Wairarapa Bush Newsletter 11 November 2014
Welcome to this week’s WBRU Newsletter for the 11th November 2014
Kingi Matthews
1926-2014
One of the the last links Wairarapa had to a famous fighting battalion of World War II has passed with the death on Sunday of Kingi Matthews, 88.
Mr Matthews was a veteran of the 28th Maori Battalion which he joined in 1944, being sent to Italy with the 12th reinforcements.
His death leaves one surviving member of the 28th Maori Battalion living in Wairarapa, Epineha Ratapu, 92.
Apart from his war service Mr Matthews is well remembered as being an outstanding rugby player and Greytown club stalwart.
He was the oldest surviving 1946 Maori All Black and in his long playing career with Wairarapa-Bush he helped the representative side to lift the Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury in 1950. Mr Matthews, of Ngati Kahungunu and Rangitane, had lived in Greytown almost continuously since 1932 when his father moved back from Masterton to be closer to the Papawai marae.
He was an old boy of Greytown School and Wairarapa College and after serving in the war came back home to train as a carpenter in a scheme for returned soldiers and worked for Trotman Bros for 22 years.
When his rugby playing days eventually finished, having notched up 109 first-class games, Mr Matthews coached the Greytown senior team and had also served on the committee and as club patron.
He was married to Petina (Polly), who survives him, for 66 years and the couple raised 10 children.
Mr Matthews is lying at Papawai marae until his burial at the Black Bridge urupa, near Greytown, tomorrow.
The funeral service will be held at 11.00 am at Papawai marae.
Our Deepest condolences are with Polly and the rest of the Matthews Whanau.
NZ Heartland XV Update
The New Zealand Heartland XV have come from behind to score a remarkable 46-31 victory over an outstanding NZ Marist outfit at North Harbour Marist in Albany on Saturday 8th November 2014. Marist led 17-15 at halftime, and when the match entered the final quarter, the Heartland XV were still three converted tries behind before the fight back began.
It is the third year in a row the Heartland XV have defeated Marist.
A fine turnaround after the side – selected from the Pink Batts Heartland Championship – lost to Marist 15-14 in 2011, which was at the time was the third loss to the Heartland XV in three campaigns.
Head coach Kurt McQuilkin (King Country) and assistant ‘Chester’ Scott (South Canterbury) named a strong team for the Marists, selected from players in the ITM Cup or just within touching distance of the provincial competition. Hooker Jon Sharpe from Mid Canterbury was ruled out of selection due to injury and Thames Valley’s Blake Hill was been brought in as replacement.
McQuilkin may amend his squad before the team departs for two matches against the Cook Islands on 11 and 14 of November in Rarotonga.
The hosts, ranked 46th in the IRB rankings, narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and will present formidable opposition for the Heartland players.
New Zealand Heartland XV to play Cook Islands Residents XV has been named
The New Zealand Heartland XV squad to play Cook Islands Residents XV has been named by Head Coach Kurt McQuilkin today.
Kickoff for the match is at 3.30pm on Wednesday (NZT) 12 November at BCI National Stadium in Nikao, Rarotonga.
The teams will meet again at 3.30pm on Saturday 15 November (NZT) at the same venue.
New Zealand Heartland XV won their match against New Zealand Marist XV 46-31 at the weekend.
The team is:
| New Zealand Heartland XV to play Cook Islands Residents XV named – corrected version | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The team is:
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Congratulations
Michael Te Whare, Masterton Marist on being selected for the NZ Marist team who played against the
NZ Heartland Team in Auckland on Saturday
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