Women’s club rugby hopes lie with Wairau Wāhine

The Wairau Wāhine will fly Marlborough’s flag during this season’s women’s Tasman Trophy competition.

An amalgamation of players and administrators from the Moutere, Renwick and Central clubs, the Wairau side will join Kahurangi, Waimea Old Boys and Marist in the top of the south league, which begins on April 15.

After initial efforts by all the clubs involved to come up with more than one team from this side of the hill were hampered by low player numbers, some senior players got together and decided to form a new side.

They reasoned that running a large squad, with good numbers, would provide a better experience for those involved, rather than trying to scrape together three sides each week, good enough to tackle some classy opposition.

Niska Scott, a former Tasman rep and long-time Moutere stalwart, says around 30 players have expressed an interest in joining the Wāhine and she expects they will eventually run a squad of around 25 players.

Along with Niska, such experienced operators as Hannah Gillespie, Courtney Finau, Tallulah Tuffery, Di Huntley, Kelly Collins and Pippa Andrews will line up alongside such rising talents as Fiaali’i Solomona, Rebecca Fa’apopo and Raumati Rogers, providing a solid core.

Niska says the team were not totally focussed on results at this early stage.

“With this team coming together as a new group we are just looking at this season as a stepping stone, especially as regards bringing new players into the mix and getting them up to the level required to compete.

“We will always be concentrated on winning each game but just having fun and getting some newbies on the paddock is vital to growing the game in our region.”

Marlborough have enjoyed previous success in the Tasman Trophy, Moutere winning the 2021 final against the odds at Trafalgar Park, their third title after taking out the competition in 2017-18.

The side will play three Tasman Trophy rounds and have a strong coaching/management group of Helen Leota, Kelly Canning, Hannah Gillespie, Sinead Travers and Maiden Tupara.

The Wāhine begin their season on Saturday, April 15, against Kahurangi at Renwick Domain, kick off 1.15pm.

The Wairau Wāhine provisional squad: Ana Puliuvea, Bryher Jager, Court Finau, Emma Parnell, Fiaali’i Solomona, Hannah Gillespie, Jamie Allison, Jamie Love, Kelly Collins, Lana Mells, Maia Jones, Melissa Thompsett, Niska Scott, Pippa Andrews, Raumati Rogers, Rebecca Fa'apopo, Ryhan Nadji, Talia Craddock, Tallulah Tuffery, Tamara Taulapapa-Mati, Wiki Curtis, Tahlia Leigh, Diane Huntley, Katie Walker, Aiesha Tepuia, Aimee Harnett, Jess Hardley, Olivia Procter.

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