The Queenstown/Central Otago Kahui Tipua side at last week’s International Masters of Rugby League Tournament, played at the local Events Centre, covered themselves in glory.
In the 26-team comp for league players aged 35 and over, they won all their three games — by two tries to one, five tries to three and four tries to two — while four of the team won higher honours.
Josh Abrams and player/coach Lui Matulino played for the New Zealand team who beat an Australian selection — chosen from the tournament’s four Aussie teams — last Saturday, and Damon Williams and Kasiano Pasitale played for the South Island team who drew with their North Island counterparts.
Kahui Tipua coach Taika Brooks also coached the South Island team.
The side’s player of the tournament was its oldest team member, Queenstowner Ned Wepiha (formerly Webster), who’s 60 and hadn’t played for about 22 years.
Brooks: ‘‘I’d heard the stories about Ned and how well he played … but it wasn’t till he was out there running the team around the paddock I was like, ‘gee, this guy can still move, man’.’’
