East Coast Rugby Union Season – 2011
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East Coast’s defeat of the defending Heartland champions, North Otago, in the semi-final for the Meads Cup was the big upset of the Heartland season. Just a few weeks earlier, East Coast had conceded 52 points to North Otago and, the previous season, a whopping 116 points. From a winless 2010 season the Coasters made a remarkable recovery to become championship finalists.Poor discipline proved costly in the final with Wanganui being deserved victors.Much of the improvement can be attributed to the new player-coach Ngarimu Simpkins and his assistant Rua Tipoki who captained the side. Both were very experienced provincial players whose generalship lifted the efforts of the team. However, both coaches were guilty of lapses in discipline. Simpkins and experienced lock Willie Waitoa spent time in the sin-bin during both the semi-final and final. Tipoki was binned during the final and, earlier in the season, sent off at Oamaru, resulting in a two-match suspension.The player-coaches had the worst judiciary report cards in the team.The side conceded more penalties than any other union, 22 penalty goals being converted in the last five games.In addition to Simpkins and Tipoki, another newcomer to Coast rugby but with vast experience, was former Hawke’s Bay number eight Mutu Ngarimu. He and Simpkins marshalled the strong forward pack while Tipoki organised the backline. During Tipoki’s suspension the team struggled against Buller but the introduction of former Poverty Bay first five-eighth Clayton Kiwara helped guide the backline for the remainder of the season.
Charlie Harrison had another sound season at halfback and Marty Lloyd was a solid defender in midfield. Tom Teaeki was the best of the wings while at fullback Sikeli Vorenasu was a dangerous attacker and set a new union record for tries in a season. He was the team’s player of the year. Robin Wyllie and Morgan Wirepa complemented Ngarimu in the loose. Ricky and William Waitoa were effective locks with the props Colin Skudder and Michael Hartley partnering Simpkins in the front row. Following several strong games off the bench Tripoli Poi deserved his promotion to the starting fifteen. One game was played at the Uawa Domain inTolaga Bay. Higher honours went to: |
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Match.Record: | Played 11 ; Won 7; Lost 4 | |||||||||
Points : | For 238 ; Against 279 | |||||||||
1. June 4 vs Poverty Bay, at Gisborne |
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Lost 16 – 34 |
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East Coast Scorers : Turei try , Vorenasu (1) Conv. , (3) Pen. | ||||||||||
Referee: M.A.Long (Manawatu) | ||||||||||
2. August 6 vs Mid Canterbury, at Ruatoria | ||||||||||
Won 15 – 13 |
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East Coast Scorers : Simpkins, King tries | ||||||||||
Turei (1) Conversion , (1) Penalty Goal | ||||||||||
Referee: W.G.Burrett | ||||||||||
3. August 13 vs West Coast, at Greymouth | ||||||||||
Won 20 – 15 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Vorenasu, Harrison tries | ||||||||||
Turei (1) Conv. , Vorenasu (1) Conv. (1) Pen. (1) DG | ||||||||||
Referee: S.W.McDermott | ||||||||||
4. August 20 vs North Otago, at Oamaru | ||||||||||
Lost 17 – 52 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Vorenasu, R.Waitoa, Henare tries; | ||||||||||
Turei(1) Conversion | ||||||||||
Referee: J.D.Munro | ||||||||||
5. August 27 vs Buller, at Westport | ||||||||||
Lost 08 – 34 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Kahukiwa Try | ||||||||||
Turei (1) Penalty Goal | ||||||||||
Referee: S.A.W.Eden-Whaitiri | ||||||||||
