I spoke last week of the ITM Cup and how important it is for the New Zealand (NZ) Rugby landscape. That rings true, as the second week of that competition continued with seven more entertaining games played. To support that level of rugby is another championship that is celebrating a special occasion – 10 Seasons of Heartland Rugby.
The Pink Batts Heartland Championship brings together those provincial representative teams that are at a level just below ITM Cup, but not by much. Teams like the 2014 Meads Cup winners Mid-Canterbury and Lochore Cup winners Wanganui compete with as much pride and passion as Taranaki or Manawatu teams do. These twelve amateur teams have long and proud histories, and for many NZ Rugby followers the Heartland Championship has as stronger value as the Super Rugby or ITM Cup do.
It is the true ‘grassroots’ level of representative rugby union, where in this country the national administration put a huge value on ‘rugby basics’ being foremost. New Zealand Rugby General Manager Rugby Neil Sorensen said the Heartland Championship held an important place in the national game’s calendar. “With a grassroots feel we are all familiar with, this competition, like the ITM Cup, offers something that no other country can match – a national, inter-provincial tournament that covers the depth and breadth of the country across both large urban to small, rural communities.
“These players, coaches, management teams and fans are a huge part of what traditional rugby is about. They go to work, come home, head off to train twice a week with their mates before travelling what can be hundreds of kilometres just to be at the game on Saturday – before starting all over again on Monday. I love watching this sort of rugby,” he said, and I agree wholeheartedly.
The level of interest is heartfelt, where fans have a parochial support based on their rugby loyalties; regional or township based, but often that support is built on long-term relationships that many fans have developed for generations. While we celebrate ten years in it’s current format, the encounters between these provinces have occurred throughout the last century, with some beginning in the 18th century and Last Word On Sports looks forward to some great matches over the next two months that will reinforce this competitions importance.
The eight week competition see’s all teams play on Saturday, the traditional rugby-day for players and fans who still hold a natural affinity for that schedule [many players still having nine-to-five jobs] Home and away matches will see the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup semi-finals played on 18 October between the top four qualifying sides. The Meads Cup Final to be played Saturday 25 October, and the Lochore Cup Final on Sunday 26 October.
The prizes are named in honour of two of New Zealand rugby’s greatest players and men. Sir Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads is legendary on and off the field. Known for an immense workrate that saw him play over an incredible three decades for the All Blacks (55 tests) and for his beloved King Country. The other cup is named after former All Blacks captain, coach and manager Sir Brian Lochore (25 tests) This respected Wairapa Bush native holds all the values that NZ rugby stands for, hard work, integrity and down to earth fundamentals – he and Colin Meads are both members of the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
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Heartland Championship – Week One
Results – Buller 32 King Country 20, Westport | East Coast 10 Poverty Bay 60, Ruatoria | Horowhenua-Kapiti 34 Wanganui 39, Levin | Mid Canterbury 34 South Canterbury 17, Ashburton | North Otago 17 West Coast 16, Oamaru | Thames Valley 9 Wairapa Bush 36, Paeroa.
Match of the week: The big show came to little old Ruatoria, on New Zealands beautiful East Cape and locals were out in force to support their favourite sons up against their long time foes, Poverty Bay. In a nine try haul, the stronger Poverty Bay must have put in a greater pre-season this year as they ‘came out swinging’ and took advantage of a slumbering home team. With 26 points in the first half alone, they ‘put the foot down’ and the Ngati Porou side had little resistance, scoring just ten points in total.
If the East Coast side are to have any success this season, they will need to build a stronger resolve and work on their game starts, but it was certainly a great way for the Poverty Bay team to celebrate 125 years [1890 to 2015] What a proud history that underlines Heartland Rugby, kudos must go to the side from Gisbourne who along with Buller, Wanganui, Mid Canterbury, North Otago and Wairapa Bush, all had solid first up wins. In Week two we can look forward to more traditional games, included the ‘West Coast tussle’ between that Greymouth side and their close neighbors Buller.
Future fixtures – Saturday 29 August – King Country v Horowhenua-Kapiti, Te Kuiti | Poverty Bay v Thames Valley, Gisbourne | South Canterbury v East Coast, Timaru | Wairapa Bush v North Otago, Masterton | Wanganui v Mid Canterbury, Wanganui | West Coast v Buller, Greymouth.
