Kicking off at 2.30pm atNukupure Park in Ngatangiia, the women’s teams battled fiercely for the Conan Cup. From the start, the Town Whitesdominated, thanks in large part to the efforts of frontline powerhouse JulzWestrupp.
Her remarkable ability to set up breaks was instrumental in pushingher team ahead. Despite a spirited and timely responsefrom the Country Blacks, the Town Whites maintained their lead throughout thecontest. The Country side showcased manysuperb moments, highlighting their strength and skill.
However, the final scoreof 14-26 marked a decisive victory for the Town Whites, giving them the firstwin of the series. The men’s match between the TownBlues and Country Maroons kicked off at 3.30pm and was an intense thrillerthroughout the 80 minutes of play.
With relentless intensity from start tofinish, both teams capitalised on each other’s mistakes and set up strongdefenses on both ends. The game resulted in anextra-time clash, with both teams held at 16 all by full time. An extended10-minute half was called where the score remained tied.
However, a final breakby the mighty Oswell Tunupopo gave Tama Nicholas a gain over the Maroonsterritory that offloaded to Nathan Nabou before diving across the line,securing the match for the Town Blues 20-16 at full time. CountryMaroons coach Dion Nepia said: “For our boys, it was about building combinationsand confidence, as it had been well over a month since our last game. I wasproud of the boys’ defense, especially .