Great Rugby Club prizegiving

The Wainuiomata Rugby Football club was packed when it celebrated another good season at its annual prizegiving on 29 July.

Peteru Time took out the top award when he was presented the Most Outstanding Player of the Year by the club’s sponsor, Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen.

A member of the Wainuiomata premier team, Peteru plays in two positions – flanker and number 8.

James Oti was awarded the Ben Tupuola Best and Fairest Award. This award is named in memory of one of Wainuiomata Rugby’s greats. Ben passed away around two years ago.

Two players were named as the joint Women’s Player of the Year – Canon Hakaria and Kiri Gronbeck.

This was one of two awards Canon won. A year 12 Sacred Heart College student and a senior women’s player, Canon was also awarded the Most Promising Senior Player award.

The outstanding Wainuiomata player Peter Umaga-Jensen was awarded the Most Valuable Club player.

Ulalei Aute annihilates Naenae

By Toli Sagaga

Ulalei Aute continued their winning form in the Hutt Valley Premier 1 netball competition, annihilating Naenae Collegians United Blue 75-31 on 5 August.

Ulalei Aute came out firing forcing an immediate turnover on Naenae’s first centre pass which was converted by goalshooter Sina Tamaali’i, to give the team an early boost.

The defensive unit of goal keep Alofa Aberdein-Tapu ’i, goal defence Luisa Milovale and wing defence Lace Tangianau was formidable, shutting down the opposition to take a commanding 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Aberdein-Tapu ’i was a real workhorse, disrupting Naenae's attackers who struggled to find space to receive the ball resulting in either a held ball or a poor pass.

The midcourt combination of Renee Savai’inaea and Angela Milovale was smooth and efficient providing excellent ball to their shooters Brittany Antipas and Tamaalii who easily converted the goals.

By half time the score blew out to 39-14 in favour of Ulalei Aute.

The onslaught continued in the second half with the introduction of impact players Oshyn Mulipola and Oakley Baldwin who brought the ball down the court seamlessly.

The shooter to shooter passing between Antipas and Tamaali’i to advance closer to the post was flawless, and frustrated the Naenae defence.

This was a clinical and dominant performance from Ulalei Aute working like a

The current captain of the Wellington Lions, Peter plays as a centre or outside back. He has been playing for Wainuiomata since he was five years old and has also played for the Wellington Hurricanes.

Two coaches were named as Coaches of the Year – Grant Fore and Waaka Poutu and Mikade Fono won the Seniors Most Valuable New Comer trophy.

At the prizegiving the club also welcomed the 2023 school leavers from Wainuiomata High School, St Bernards College and St Pats Silverstream back to the club. The players are all former junior players from the club. well-oiled machine.

As well as presenting the trophies, Ginny Andersen was presented with a Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club hoodie, complete with her name.

Following the presentations the club held an after party.

It was, the club says, “a fabulous night, made even better by the delicious dinner provided by Fine Touch Catering and the fantastic music from band 2 Twenty which kept everyone on the dance floor all night long”.

In the Senior 3 division, an entertaining game in the club derby between the young guns Ulalei Fuesina and the seasoned Ulalei Moso'oi saw the experienced Moso'oi display their skills of old against the youngsters.

"It was a great game against our up and coming talent. They really made us work and thankfully we had our subs to get us through the match," says player/manager Kathleen Samuelu. Moso'oi took the win 32-19.

"What is great about this club is that we are all whanau/ iga and just out there to have a run and enjoy. And that is all that matters at the end of the day," says long time member and player Summer Murray.