<![CDATA[Wairoa Athletic Sports Club

<![CDATA[Wairoa Athletic Sports Club - What Went On]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:26:56 -0700EditMySite<![CDATA[WHAT WENT ON 17 - 22 August]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:51:32 GMThttps://www.wairoaathletic.co.nz/what-went-on/what-went-on-17-22-augustSquash Club Champs
And thats a wrap on another year of Club Champs! Thank you to all participants, refs/markers, volunteers, cleaners, supporters, Alyssa Deam for cooking food, Luke Graves for assisting with the Little League, and of course our 2026 Champions. It has been a great week of squash and a great week to celebrate for the club. The competition on court has been awesome, with some really good battles out there. And the support throughout the week makes us very proud!

A final thank you goes out to our squash sponsors Okare Station and Cricklewood Angus, for their continued partnership.

Check out the final tournament results below. We carry on with our squash leagues before we finish our year on Saturday 12 September with Honki v Hori on our Prizegiving day. Check out our Facebook page for more details.

Senior Football
For Saturday's final game QRS Athletic Football team traveled up to Gisborne's Harry Barker Reserve stadium to take on Gisborne United 1st Reserves, in hopes of finishing the season on a high, but unfortunately going down 6-2. However, Athletic put up a good fight playing probably the best football of the year! It was one of those games where the luck of the bounce wasn't on our side and the scoreline didn't reflect the effort the lads put in. Athletic had many chances in the first half of the game, it just wasn't to be. Athletic started the second half 2-0 down but got on the board 2 minutes after kickoff through a brilliant header from Club Captain Jason Smith, who beautifully finished off Johnson Hardie's cross. United took their chances and got a comfortable lead, but Athletic never gave up until that final whistle and got the last say through a corner, quickly taken by Tom Rowley-Westwood who found Captain Ben Blake, who back heeled it back to Tom who finished it brilliantly. Last goal wins right? Final score was 6-2 to Gisborne United. Our player of the day was Mike Hardie. Goal Scorers: Jason Smith (1) and Tom Rowley-Westwood (1).

Thats it for footy for 2026! Next up is Game 2 of Veterans Vs Rookies followed by our club's Prizegiving, held on Saturday 12 September.

On behalf of the team, a big thanks for all the support over the year. Thank you to our sponsors, especially our code sponsors QRS, our supporters, players and coaches, that made it all possible. Thank you!

Pictured below: QRS Athletic Football after their last match of the season.

]]><![CDATA[WHAT WENT ON August 15]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:09:23 GMThttps://www.wairoaathletic.co.nz/what-went-on/what-went-on-august-15Junior Rugby
It was a chilly and damp final round for the 2026 Wairoa JAB Rugby season. So much so that we didn't worry about the scores and just went out to have fun. The Wairoa JAB certificates were handed out (in plastic covers!) afterwards, which was a great way to celebrate and finish the season.

Our Athletic Junior Rugby Prizegiving will be held this Thursday at 4pm, see you there!

Senior Football
Saturday's match up saw QRS Athletic Football host defending 2025 Division Two champions Shockers Marist. Marist were struck by mechanical issues on the way to Bayleys Athletic Park, meaning they only had 8 players available by the time we had to kickoff. QRS Athletic Football wanting to have a fair game kindly loaned two players to make up the opposing team. Athletic still searching for their first win wanted to start strong, and so Andy Langdon took it upon himself to open up the scoreboard after just 6 minutes of play, earning his first ever goal for Athletic after many standout performances this season. Athletic's loan player Ayresh Goundar then set up Marist's only goal not long after, making it 1-1. Athletic built up strong passages of play, finding the lead once again through the boot of Andrew Langdon, score 2-1 to Athletic. After halftime Athletic continued with great momentum, fighting for that first win and finding the third goal through the boot of top goal scorer Jared Olsen, taking it to a 3-1 lead. It was all Athletic trying to find a 4th goal and surely securing the first win. With the help of promising young player Raihania Edwards-Hammond, who scored a screamer, Athletic got the score to 4-1. There were many standout performances on the field, for instance from the backline of Mike Hardie and Jason Smith, but Athletic found a 5th goal up front which cemented the victory. Through a shot from Tom Rowley-Westwood that, unfortunately for him, hit the crossbar, Jared Olsen was at the ready and followed through by heading in Athletic's final goal of the day. A hungry player wanting to add to his already impressive tally made the full time score 5-1 to QRS Athletic Football. We finally earned 3 points after a hard fought match. Player of the Day vote went Raihania Edwards-Hammond's way.
Goals: Andrew Langdon (2), Jared Olsen (2), Raihania Edwards-Hammond (1)

Next weekend Athletic Football play Gisborne United 1st Reserves team, venue tbc. This will be our last match of the season, so we look forward to seeing you there!

