Trinity Rugby

It was a cold and blustery afternoon at Kettle Park last Friday for the penultimate fixture for our Junior Rugby team. Our manuhiri (visitors) from Wānaka were in town as part of their end-of-season wind up and 125th Jubilee celebrations. According the published histories of New Zealand Rugby Football, Rugby the former clubs of Wānaka and Tarras amalgamated in 1922 to form Upper Clutha RFC. In 2025 the club has enjoyed another stellar season with the Premiers again winning the Central Region Final, Country Wide Final and tucking the Whitehorse Cup away for another summer.

There are plenty of valuable trophies in New Zealand rugby. But one holds centre stage in Central Otago club rugby - the White Horse Cup. Ever since it first came about in 1926, it has dominated the landscape of club rugby in the Otago hinterland. The cup was donated by the White Horse Distillers Ltd, through its Dunedin agent R Wilson & Co, to be contested by clubs in the Lakes, Vincent, Tuapeka and Maniototo sub-unions in 1926. I discovered yesterday that our college has a connection to this prestigious cup. In 2001 our Director of Rugby, Mr Hamish Sutherland, played for the Alexandra RFC Premiers. During that season, the Armadillos took the 'Horse' off a formidable Maniototo team that featured All Black and local farmer, Andrew Hore. Hamish said "it was one of the most physical games I have ever played in and I needed two days off work to recover." For the record, Matakanui-Combined RFC from Ōmakau has held the White Horse Cup the more than any Central Otago club — 33 times.

Returning now to a frigid Kettle Park. After another rousing haka led by Isaac Jago, referee Hamish Sutherland got the game underway. Trinity started with maximum horse-power using the stiff south-westerly to gain territory and then apply pressure through strong defense. The team turned up the tackling and turn overs and this effort soon was rewarded. Second five-eighth, Tommy McEntyre opened the scoring with a superb solo gallop down the touchline converted by thoroughbred winger, Mason Lynch. With ball in hand, Eti Vaeau was in dangerous form as he made line break after line break. In tough conditions, the team were having fun playing clinical footy. Tommy scored two more tries before halftime. Coaches Tony McEntyre and Ox Eathorne were pleased with the effort at the break and asked for more of the same. It would be a different story playing into the wind in the second half. And it was.

Upper Clutha hit the ground running and it was clear that there would be no horsing around from the visitors in the second spell. With the breeze at their back, Upper Clutha started dominating the breakdown and winning turnover penalties. Trinity found themselves on the back hoof and were defending their own line. The Rams converted pressure into points and the you could sense a momentum swung. For the remainder of the second half, Trinity worked hard to stop the relentless attack however missed tackles proved costly as the Rams ran in five unanswered tries. In the latter stages of the race, Captain Zevi Jones and loosies Jack Burke and Charlie Sutherland won some big moments that gave the team possession. The game ended with halfback Joe Burke dotting down with a clever try near the sticks.

Thankfully Trinity had a significant first half lead and were able to hold on during the Upper Clutha come back. Thank you to all of the brave parents who endured the bitter sideline conditions. Lastly thanks to Hamish Sutherland and those involved who helped organise this fixture and the after match. Final score was Trinity Catholic College 71 - Upper Clutha Rams 38.

The team's final game of the season is next Thursday at Taieri College, Mosgiel. 1pm kick-off. Supporters welcome!