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On Friday evening, 19 August, the Kumeu Rugby club hosted their annual prizegiving, which was also the occasion for the Century 21 Burmester Realty Western Pioneers to honour their outstanding players for the just completed season.There was an outstanding attendance of Pioneers players, management and supporters, and the evening was well run by the doyen of Kumeu Rugby, Dave (Haggis) Chisholm.
The following awards were presented to Pioneers players.
Western Pioneers Senior First.
Owen Walker Cup - Most Improved Player Alex Frarani
Paul Smith Cup - Best Back Ray Tuivaiti
Best Forward Mason Dray-Hogg
Don Hutchinson Trophy Club Man of Year Mark Haldane
Earthtec Cup Player of the Year Mark Haldane
Club Trophies
Kumeu Cup - Most Tries in Season Charlie Luteru (15)
The Hard Yards Cup Bill Punipi
Western Pioneers Premiers
The Lindsay Ellery Legacy Most Improved Player Fala Sakaria
Swale Earthmovers Best back Nalu Tuigamala
Best Forward Fou Tuivaiti
Nick Leitch Cup Team Man of Year Taione Vea & Ray Alo
Rob Rodewyk Trophy Players Player of the Year Tani Fugi
Lancaster Shield/
Parakai Tavern Trophy Player of the Year Phillip Tuigamala.
Acknowledgement was also made of those players who had achieved representative honours.
New Zealand Sevens
David Raikuna
Fiji World Cup Team
Malakai Ravulo
North Harbour ITM Cup
David Raikuna,
Malakai Ravulo
Taione Vea
North Harbour Second XV
Phillip and Nalu Tuigamala, Charlie Luteru,
Apiu Pritchard, Regan Oxenham, Ray Alo
Bill Punipi received rapturous applause when it was announced he had won the HardYards Trophy. Bill epitomised what it means to do the “hard yards”, as week after week throughout the season, he was there at every training (twice a week) and every game, doing all the behind the scenes jobs like filling water bottles, running them on to the field, fetching gear etc. Well done Bill. We look forward to seeing you on the job again next season.
Jane Burmester was presented by team captain Nalu Tuigamala with a magnificent floral arrangement in the team’s colours, wrapped in her Century 21 gold and black, as a small acknowledgement for her sponsorship and general support throughout the year. Thank you Jane, and we know you will be back on board next year.
Pioneers management would like to once again acknowledge the coaches and managers who made the inaugural year of the Western Pioneers the success it was.
Lindsay Ellery Coach
Stu Hollier Coach
Sean Gray Coach
Hugh McGahan Coach
John Sutton Manager
Shane Scott Manager
Toops MacCarthy Coach
Craig Abercrombie Manager
Rebecca Diana Physio
George Milner Strapper
Bill Punipi and Richard Benson-Cooper Team assistants
The Pioneers will be entering a team in the various sevens tournaments that will take place over the summer months, and we wish Phillip Tuigamala and his players every success in these events.