The Rave

What a great weekend of Rugby and all that is good about the game down Vauxhall last Saturday.

The Prems had a very convincing win v Mahurangi 61-5. Very hard for Mahu who have yet to win a game this season. They are a proud Club formed out of three Clubs, Omaha, Kaipara Flats and Warkworth RFCs, and we have always had an affiliation with them for a couple of reasons. First I guess it was the connection with Murray Jones, but probably more important was that the trip to Warkworth or Omaha in the early days was always a bus trip and a call into the Puhoi Pub on the way home. When they were at Omaha there was always a shell fish cook up and plenty of food then the trip home. The Mahurangi Grounds now are a great set up with lots of other sports all on the same Domain. It will only be a matter of time before Mahu become a force within the Union especially with the growth happening up their way.

Great to have Will Sutton back at the Club playing in the backline and the team are now starting to find a bit of depth with their playing stocks.

The Prem 2 had a hard fought win v Navy 28-21. Bit hard for the Shore coaches playing the Navy the place all three work in. Just makes you wonder how good it would be for the Club to have Navy, join ranks with us, boosting our player base with all our grades. Apparently we are working on just that so watch this space.

The u21 battle still goes on with their loss 19-39 to ECB. The team were in the game for most of the time and were pretty disappointed with this result.

The u85 lost to Kumeu 21-28 in a hard fought match with their old adversary Travis Keane. Their spirits are not dented though and they live to see another day.

No news on the Presidents away game v Massey Maulers, so no news is good news.

Takapuna Grammar 1st xv played Massey College at the Club last Saturday and came out winners 16-7. Great to have the School playing at the Club and the Club fed both sides and had Buck Shelford give the teams a very welcome speech. Taka Grammar 1st xv have not dropped a game in the competition round and play Westlake High School who also remain unbeaten this Saturday.

That game is up at Westlake kick off 12 noon Sat 2nd June.

We mentioned the Flagmen last week and how good they were at their job to be confronted with a very poor field set out last weekend especially on the no 1 and 2 fields. Their ropes to keep the spectators off the field  were a shambles and looked like a line  of snakes on the move. When confronted by the state of the ropes they told the Club that there was nothing wrong with any of it.

There appeared to be a lack of Pigs Tails in the ground and maybe the Flagmen have been influenced by a local who helps them occasionally and  will also go un named but has a big bushy moustache and is in love with concrete. Maybe he has put them off their game. Lets see what happens this weekend.

 There were that many people in the Clubrooms Saturday it was like sardines in a tin can, there was a huge Junior Club presence with Mums, Dads, Grand Mums Grand Dads and Kids every where. Those Kids love being up on the stage with those two Clowns who MC the place. The Club rooms just had that feel good about it and long may that continue. There would be many a Rugby Club in NZ who would love to be like ours. Jamie and his crew behind the Bar are doing a very fine job as is our new man in the Kitchen Heath Wildy. Also a big mention to our new Lady in the front office Karen  Hoshek she is definitely a keeper. Talking about the Junior Club the J1 continue on their winning ways with a big win v Mahurangi and  a look to the future in the J6 one Max Liang scored 8 tries. There is no Junior Rugby this weekend.

The boring old Life Members went to a luncheon on Sunday which is a Annual event held at the College Rifles RFC. Grant Fox was the guest speaker. There were a couple of no shows in the NSRFC group but they had a great day by all accounts.

There is also a rumour that some Devonport-onions travelled up for Drinks to a bar in Browns Bay,

[the poor cousin suburb] last Thursday night. Wonder how they found their way up there, to a land that is very foreign to them. Can't have been that bad as they are talking of maybe going back real soon and take some more Devonport-onions with them. Good place for the Flagmen and the Moustached Concrete guy to check out.

 This weeks Draw

Pr ems V Silverdale Valhalla 2.45pm

Rem 2 V Silverdale Valhalla 1.00pm

u21 V Marist NH Domain 1.00pm

u85 V Mahurangi Warkworth 2.45pm

Presidents have no Rugby this weekend.

The u85 are taking a Bus to Warkworth this weekend and there will be a compulsory stop at the Puhoi Pub on the way home. You people of an older age would remember  old Seymour [not sure his second name] who used to own the joint. He used to throw change over the Bar onto the floor then crawl around on his hands and knees picking the coins up and be looking up all the ladies skirts. He was outrageous but an identity in his day and totally harmless. Imagine him today with all that's been going on in Hollywood.

Pete Bridger is doing a very fine job on the scoreboard but it appears he is on his own. We need some more volunteers to help him out, there is talk of getting a remote control for the system which would allow someone to operate the scoreboard from the sideline.

Don't forget to take your empties back to the bar helps keep the place clean and tidy and helps the Bar Staff.

Draw 6.00pm $1000

ED