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Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Central Otago team of the season
Bob Howitt names a team of the season from the Central Otago premier club competition. 15 Henry Schikker (Upper Clutha) The brand of fullback every coach wants — speedy, enterprising and a reliable tackler. 14 Conner Hamlin (Wakatipu) Possessed of blistering speed. Lightly built but fearless under the high ball. Missed the final with a serious rib injury but still finished with eight tries. 13 Tyler Ford (Alexandra) Class act at centre who guided Alex through to the semifinals again. Scored 116 points. Captained Central to a stirring victory in the Topp Cup contest. 12 Rube Peina (Wakatipu) Inspirational captain who scored 129 points, including all 23 in one contest, and contributed massively to Central's Topp Cup triumph. 11 Jack East (Upper Clutha) After three seasons playing in Victoria, Canada, took possession of the No14 jersey mid-season after a string of injuries. Scored four tries on debut and another couple of crackers in the final. 10 Ben Maxwell (Maniototo) Debut season for the Maggots after a decade starring for Cromwell. His goalkicking and general experience helped Maniototo qualify for the semifinals. 9 Ryan O'Neill (Alexandra) Tough performer whose slick passing helped Alex qualify for the semifinals. A star of the Topp Cup victory. 8 Jake Burtenshaw (Upper Clutha) Nothing between him and Wakatipu adversary Anton Huisman, but a cracking display in the final, including a try, gives it to Burtenshaw again. 7 Sam Chapman (Alexandra) Rare for a loose forward to finish the season as top try-scorer, but he managed it with 12 touchdowns. Sensational in the semifinal clash against Wakatipu. 6 Lachie Carrick (Upper Clutha) Another man-of-the-match performance against Wakatipu in the final. In a class of his own in the lineouts. 5 Dean Sinnamon (Matakanui Combined) Played most of the season as a loose forward for his club, but turned in a man-of-the-match display from lock in the Topp Cup contest. Grabbed three tries there and 11 for his club. Named Central Otago's player of the season. 4 Andrew Horne (Upper Clutha) If it wasn't Carrick stealing opponents' lineout ball on a regular basis, it was Horne. He's off to Scotland for a holiday, meaning he will miss the Otago Country matches. 3 William Holdom (Alexandra) A player with a huge engine and plenty of rugby nous. Played all 13 games for the Armadillos and starred in the Topp Cup win. 2 Scott Cunningham (Upper Clutha) Chalked up his 100th appearance in the semifinal against Maniototo and contributed plenty in the final. 1 Mike Philip (Matakanui Combined) Major contributor, along with Sinnamon, in Matakanui Combined's strong revival throughout the season. Deservedly won Topp Cup selection. Reserves: Jamie Natapu (Wakatipu), Rhys Harrold (Cromwell), Oliver Stirling (Upper Clutha), Anton Huisman (Wakatipu), Will Healey (Alexandra), Blair Kennedy (Upper Clutha), Alex Chubb (Cromwell).
Otago Daily Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
East scores four as Upper Clutha win comfortably
An intriguing mix of try-scorers provided many of the highlights of Saturday's action in the Central Otago premier club competition. For example, "unknown" Jack East scored four tries for competition leaders Upper Clutha in their 43-17 victory over battlers Matakanui Combined in Wanaka. East, a successful athlete who excelled as a sprinter, moved back to Wanaka from Dunedin this year but injury concerns prevented him from turning out before Saturday. East's performance was pretty much matched by Matakanui Combined's standout individual Dean Sinnamon, who scored a hat-trick of tries himself, matching the three he scored in Central's Topp Cup victory two weeks ago. Sinnamon has now drawn level with Alexandra flanker Sam Chapman on 10 tries for the season, a remarkable achievement for a lock/No8 in a team that has won just one game. One behind Sinnamon and Chapman, with nine tries, is Upper Clutha's other winger Ulysse Martineau, who dotted down once on Saturday, having scored six tries in his previous three outings. It was a team effort more than individual contributions that got Wakatipu home 29-13 against Maniototo at Queenstown. Thirteen minutes into the second half, Maniototo went ahead 13-12 after first five Ben Maxwell banged over a massive penalty goal from halfway, and an upset seemed possible. But Wakatipu upped their intensity and dominated the final quarter, finishing with four tries, all of them scored by the forwards. The bonus point pushed them to within one point