Selwyn_Times: May 17, 2023

Wednesday May 17 2023 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SPORT 19
Waihora aim to extend
streak to five in a row
• By Jaime Cunningham
WAIHORA ARE looking to
add to their four-game winning
streak when they take on
Methven on Saturday.
Waihora dominated winless
Woodend, turning a 22-3
halftime lead into a 48-3 win,
in round 6 and taking another
step towards the Luisetti Seeds
Combined Country competition
play-offs next month.
Flanker Geoff Beaumont
scored a hat trick for Waihora,
adding to the five tries he scored
against Springston in round 5.
Waihora head coach Ross
Soper said they took a while to
get going but had a strong second
half, which bumped up their
points differential.
“It was one of those games
where I rested a few players, so
the connections were a bit new,”
he said.
“But things clicked eventually,
and we scored a few tries at the
end of the second half, which
made the score look a bit better.”
Although Waihora went
down to unbeaten Ashburton
Celtic 19-17 in round 2, Soper
said the result motivates the
Magpies each week. Since the
loss, Waihora have won their last
five games, the last three by 24
points or more. They now hold
the best points differential in the
competition with 127.
Waihora were relentless on
defense, keeping Woodend
scoreless.
“This group has always had a
good defensive line, it’s been a
massive focus for us this year.”
With their remaining games
against Methven, Hurunui and
West Melton, Soper said the
depth of the playing squad will
be key going into the big matchups.
STRONG: Waihora Lock Heiko van Zweiten charges down
the sideline during their 48-3 win over Woodend.
PHOTOS: SMR EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
“We’re in a great position to
make 6 or 7 changes and still
win,” he said.
“I have confidence in any of
the players.”
In other games, Prebbleton
took home both the Hayden Kerr
Memorial Trophy and the Murray
Cooper Shield after beating
TRIES: Flanker Geoff Beaumont scored a hat-trick for
Waihora against Woodend.
Lincoln-Rolleston 42-10.
The Penguins now sit three
points clear of Ashley in pool A,
while Lincoln-Rolleston have just
seven points. Prebbleton have a
big match on Saturday, with the
top spot in pool A up for grabs
when they host Ashley.
After a slow start to the competition,
in-form Darfield have a
chance of making the semi-finals
next month after their 42-24 win
over Oxford.
Sitting on 22 points alongside
Saracens and Kaiapoi, Darfield
will need to win their three
remaining games, starting with
the clash against Saracens on
Saturday.
Lincoln-Rolleston host Hornby
in round 7 and will rate their
chances of a win at home after
four loses on the trot.
In pool B, Southbridge have
bragging rights over West
Melton after their 38-32 win.
A late fight back in the second
half by West Melton was still
not enough for the fifth-placed
side – who are now out of the
playoffs. West Melton will travel
to Culverden in round 7 to play
Hurunui, while Southbridge take
on Ohoka at Mandeville.
After leading Ashburton Celtic
22-14 at halftime, Springston
looked set to record the upset of
the season at the weekend. However,
a scoreless second half saw
Springston suffer their fifth loss
of the season 40-22. They play
Woodend on Saturday, who are
at the bottom of pool B on three
points alongside Springston.
Round 6 results:
Pool A: Darfield 42,
Oxford 24; Prebbleton 42,
Lincoln-Rolleston 10; Rakaia
25, Saracens 21; Southern
41, Hornby 7; Ashley 23,
Kaiapoi 23.
Points: Prebbleton 27,
Ashley 24, Kaiapoi 22,
Saracens 22, Darfield 22,
Southern 15, Rakaia 11,
Lincoln-Rolleston 7, Oxford
6, Hornby 5.
Pool B: Waihora 48,
Woodend 3; Southbridge
38, West Melton 32;
Methven 38, Ohoka 34;
Glenmark Cheviot 29,
Hurunui 5; Ashburton Celtic
40, Springston 22.
Points: Ashburton Celtic
29, Waihora 26, Methven
23, Glenmark Cheviot 22,
West Melton 18, Ohoka 14,
Southbridge 14, Hurunui 12,
Springston 3, Woodend 3.
•Selwyn Schools first XV and
Rolleston club day, page 21
Focus on the future at Lincoln
BAD RUN: Lincoln-Rolleston’s
struggles due to a lack of
players continued over the
weekend when they lost 42-10
to Prebbleton. PHOTO: JONES
PHOTOGRAPHY
• By Jaime Cunningham
LINCOLN HAS decided to
try and build its rugby future
by employing a development
officer.
The club’s first division team
merged with Rolleston for this
season after a player drain due
to injury and defections.
The merger has proved
unsuccessful so far, with just
one win from six matches in
the Luisetti Combined Country
competition. The team was
thumped 42-10 by Prebbleton
on Saturday and face bottomplaced
Hornby in pool A this
weekend. In the past, it would
have been a walkover for
Lincoln, but not so in 2023.
Lincoln club president
Corran Pywell said the club
expects to be advertising
for a rugby development
officer soon. The role involves
recruiting players, coaches and
managers for the club’s teams,
including division 1. Pywell
also confirmed Lincoln will not
be part of a combined set up
next year. He said it was always
the intention the merger with
Rolleston would be for one
season only.
“It’s been a bit of a process,
bridging the gap. Last year
was an end of an era, and next
season will hopefully be the
start of a new era for us,” he
said.
When the Selwyn Times
revealed the merger in
February, Rolleston president
Nicky Ruki said the combined
side would last a lot longer
than a season, which would
enable the club to bring players
through the grades over time
until it was ready to field a stand
alone division 1 side again.
Said Ruki: “We’re working
with our players and looking at
recruiting more to try go alone
again.”
Rolleston has also discussed
hiring a rugby development
officer, but there were challenges
funding the position, she said.
Pywell expects “three to
four” players to return to the
division 1 squad from medical
operations and OE trips next
season, alongside several colts
players moving up to the grade.
Rolleston has no colts’ teams
this year, but Ruki said a focus
is on ensuring their large
under-16 and under-18 teams
stay with the club in the future.
“They have really good
coaches and managers who are
keen to stay with the team,” she
said.
Rolleston is expected to field
its first colts team for about
eight years next season, with
many of the club’s under-18
teams able to play in the grade
alongside school-leavers.
Prebbleton, West Melton
and Southbridge are the only
Ellesmere clubs with rugby
development officers.