outside Australia.

The 2023 contest, to be played at Rotorua International Stadium and featuring men’s and women’s matches, will land on New Zealand shores for the 12th All Stars fixture – and the fifth between the Māori All Stars and the Indigenous All Stars.

The announcement was made this morning by NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, alongside Rotorua Lakes Council, Te Arawa and Indigenous Australia representatives including Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council Chair Katrina Fanning at Te Puia, the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, Rotorua.

ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys AM said the Commission understood the enormity of Aotearoa New Zealand being able to host the Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars event.

“The All Stars game is incredibly special and important to us, and it’s only just we share it with our New Zealand friends,” Mr V’landys said.

“The Māori All Stars versus Indigenous All Stars game has advanced so much since its inception in 2019 and playing in New Zealand will only continue this rapid growth.”

NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo said the event would benefit communities in the Rotorua region and more broadly in New Zealand.

“All Stars brings communities and culture together perhaps like no other week in our calendar. Knowing how important Rotorua is to Māori culture, we are excited to work with the community on becoming the first Aotearoa New Zealand location to host the event,” Mr Abdo said.

“The 2023 All Stars game will coincide with the 50-year anniversary of the first Indigenous Rugby League tour of New Zealand, and will also be 50 years since Arthur Beetson became the first Indigenous athlete to captain Australia.”

Chair of New Zealand Māori Rugby League, John Devonshire, said it was the highest echelon for Māori sport to aspire to. In the last five years it’s always been about bringing the game and people back home.

“It’s a great opportunity for us as Māori, for Te Arawa and Rotorua as hau kainga and tangata whenua. We want to give the Indigenous team an opportunity to enjoy our culture. It’s a community effort, and we want to invite the whole community, and what better place in Aotearoa to do it?

“Rotorua has become the destination of choice for a number of reasons – geographically for its location, we have great relationships with the people, and the facilities are second to none. We are so unbelievably grateful for what Rotorua Lakes Council are doing to host this game at Rotorua International Stadium.”

Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council Chair Katrina Fanning said: “The impact of all 11 of our previous All Stars matches has been vast, both for Indigenous communities and more recently for Maori communities.

“To be able to bring this game to New Zealand will connect the cultural growth and education with so many more people, which is what we strive for each year.”

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said All Stars was a significant event for New Zealand and Rotorua.

“This is more than just a game, this is about celebrating our culture, and we feel privileged that Rotorua will be the first place to host the NRL All Stars games in Aotearoa, New Zealand,” Mayor Chadwick said.

“We welcome national and international manuhiri with open arms, to share in the excitement that these games will bring.”

Te Arawa representative, Sir Toby Curtis, said All Stars was a wonderful opportunity for Rotorua.

“I think when it comes to having international relations, especially for Māori, it is ideal that Rotorua be seen as a centre for Māori Rugby League,” Sir Curtis said.

“We are at a stage where people are starting to visit our shores again. We’ve got to become more internationally conscious because the future relies on how we relate to the rest of the world – not just Aotearoa, New Zealand.”

The 2023 NRL Harvey Norman All Stars will feature the women’s and men’s Indigenous and Māori teams. Tickets will be on sale later this year.

The All Stars matches will be broadcast live on the Nine Network, Fox League, Kayo Sports, Sky Sport New Zealand and Watch NRL.

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