]]><![CDATA[WHAT WENT ON August 8]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:13:07 GMThttps://www.wairoaathletic.co.nz/what-went-on/what-went-on-august-8Squash Leagues
The first round of our Squash Leagues has been completed. Great work to everyone that gave Round 1 a good crack. Looks to be some good squash happening and everyone having a good time. Awesome!
Check out Round 1 results here.

And please see Round 2 Boxes here.

In each box, one person has gone up from last leagues (the highest scoring player from the box) and one person down (the lowest scoring player of the box). This is what it is all about, playing good squash and trying to win them all to progress and get better at the game! Round 2 is already underway but will run for an extra week as we have our Club Championships next week as well.
Junior Rugby
The Junior Rugby season is coming to an end, with the second to last round played on Saturday. Athletic Rippa White played their match versus Tapuae Deano's earlier in the week, but below are the other results. One more round left before we celebrate with our annual junior prizegiving!

Tuhara Harvest Rippa
Rippa White vs. Tapuae Deano's
Rippa Black (15) vs. St Joseph School (10)
Rippa Stripes (8) vs. Wairoa Primary School (2)

Tuhara Harvest Junior
Junior Storm (9) vs. Wairoa Primary School (8)
Junior Warriors (11) vs. Nuhaka (10)

Tuhara Harvest Primary
Athletic vs. St Joseph School

Senior Football
Saturday's match up was against Wainui Salty Dogs. QRS Athletic Football traveled up to Wainui for a 12:30 kickoff. Athletic was still searching for their first win of the year so we decided to mix it up and try a new formation of 3-5-2, instead of the usual 4-5-1, as well as testing a lot of our youth players. It was probably one of the best defensive efforts Athletic has played all season, with a brilliant effort in the goal from Raymond Hawley who stepped in while being injured, with incredible saves that kept Athletic in the fight. At the other end of the field, Jared Olsen and youth player Aayden Ngawhare caused havoc on Wainui's defence, narrowly missing the goal which meant the halftime score was 0-0. In the second half Wainui got the match opener through scrambled play. Athletic brushed themselves off and got back into the contest, with Andy Langdon putting in a defensive shift and Tom Rowley-Westwood narrowly missing a chance at goal. Even with all the standout performances from the QRS Athletic men, it wasn't quite enough to cause an upset to the home side. Wainui took the 1-0 win. Player of the Day went to Andrew Langdon.

Athletic now turn to next weekend's challenge of hosting Shockers Marist at Bayleys Athletic Park. See you there!]]><![CDATA[WHAT WENT ON 24 - 25 July]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:18:02 GMThttps://www.wairoaathletic.co.nz/what-went-on/what-went-on-24-25-julyJUNIOR RUGBY
After a few weeks off due to cancellations and school holidays, Wairoa JAB was finally back in action on Saturday morning. With only a few rounds remaining this season, it was great to see teams banding together to have fun and competitive matches. Players were shared to fill in gaps which was great to see! Check out the results for round 8 below.

Tuhara Harvest Rippa
Rippa Black vs. YMP Tangitu (win by default)
Rippa White (10) vs. St Joseph School (10)
Rippa Stripes (11) vs. Tapuae Rossco's (6)

Tuhara Harvest Junior
Junior Warriors (15) vs. Nuhaka (9)
Junior Storm (21) vs. Tapuae Little Taniwha (5)

Tuhara Harvest Primary
Athletic vs. Tapuae Big Baldy's

SENIOR NETBALL FINALS
Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic Black took to the court for the final time this season, pumped and ready to take on TKT in the Gold Grade Final. In the lead-up to the game, we trained hard both mentally and physically to ensure we stepped onto the court ready to play our game and bring home the win. The first quarter got off to a great start. We stuck to our game plan, supported one another, and kept level heads. Despite an injury in the opening minutes that saw us lose one of our defenders, the team stepped up and played with determination. Our midcourters worked tirelessly to carry the ball through the court and feed our shooters, who made it look effortless as they calmly sank the goals. We held a narrow lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw our defensive pressure lift another level. WD Claire disrupted TKT’s attacking flow, while midcourters Teri and Maddy continued to work hard to maintain possession and deliver accurate ball into the circle. Our shooters capitalised on every opportunity, and by halftime the scores were locked at 23-all. The third quarter saw TKT demonstrate why they have been such a strong side all season. They contested every ball, applied relentless pressure, and made us fight for every pass. Despite the incredible effort from every player on the court, we were unable to regain the momentum, with TKT taking the win 44–34.