6. September 3 vs Wairarapa Bush, at Ruatoria | ||||||||||
Won 33 – 13 |
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East Coast Scorers : Vorenasu, Teaeki, Moeke, Harrison, Wirepa tries | ||||||||||
Kiwara (3) Conversions , Vorenasu (1) Conversion | ||||||||||
Referee: B.D.Skeen | ||||||||||
7. September 10 vs Thames Valley, at Ruatoria | ||||||||||
Won 31 – 26 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Vorenasu (2), Tipoki tries | ||||||||||
Kiwara (2) Conversions , (4) Penalty Goals | ||||||||||
Referee: G.G.Stuart | ||||||||||
8. September 17 vs Poverty Bay, at Tolaga Bay |
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Won 30 – 29 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : R.Waitoa, Vorenasu, Teaeki, King tries | ||||||||||
Kiwara (2) Conversions , (2) Penalty Goals | ||||||||||
Referee: S.A.W.Eden-Whaitiri | ||||||||||
9. September 24 vs Horowhenua Kapiti, at Otaki | ||||||||||
Won 35 – 16 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Tipoki (2) , Teaeki, Vorenasu tries | ||||||||||
Kiwara (3) Conversions, (1) Penalty Goal , Ward (2) Penalty Goals | ||||||||||
Referee: S.M.McBride
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10. October 1 vs North Otago, at Oamaru {Meads Cup Semi Final} |
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Won 23 – 17 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Vorenasu (2), Simpkins tries | ||||||||||
Kiwara(1) Conversion , (2) Penalty Goals | ||||||||||
Referee: G.G.Stuart
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11. October 8 vs Wanganui, at Wanganui {Meads Cup Final} |
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Lost 10 – 30 | ||||||||||
East Coast Scorers : Teaeki try | ||||||||||
Kiwara (1) Conversion , (1) Penalty Goal | ||||||||||
Referee: B.D.Skeen
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APPEARANCES For East Coast RFU (2011 – Career)
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Name | Club | 2011 | Career |
D.Baker | (Uawa) | 2 | 13 |
V.Bartlett | (Tokararangi) | 7 | 24 |
J.Berry | (Uawa) | 1 | 1 |
K.Blackman | (Uawa) | 1 | 40 |
B.Haerewa | (Uawa) | 1 | 1 |
G.Hailey | (Tokomaru Bay United) | 1 | 1 |
C.F.Harrison | (Hikurangi) | 11 | 71 |
M.Hartley | (Tihirau Victory Club) | 9 | 9 |
N.P.Hauiti | (Uawa) | 6 | 38 |
W.Henare | (Tokorarangi) | 6 | 20 |
T.Kahukiwa | (Taradale – Hawkes Bay) | 5 | 23 |
M.D.King | (Tokomaru Bay United) | 8 | 16 |
C.Kiwara | (Silverdale United – North Harbour) | 6 | 6 |
B.M.Lloyd | (Ruatoria City) | 9 | 62 |
L.Maaka | (Waiapu) | 5 | 58 |
P.McLean | (Hikurangi) | 1 | 10 |
F.Manuel | (Waiapu) | 1 | 1 |
T.K.Moeke | (Melville – Waikato) | 2 | 8 |
R.Monika | (Uawa) | 3 | 11 |
W.P.Ngarimu | (Hikurangi) | 10 | 10 |
T.Parata | (Hikurangi) | 3 | 24 |
B.Parkes | (Uawa) | 3 | 3 |
T.Poi | (Waiapu) | 10 | 15 |
R.Rewi | (Tokorarangi) | 3 | 3 |
R.Scholefield | (Uawa) | 1 | 37 |
R.N.Simpkins | (Waiapu) | 10 | 10 |
C.Skudder | (Tokomaru Bay United) | 7 | 7 |
H.J.Te Moana | (Tihirau Victory Club) | 5 | 5 |
T.J.Teaeki | (Tokorarangi) | 10 | 10 |
T.R.R.Tipoki | (Gisborne Pirates – Poverty Bay) | 9 | 10 |
B.Turei | (Tokorarangi) | 5 | 6 |
S.B.Vorenasu | (Rotoiti – Bay of Plenty) | 11 | 11 |
R.Waitoa | (Tokorarangi) | 9 | 20 |
W.Waitoa | (Gisborne Pirates – Poverty Bay) | 11 | 38 |
K.Ward | (Hikurangi) | 6 | 11 |
P.A.Webb | (Hikurangi) | 7 | 29 |
M.Wirepa | (Tokorarangi) | 11 | 64 |
R.Wyllie | (Tokorarangi) | 9 | 26 |
We hope you enjoy this look back as we look forward to many more years of recording the history of Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Union. We acknowledge all the information from the NZ “Rugby Almanack” Series from the season’s 1934 through to 2013 and appreciate their hard and dedicated work in providing this detailed history. – Web Admin