of second-placed Alexandra, making for a thrilling sprint to the finish. Starring for Wakatipu was halfback Xavier Sadler, who chalked up his 50th appearance back in April. Wakatipu coach Jordan Manihera says Sadler does not have the word "no" in his vocabulary. He has played halfback, midfield and winger for Wakatipu but has been mostly at halfback this year with James Valentine unavailable for much of the season. It was Sadler's exceptional speed that set up replacement Paula Tuala's late try to clinch the bonus point. Other major contributors for Wakatipu were veteran flanker Bradley Cross, hooker Thomas Huisman, first five Logan Beggs and captain/second five Rube Peina. Arrowtown made a welcome return to the winner's circle, outgunning Cromwell 29-7 at Anderson Park, four tries to one, having drawn with Cromwell 26-26 in the first round. Second five Fiachra Bagnall bagged a pair of tries as Arrowtown romped away to a 26-7 lead by halftime. Arrowtown's return to form will add spice to this coming Saturday's local derby clash with Wakatipu at Jack Reid Park. — Bob Howitt
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Waka's pace-setting fullback
Conner Hamlin. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER Give the ball to 'Vegas'. Wakatipu Premiers' speedy fullback Conner 'Vegas' Hamlin has been the rugby side's not-so-secret weapon this season, so far dotting down for seven tries after scoring nine in his first season with the team last year. The Dunedin-born 32-year-old, who moved to Queenstown early last year to be a PE teacher at Wakatipu High, would be one of the Central Otago comp's quickest players. But he also works well in tandem with Wakatipu's other pacy outside backs including Jamie Natapu and newcomer Jack Caunter. "It's good to be a part of like a back three where we can all rely on each other and we know where we're going to be and read the game really well," he says. At 78kg, Hamlin's also on the small side but doesn't lack for courage on defence. "I would say I would probably be on the lower side of most collisions I run into. The fact I've split my head open twice already this season is probably a good sign of that." The latest happened playing for Central Otago during the first half of their thrilling Topp Cup win over South Otago during King's Birthday Weekend, so he sat out Wakatipu's game against Matakanui Combined last weekend. Hamlin's played senior rugby for 12 years including about 85 games for Canterbury's Springston club, rep games for Ellesmere and Otago Country and even some games in the United States — his nickname springs from a 'court' session with Wakatipu team-mates when telling a story from his time in Las Vegas. Playing for Waka, he declares, "has probably been the most enjoyable footy I think I've played in my senior career, just because everyone gets along with everyone else". "And you enjoy turning up to Tuesday, Thursday trainings, no matter what the conditions are." He was on the field for the team's amazing come-from-behind win over Alexandra last month, but says his favourite was their White Horse Cup win over Upper Clutha last year. Handing it back this year was disappointing, Hamlin says. "[Veteran Bradley Cross] said, 'I think we were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win' — that's what you've got to. "If we could go and take it off Upper Clutha in the last round this year, that would be very handy." Hamlin, who'll be fit to take on Maniototo this Saturday, says it's healthy for the team and the club's future that five players who took the field last Saturday left Wakatipu High only two years ago. Out to square the ledger Having suffered a first-round away loss to Maniototo, 22-19, one of only two this season, Wakatipu will be out for revenge when they host the Ranfurly-based team at the Queenstown Recreation Ground this Saturday at 2.30pm. Wakatipu "warmed up" with a hard-fought 23-7 win over bottom-placed Matakanui Combined in freezing conditions last weekend — Waka's flying lock Josh Aperahama-Paenganui is pictured securing the ball during the game at the Rec Ground. Wakatipu's flying lock Josh Aperahama-Paenganui's pictured securing the ball during his team's game against Matakanui Combined at the Queenstown Rec Ground last Saturday. Co-captain and second-five Rube Peina starred by scoring all his team's points including two tries. Arrowtown, whose only win came in their season-opener against Matak, travel to play Cromwell this Saturday, seeking to go one better after drawing 26-all with them at home in the first round. Arrowtown lost 41-14 away to Alexandra last weekend.