This season wasn’t without its challenges for Athletic Black. We battled injuries, farewelled teammates, welcomed new ones, and adapted to position changes throughout the year. But one thing remained constant—our support for one another, the laughter we shared, our dedication, our love for the game, and the positive energy we brought to the court every week. While we are disappointed not to have come away with the win, we are incredibly proud of how far we’ve come this season. A huge thank you to our coach, Tracy, who travelled from Napier every week to share her knowledge, passion, and experience. Her commitment helped us grow not only as individual players but as the strong, united team we became throughout the season. Finally, thank you to all of our supporters who turned up week after week to cheer us on, and especially those who packed the sidelines for Saturday’s final. We truly felt the Athletic support behind us, and we’re so grateful for every one of you.

Pictured below: Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic Black on Finals Day.

What a way to finish the season! After months of hard work, Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic White finished the season on a high, taking on Panthers Te Rito in the playoff for 5th and 6th place. It was an incredibly close contest that went right down to the final whistle, but we came away with a hard-fought 20–18 victory, securing 5th place overall in the Silver Grade. Captain Alyssa Deam made an immediate impact after returning from injury. From the second quarter onwards, she helped swing the momentum in Athletic White’s favour, delivering pinpoint bullet feeds into the shooting circle that combined brilliantly with Sarah Spicer and Grace Young, creating crucial scoring opportunities. Although everyone played incredibly well, standout players were Libby Young and Sarah Spicer, who were on fire. Libby was outstanding in defence, applying relentless pressure, denying Panthers countless opportunities to score and getting fingertips to numerous intercepts that proved crucial throughout the game. Sarah was exceptional under the hoop with her accurate shooting and tireless work rate. She never stopped moving, working hard both in the circle and through the midcourt to create opportunities and help drive the team to victory. To top off an outstanding performance, Sarah also picked up a couple of well-earned interceptions, an impressive all-round effort and something she should be incredibly proud of. A special mention also goes to Sarah Johansen, who answered the call-up for the match and slotted seamlessly into Goal Keep. She put in a determined defensive performance, making life difficult for the Panthers shooters and helping restrict their scoring opportunities when it mattered most. While individual performances stood out, this win was a true team effort. Every player stepped onto the court determined to finish the season on a high, and the trust, communication, and support shown across all four quarters was a reflection of how far this team has come.

A very special thank you to Avon McCormack for all the coaching and support throughout the season. Your passion, knowledge, and commitment made a huge difference to our team, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you’ve done. We hope to have you back with us next season. We can’t wait to see what next season has in store!

Finally, a massive thank you to our incredible NETBALL CODE SPONSOR OSLER'S BAKERY & CAFE for their continued support throughout the season and beyond. Go and show them some love and try out their brand new Pāua Pie, in store now!

Pictured below: Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic White on Finals Day.

SENIOR FOOTBALL
Saturday's match we hosted top of the table Thistle Bobcats at Bayleys Athletic Park. QRS Athletic Football played a good-spirited game with defensive efforts keeping Thistle scoreless for the first 43 minutes, and eventually holding them to a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Athletic started slow in the second half, picking up a bit of fatigue from the impressive effort Thistle put in and they managed to get a second goal, making it 2-0. Athletic had some standout players with Will Taylor filling in, Luke Graves outstanding in goal, Hira Campbell running the substitutions perfectly, and young guns Aayden, Tamatoa, and KC played incredibly against tough opposition. Thistle managed to get a further 2 goals to take home a 4-0 victory to better their chances for the Division 1 title.

Players of the day were Andrew Langdon and Luke Graves sharing the honours. Next weekend we have a bye as its a catch up round, then we go into the final 3 matches after the division split happens. Stay tuned!

]]>