Waikawa Bay rippas on top
The Waikawa Bay crew: Back row, from left, Max Faulkner, Macey Woolley, Khali Mataele, Paige Aitchison, Glen Smith. Front row - Riley Drummond, Tama Mataele, Hunter Giles, Lockie Burgess, Heeni Tawhi. Photo supplied.
Picton’s Waikawa Bay School are the 2023 Tasman Rippa Rugby champions, just the second time a team from this side of the hill has taken out the top of the south title.
Fielding just nine players, against squads of 12, Waikawa Bay won five of their six matches last week, including the final, 3-2 over St Joseph’s from Nelson.
They beat Tahuna 8-2 in game one, then accounted for Richmond, 5-2, and Stoke, 4-3, with their only defeat coming against Henley, who beat them 5-3.
In the semis Waikawa downed Fairhall 5-4 then took out the final decider.
The team’s MVPs were Hunter Giles, Max Faulkner and Paige Aitchison.
The other Marlborough-based side to win the event was Witherlea School, who prevailed in June, 2021.