Varsity in narrow win to take Hankins Shield

WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard

HAPPINESS IS: Varsity celebrate lifting the most exalted trophy in Manawatu club rugby at FMG Stadium on Saturday.

Relevant offers

Varsity's win in the Hankins Shield final was the 16th for the Massey University club.

It was their first in six seasons, the most recent in 2004 when Varsity beat High School Old Boys in what was the students' 75th jubilee year.

The 2004 team was captained by flanker Josh Bradnock, who was helping the team on Saturday, and was coached by Steve Morris.

Morris, as the Manawatu Rugby Union chairman, happily handed over the Hankins Shield to captain Scott Lewis on Saturday.

Morris also coached Varsity to a Manawatu championship in his first year as coach, in 1982. The club also won in 1988-89 when Manawatu halfback Murray Kendrick was the player-coach.

Varsity lost last year's final to Kia Toa and that was crucial as far as coach Geoff Thompson was concerned.

"This was good after last year's disappointment," he said. "I think you've got to lose one to win one."

That should be the incentive for Feilding Old Boys-Oroua, who lost the final 11-10 in only their second season as a united club. They drew surprisingly large numbers of supporters decked out in red, white and blue.

Their president Gary Nesdale said at least his team had the consolation of losing to the team which had been the best throughout the season.

In the other matchups this year, Varsity had beaten the Stags by 47-17 and 51-42.

The final was evened up by the absence of all the Turbos players. FOB-Oroua were without prop Karl Haitana and Varsity minus the injured Isaac Thompson, James Oliver and Callum Gibbins, as well as Casey Stone, Rob Foreman and Grant Polson.

They all emerged wearing winners' medals afterwards.

While the final was affected by light rain, the match was of a poor standard for the Grassroots Rugby cameras, only made interesting by the closeness of the scores.

Varsity also took the Centennial Shield for winning the second round.

They did lose the Wallace Cup challenge trophy to Linton Army, after the loss at the army camp on July 17. The soldiers will hold it until next year.

HANKINS SHIELD FINALS

1987Varsity 28COB 91988 Varsity (no final played)1989HSOB 27Varsity 191990COB 22HSOB 101991COB 12Marist 41992Marist 6Kia Toa 51993Kia Toa 21FOB 151994FOB 36Te Kawau 101995Marist 24FOB 17 1996 Oroua 21 Marist 181997 Te Kawau 37 FOB 271998 Marist 36 FOB 27 1999 Te Kawau 12 HSOB 32000 Te Kawau 20Marist 172001 HSOB 21 COB 9 2002 Te Kawau 16Marist112003 Te Kawau 23 Marist 162004Varsity 26 HSOB 82005 College OB 27FOB 162006 College OB 13Varsity 02007 College OB 33 Feilding 182008 Kia Toa 11 Te Kawau 62009 Kia Toa 29 Varsity 232010 Varsity 11 FOB-Oroua 10