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ITM Cup – Week Two
Games were played from Thursday night through to Sunday, as NZ rugby fans viewing returned to ‘normal mode’ with more outstanding matches. Myself, I ventured down to North Harbour Stadium to witness the atmosphere of an ITM Cup match from the ground level, and while the result went very much to form with the stronger Wellington side overcoming an inconsistent Harbour team, I did very much enjoy the occasion.
It started with a popular FirstIV schoolboy game that was played during the pre-match window. Won by Rosmini College, that traditional clash bolstered the crowd numbers to approximately three thousand. A good result in support, that match was also significant that it coincided with the 30th anniversary of the formation of the North Harbour Union [established 1985] It brought memories of Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford, Frano Botica and those breakaway Northern Suburbs clubs who joined together to establish this young provincial union.
Results – North Harbour 0 Wellington 43, Albany | Tasman 34 Bay of Plenty 13, Nelson | Manawatu 21 Waikato 28, Palmerston North | Northland 18 Southland 27, Whangarei | Otago 22 Hawkes Bay 39, Dunedin | Auckland 30 Taranaki 24, Auckland | Canterbury 20 Counties-Manukau 15, Christchurch.
Match of the week: Coming off a shock loss the week prior, Manawatu would have liked to bounce back quickly and to put there Premiership chances back on track but the visiting Waikato side didn’t lay down at all.We saw a good encounter from these top-tier sides in a match that could not have started any better for visitors. Waikato scored inside two minutes of the kick-off, and seemed to have a knack of survival – two Yellow Cards during a game would normally mean you hand the opposition 20 minutes with a man-on-man advantage, but even as Manawatu scored during the ten minutes while Tawera Kerr-Barlow spent in the ‘naughty chair’, they had built up a hoard of penalties to compliment the final try to Damian McKenzie. That score saw them out last the Turbo’s 21-28.
With this second loss, Manawatu must now return to the winners circle, and quickly too. The newly promoted side have talent and look to be a well prepared side, but a winning habit it this higher division can be hard to retain. Their task may be even harder next week, as they face a strong Tasman team at home who dismantled Bay of Plenty on Friday night.
That match was played with a level of ‘niggle’ that too saw Yellow Cards awarded. Discipline will undo many sides I feel this season, and on Thursday night this will be a crucial match for both – if Manawatu loses, then the season just got ‘a lot harder’ to recover. If Tasman lose, then at least they have a respectable points differential to shield them from the chasing pack. The only team with two wins to begin the ITM season, it is a great position to be in and I’m sure next weeks match in Blenheim should be a defining week of each sides 2015 season.
Future Fixtures – Wednesday 26 August: Bay of Plenty v Southland, Tauranga | Thursday 27 August: Tasman v Manawatu, Blenheim | Friday 28 August: Counties-Manukau v Hawkes Bay, Pukekohe | Saturday 29 August: Auckland v Canterbury, Auckland | Taranaki v Otago, New Plymouth | Wellington v Northland, Wellington | Sunday 30 August: Bay of Plenty v Waikato, Tauranga | Southland v North Harbour, Invercargill.
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Next week, both competitions continue, so I will again bring you the full results for both competitions as well as a report on the All Blacks squad of 31 players that is named on Sunday night. This is the group who will lead the New Zealand side in an attempt to defend, and to win the Rugby World Cup [on foreign soil]
That prize is ultimately the key focus for many, but for one, I believe the success of our national team relies on the supporting levels of rugby. The Heartland Championship does not include so many All Blacks or Super Rugby players today as it might once have had but if it were not for the origins of these established clubs and provinces, and the honest manner in how these matches are played and supported, then many future All Blacks and leading NZ rugby players would have never have got that early sense of loyalty, pride and the passion to become better at this game that they all love.
During the build-up to this competition kicking off, Craig Dowd was asked on RadioSport what he thought of ITM Cup and Heartland Rugby “It’s where it all begins isn’t it. Without this level of competition, there is no All Blacks, no Super Rugby and fans really get in behind it. Guys put their hands up here for selection, so this is critical to players futures, and they need to perform to impress for higher honours. It’s just the ‘bread and butter’ of NZ rugby and I still enjoy it”.
Of course that is true of many nations around the world, and we take our hat off to the Australian Rugby Union for re-establishing a national competition. We often envy the strength of the game in the UK, Wales and French clubs too, but after 10 Seasons of Heartland Rugby, we can all see its core values now, as much as ever. The rugby landscape would be removed if this level of the game were not celebrated. “Go well guys” and you know that I and many more rugby fans will be turning up next week at grassroots Heartland Championship and ITM Cup games up and down this country. And rugby is more better off for having these matches played.
“Main Photo”
