Action aplenty at Lansdowne

A packed Lansdowne Park signalling the full-scale opening of the 2025 club rugby season today.

Most age groups were catered for in a feast of rugby action, with matches of various duration stretching from 10am until mid-afternoon.

Junior players were spread across 15 grounds, taking part in the season-opening JAB Festival.

A senior women’s 10-a-side tournament, involving Moutere and the three other Tasman Trophy contenders, was staged on the western side of the park, with Kahurangi coming out on top and becoming the first holders of the newly-instituted Billy Guyton Shield.

Later in the day the senior A men’s competition got underway with a double-header on the number one field.

In the early game, last year’s runner-up Waitohi, were made to battle before getting the better of Harlequins 29-10, after the Tohis led 12-3 at the break.

The second match went Central’s way, the Blues prevailing 27-17 over Moutere.

The third ‘grassroots’ game took place at Havelock, with Renwick, the defending champs, opening their campaign against Pelorus, who finished bottom of the table last season.

In a major boil-over the Bojacks upset the Mud Dogs, winning 27-17, despite having a player sent off and two yellow cards.

Meanwhile, Marlborough’s sole representative in the Tasman Trophy men’s competition, Central, were well beaten 41-24 by Waimea Old Boys at Jubilee Park in Nelson this afternoon.

The Blues scored four tries, to Quentin MacDonald, midfielders Ben Filipo and Nigel Satherly, plus Cody Weir, Leo Marfell converting two, while Waimea scored five, Campbell Parata converting them all and adding two penalty goals.

In other matches, top of the table Marist crashed to Nelson in a high-scoring rugby encounter at Trafalgar Park.

Previously unbeaten Marist led 20-17 at half-time but the underdogs piled on 40 points in the second spell to win 57-47.

At the other end of the scale, defending champion Kahurangi finally opened its account, thrashing Stoke 58-20 at Greenmeadows.

The visitors scored six first-half tries and went past the home side to fifth on the table but Stoke at least salvaged a bonus point.