Otago Daily Times
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Peina bags all of team's points in hard-earned win
Rube Peina. PHOTO: ODT FILES It was an afternoon of individual achievement as the three leading teams in the Central Otago premier club competition all progressed safely on Saturday. A week after starring for Central Region in the Topp Cup, midfielder Rube Peina scored all 23 points for Wakatipu in their hard-earned 23-7 win over bottom team Matakanui Combined in frigid conditions in Queenstown. However, it was a good news-bad news outcome for Wakatipu because by scoring only two tries they missed the bonus point, which now leaves them six points adrift of second-placed Alexandra. Alexandra had no difficulty registering a bonus point, scoring six tries in a comfortable 41-14 victory over a struggling Arrowtown at Molyneux Park. Three of those tries went to flanker Sam Chapman, a former Fiji under-21 representative, giving him 10 for the season, the most by any individual. Meanwhile, Frenchman Ulysse Martineau bagged another couple of tries for front-runners Upper Clutha, giving him eight for the season, helping his team come from 10-0 down approaching halftime to win 29-13 at Anderson Park. Upper Clutha are fortunate to have recruited Martineau after losing fellow winger Welshman Thomas Jarman, who scored a remarkable 16 tries last season. Until Martineau sprang into action, Upper Clutha could not have performed less like a champion team. From missing a penalty attempt straight in front of the posts to blowing several potential try-scoring opportunities, the men from Wanaka thoroughly deserved to be on zero after 35 minutes. Then, amazingly, in the space of eight minutes, leading up to and immediately after halftime, Upper Clutha scored three tries and added a penalty goal and suddenly Cromwell found themselves 22-10 down, and that really was that. Cromwell desperately needed to win this contest if they were to contend for the top four, but there is now a significant gap between the top four teams and the bottom three. Matakanui Combined still sit at the bottom of the table but, fresh from a handsome victory over Arrowtown, they proved a worthy opponent for Wakatipu, challenging them at scrum time. Wakatipu had the slicker backs but handling lapses cost them more tries. — Bob Howitt
Otago Daily Times
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Topp win spices up predictions
Central Otago lock Dean Sinnamon beats South Otago defender Sam Stratford to score a try during the Topp Cup game in Alexandra on Saturday. PHOTO: RICHARD JONES With the top three teams playing the bottom three, the outcome of tomorrow's encounters in the Central Otago premier club competition appear easy to forecast. Front-runners Upper Clutha will tackle Cromwell at Anderson Park, having beaten them 59-28 in the first round; Wakatipu will tangle with Matakanui Combined at Queenstown, after winning their first clash 45-21; and Alexandra will host Arrowtown at Molyneux Park, having beaten them 32-21 two months ago. While all that makes for predictable forecasting, spice has been added to the competition following the thrilling Topp Cup victory by Central Region at Alexandra last weekend. Intriguingly, the Central starting 15 included only two players from Upper Clutha, who won the Central Otago title in 2024 and who have lost only five of their last 45 contests. The Upper Clutha representatives in the starting 15 were No 8 Jake Burtenshaw, who contributed mightily to Central's 41-38 victory, and hooker Scott Cunningham. Their colleagues were five players from Wakatipu, four from Alexandra, two from Matakanui Combined and one each from Maniototo and Cromwell. Even on the reserves bench Upper Clutha were outnumbered, having just one representative there, centre Oliver Stirling, alongside three players from Cromwell, two from Wakatipu and one each from Arrowtown and Alexandra. Adding additional punch to tomorrow's game at the Queenstown Recreation Ground is the presence of Dean Sinnamon, who romped off with the Topp Cup man of the match award after scoring three tries and dominating in the lineout. He is, by the way, Central's leading try-scorer this season, with seven touchdowns from as many matches, an amazing statistic given his team is bottom of the competition. Matakanui Combined are coming off a handsome victory, 42-24 against Arrowtown, their first win since 2023. It is unlikely they will seriously trouble high-flying Wakatipu, given the magical touches and extreme pace demonstrated by players such as Rube Peina, Jamie Natapu and Conor Hamlin in the Topp Cup, but expect Matakanui Combined to be competitive in the scrums and lineouts .. . and see if Wakatipu can stop Sinnamon scoring a try (as they did in the first round).
