Whanganui derby game for women’s rugby

By Jared Smith

The new WRFU Women’s Club Rugby competition will have its first derby game on Friday evening as the table-leading Kaierau will take on Marist at the neutral venue of Cooks Gardens.

Kaierau are the only remaining unbeaten side after they travelled to secure an important 20-5 win over Taihape at Memorial Park last Friday.

The competition’s first Saturday game saw Marist travel to Marton Park, where they picked up a 56-0 win over the Queen Bee’s – on a day Whanganui Marist RFC certainly celebrated as all four of their adult teams were victorious.

This new competition is the latest iteration of WRFU women’s club rugby after the last venture in 1990.

Former WRFU president Kevin Foster was chairman of the subcommittee which launched a five-team competition in 1990 with Raetihi, Ohakune, Taihape, Counties and Marist – with a Pirates squad joining in 1991 to make an even six teams.

Games were played every second Sunday across the region, and Foster, who would work the ticket entry gate, recalled they would take in $600-1000 a match – solid numbers in that era.

“We were getting bigger crowds than they were getting at Spriggens Park for the Saturday men’s games,” he said.

The advantage of having a regular women’s competition was clear on September 21, 1991, when a Whanganui Women’s representative side played Taranaki and put on over 40 points (in the days of four-point tries).

Coached by Bob Barrell and John Transom, managed by Barbara Harding, the team then got big wins over Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay before playing the dominant Wellington side – losing 10-4 but becoming the first team to score a try against Wellington at provincial level.

The local women’s competition ended in 1994, a cautionary tale that such ventures need strong ongoing public support at grass roots level to remain viable.

The Week 3 draw is

May 5: Marist vs Kaierau, Cooks Gardens, 6pm.

May 7: Marton Queen Bee’s vs Taihape, Marton Park, 3pm.