Sporting shorts

Paddles up: Marlborough kayakers The Boomtown Boys have completed the gruelling Yukon 1000 paddling race. Tim Macfarlane and Kieran Hickman finished the race in joint eighth position, covering the 1000 mile (1600km)  journey  from Whitehorse in Canada to Dalton Highway Bridge in Alaska in seven days, six hours and 56 minutes. Kieran described it as “good fun, but really challenging ... a wicked experience, I just loved it”. Kieran and Tim competed against an elite 30-strong field, which was chosen from around 2500 entries from all over the world.

Sam’s the man: Marlborough hockey player Sam Young has been named in the Under-18 South men's team for the forthcoming U18 Queensland Series from December 15-20 at Kings College in Auckland. The South and North teams will take on each other as well as Queensland and The Mavericks in an event featuring some of New Zealand and Queensland’s best U18 talent.

Georgia at Games: Former Marlborough water polo player Georgia Reed is representing New Zealand at the World University Games in Germany. Georgia came through the Stadium 2000 swim school, played flipper ball, then represented Marlborough Girls’ College and the province with distinction soon after the sport’s inception in Marlborough.

Marty moves on: Martyn Vercoe, team manager of the Chiefs, will join head coach Clayton McMillan at Munster next season. The former Marlborough rep cricketer has worked as manager in a number of environments over the past 12 years. In addition to his current positions with the All Blacks XV and the Chiefs, he was also Team Manager with the New Zealand U20s from 2016 to 2022 and Tasman Mako from 2013 to 2020.

Tasman back on track: Back on track and back in the black. That was the positive message delivered at the Tasman Rugby Union’s recent annual general meeting. It was a very different picture when former chairman Wayne Young and his deputy Tony Healey came on to an interim board in February after considerable upheaval. The board has turned a predicted $400,000 budget blowout into a $70,000 surplus and is aiming to get to $100,000.

“We are really just tidying relationships with the community, stakeholders and sponsors, and have gone back to basics. That old saying, you don’t spend more than what you earn. We shouldn’t be accepting losses and gave very clear direction on what was acceptable and what was not. It is a reset and staff have really bought into it,” says Wayne.

Wayne and Tony will only stay on the board for another year. Tony has returned as an independent director and is joined by Nelson accountant Michael Parker and Motueka logger Mike Fraser. Riwaka businessman David Inch has also come on to the board, replacing Murchison’s Tony Peacock, who resigned recently.

More Mako men: The Tasman Mako men’s selectors have named another group of players in their ever-increasing squad to contest the Bunnings NPC which begins for them on August 3 in Tauranga. Added to the mix is last season’s Nelson College standout, first five Harry Inch. He joins a group of players who were on development contracts in2024 but are now fully contracted. They include the NZ under-20 trio of Cooper Roberts, Eli Oudenryn and Sione Mafi, plus Hunter Leppien, Johnny Lee and Brodie Robinson. A couple of exciting newcomers are former Queensland Reds and Western Force lock/flanker Lopeti Faifua, the Australian just 23-years-of-age, and 22-year-old hooker Tomasi Maka, who played for Moana Pasifika last season. Recently confirmed is former All Blacks centre/wing Leicester Fainga'anuku.

Woodbourne half: The 42nd annual Woodbourne Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, August 10 from 9am at the RNZAF Sports Fields at Woodbourne. 5km and 10km fun runs will take place on safe off road courses through the Pernod Ricard vineyards. The half marathon has three entry options – walk, hybrid run/walk or run. The course is on a mix of vineyard, gravel roads and quiet roads to the south of Renwick. Entries are available online at “Eventfinda Blenheim”, paper entries at Mitchell Sports in downtown Blenheim (cash only), and entries on the day at race HQ (additional $5 late entry fee applies – EFTPOS available). Any questions can be directed to the Woodbourne Half Marathon Facebook page, or by email to Mark at [email protected]