Rob Foreman given a hero’s farewell
Retiring Manawatu Turbos hooker Rob Foreman was given a fitting farewell to his rugby career when Varsity won the Hankins Shield final against Kia Toa 18-17 at the Arena.
Foreman was carried off the field on Saturday on the shoulders of his team-mates, who were chanting his name.
He has played 102 games for the club, not to mention 110 for Manawatu.
Since Foreman came to Varsity in 2009, the club has been in the semifinals every year, been to six finals from 2009 to 2013, as well as this year, and won in 2010, 2011 and 2016.
We might be able to claim Manawatu’s Campbell Stewart as the most successful rider at a junior world track cycling championships.
Stewart won gold in the omnium at the world championships in Aigle, Switzerland on Sunday morning (NZ Time) to go with the team pursuit title he won on Friday morning.
That makes it four medals after he won the omnium and scratch race in Kazakhstan last year.
Now-olympic cyclist Sam Webster won three medals at the junior worlds in 2009, but it is believed no Kiwi has won four in total.
It was a shame to hear of gun road cyclist Jesse Sergent’s retirement last week.
Sergent has been one of Manawatu’s best-performing athletes in recent times, one of the top cyclists in the world for the past six years, and has won two Olympic track cycling medals.
He cited a loss of enjoyment among his reasons for retiring, understandable in what is a gruelling sport.
He would be one of Manawatu’s greatest sportsmen and one of New Zealand’s best cyclists in the past 10 years.