TA finish Peace Cup season on high
Team win 59-5 and grab five comp points
Te Awamutu Sub-Union finished their Peace Cup rugby assignments on a winning note against North King Country, after falling to the two finalists, Hamilton and Central Bay of Plenty, in their first two games.
The first half at Waitomo Domain was a close contest, with North King Country putting pressure on Te Awamutu.
Te Awamutu led 12-5 at the halftime break after tries to fullback George Poolman (Te Awamutu Sports) and O¯ torohanga front-rower Phil Lord, who cheekily converted his own try.
Something switched for Te Awamutu in the second 40 minutes as they added 47-unanswered-points to the scoreboard, taking the win 59-5 and grabbing five competition points.
Poolman brought his match total to 20 points with a second try and five conversions, making him Te Awamutu’s top Peace Cup scorer for 2022.
Other tries were scored by Otorohanga’s ¯ Ryan McNeil, Paulo “Jason” Sione and Te Kapa Crown along with Te Awamutu Sports’ Ryley Emery and Carl Finlay (two tries) dotting down.
Lock Sione added a further two points, converting his own try from the left-hand touchline.
Hard-hitting captain Brad van der Heyden (Te Awamutu Sports) led from the front, receiving man of the match honours.
Elsewhere, Hamilton re-inked their credentials on the Peace Cup for the third year in a row, and 14th overall, when they beat Central Bay of Plenty 36-19 in the 2022 title decider.
The win also saw them claim the Stan Meads Shield (Peace Cup Challenge Trophy) for their trophy cabinet.
Although the Peace Cup season is over, September 17 will see a further
match for Te Awamutu who will take on the New Zealand Army at Te Awamutu’s Albert Park.
This match was due to be played in 2021 to celebrate 100 years since the formation of the Te Awamutu
Rugby Football Sub-Union but was postponed due to Covid.
The match starts at 2pm with all limited edition 100-year jerseys to be auctioned off post-match.
Proceeds for reserve jerseys will go to various local charities and voluntary organisations.
For more information, contact Te Awamutu Rugby Football Sub-Union president Andrew Young on 027 2220 1201.
2022 Peace Cup Points Table (Final):
■
Hamilton 15, Central Bay of Plenty 10, Te Awamutu 5, North King Country 1. 2022 Te Awamutu Peace Cup Points Scorers:
George Poolman — 20 points Logan “Woody” Karl — 12 points Te Kapa Crown — 10 points Carl Finlay — 10 points
Phil Lord — 7 points
Paulo “Jason” Sione — 7 points Ryley Emery — 5 points
Ryan McNeil — 5 points
Josh Thomas — 5 points
Brad van der Heyden — 5 points. 2022 Te Awamutu Peace Cup Results:
Round One: Bye
Round Two: lost 38-12 v Hamilton Round Three: lost 24-15 v Central Bay of Plenty
Round Four: won 59-5 v North King Country.