Kahurangi has capped an unbeaten season by running away with the Tasman Trophy Women final 46-13 over arch-rival Waimea at Cooks Reserve, Riwaka.
They lived right up to their club chant, which rang out in the dressing rooms before the match – 'We are brave, we are strong, we can do this all day long'.
However the home side was pushed hard in the first quarter on Saturday as the defending champions dominated possession.
But lineout wobbles, turnovers and tough Kahurangi defence slowed Waimea’s momentum and all they had to show for it was a penalty goal.
Then the slick Kahurangi backline took charge with four tries in 14 minutes.
Elusive centre Eve Findlay opened the scoring after spotting a gap in the defence before the wings struck, firstly Kayla Harvey and then Jess Drummond with a double.
Jess, who played sevens for New Zealand, debuted in fifteens this season and mixed bruising defence with pace out wide.
The 35-year-old netball centre chased down a kick and beat two Waimea defenders to the ball and hared away for her first try.
After a pass went astray close to the Kahurangi line, Waimea moved the ball wide to second five Jenna Phillips to score right on halftime and close the gap to 20-8.
The home side’s forwards got in on the act in the second spell, with prop Lyric Siaki ranging wide and throwing an outrageous dummy pass.
“I think I sold it on myself, too,” quips Lyric.
Thirty seconds later she completed the try scoring movement.
“Lungs are blowing that’s for sure. Waimea started strong. They wanted it just as bad as us, but we worked hard and stuck to our plan. How special,” says Lyric.
The pick of the Waimea pack, No. 8 Brooklyn Logan, charged down a clearing kick which led to a try to replacement forward Alesha Dempster.
Trailing 25-13, Waimea may have fancied its chances of repeating last season's come-from-behind 23-22 win in the final against Kahurangi at Trafalgar Park and reversing its two previous losses this season
But the revival was short lived.
Jess was run down as she looked to set to complete a hattrick, but minutes later she did get her third try.
Halfback Tayla Richards, and reserve loose forward Emily Kelly also grabbed five pointers, as Waimea faded and Kahurangi bolted home 46-13.
Emily’s sister, fellow flanker and captain Hannah Kelly, played the entire game on the other side of the scrum.
“So good. We are more than rapt. It was our goal to win convincingly and we knew we had to grit through the first 20 minutes. Then we knew we would be good,” enthuses Hannah.
Her counterpart was gracious in defeat.
“They are a pretty stacked team but we have some really good players as well. It was like a trial for Tasman FPC squad as a lot of those girls are in the high performance group,” says Steph Mitchell.
Kahurangi 46 (Jess Drummond (3), Eve Findlay, Kayla Harvey, Lyric Siaka, Tayla Richards and Emily Kelly tries; Ashleigh Wood 3 conversions) beat Waimea 13 ( Jenna Phillips and Alesha Dempster tries; Bethan Manners penalty goal),
