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Kia ora, Women's club rugby kicks off this weekend with defending Prue Christie Cup champs Kia Toa taking on Wairarapa Wāhine Toa, and 2023 finalists Old Boys-Marist facing Freyberg. Our website has a list of all of the past women's club champions, so check it out. The new Women's X Grade ten-a-side competition and the President's grade also start this weekend. Don't forget that you can see the draws and results for all grades on our website. Shout out to Linton Army, who are celebrating their club day this Saturday, and Old Boys-Marist, who have their club day on 4 May.  |
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SAE AND OLSEN BAKER NAMED IN BLACK FERNS Manawatū Cyclones loose forwards Layla Sae and and Kaipo Olsen-Baker have been named in the 2024 Black Ferns contracted group after standout performances in Super Rugby Aupiki. Layla made her Black Ferns debut last year, playing three tests. She has been an absolute wrecking ball in Super Rugby Aupiki 2024, leading the competition in carries and defenders beaten. Kaipo made two appearances in the black jersey in 2022. After she missed the World Cup through injury, Kaipo has been in fine form at provincial and Super Rugby level. She was recently named Matatū player of the year and was nominated for FPC player of the year in 2023 |
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TRUE BLUE - A VARSITY RUGBY DOCUMENTARY IPU New Zealand recently released this short documentary that follows Japanese players Takumi Takada and Hio Iketane's experience in the Varsity squad last season. It's a great watch and it really highlights the connections people make through rugby. Check it out here. |
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RECENT KIDS PROGRAMMES We've had a busy few weeks running programmes for the younger members of our rugby community. Our free Tiny Turbos and Cyclones (ages 3 to 6) and Future Cyclones and Turbos (ages 8 to 13) programmes ran over three weeks and were once again very well attended. It was great to not only see so many kids participate, but also plenty of parents getting involved and showing their support. We also held our holiday programme during the first week of the school holidays, with 65 kids taking part. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for notices about future kids programmes. |
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UNDER 18 DEVELOPMENT CLINIC We recently held our Under 18 Development Clinic, after running similar clinics for under 14 and under 16 players. These clinics are part of the union's Pathways strategy to retain and develop promising young players in the province. The day started with the players working on their strength and high speed mechanics in the gym, before moving outside for skills and techniques exercises. The coaches were very impressed with the players' energy and application, and are excited to run more clinics in the future . |
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