Historic win for Under-52kg rugby reps
Three Golden Bay rugby players, Jamie Mapley, Luke Parata and Jacob Eggers were part of an historic achievement last week.
The three were members of the Golden Bay/Motueka combined Under-52kg representative side that travelled to Blenheim for the Seddon Shield Districts Tournament.
Not only did the combined side win the tournament, for what is believed to be only the fourth time in 75 years, but also the side was undefeated and did not concede a point all tournament. The Golden Bay/Motueka side beat West Coast 86-0, Buller 22-0, Marlborough 15-0 and Nelson 5-0.
The three Golden Bay players travelled to Motueka for trainings twice a week, one on a Wednesday and one on a Saturday. The Saturday training was particularly difficult because it often meant that the boys had to leave a game that their Takaka team was playing before the game was over just to make sure they got to training on time.
Jamie is normally a halfback but he was selected as a hooker for the reps. He, Jacob (2nd 5/8) and Luke (centre) all had very good tournaments, making solid contributions to their team’s success. Jacob and Luke were also selected for the tournament team.
Neil Wilson
