Taranaki clubs dominate IRB nationals

East End snatched the overall club title on the final day of the New Zealand IRB championships at Oakura Beach, as local Taranaki crews again dominated proceedings.

East End crew Andrew Cronin and James Morwood had a mighty tussle with Fitzroy guns Chris Scott and Jaron Mumby, each sharing two premier titles, before Cronin and Morwood helped their club to the event-ending open teams race crown.

While Scott and Mumby took the mass rescue and assembly rescue titles back along the coast to Fitzroy, Cronin and Morwood fought back today to take the single rescue and tube rescue finals.

Crucially Mumby and Scott finished out of the placings in the two finals East End won, while Cronin and Morwood also grabbed a second and a third.

Another Fitzroy pairing, Emma Crofskey and Katie Watts, dominated the women's division, picking up the mass rescue and tube rescue titles and grabbing a second in the single rescue, won by Southland sisters Carla and Stephanie Laughton, representing the St Clair club.

Another Taranaki club pairing, Opunake's Joanne Dravitski and Claire Langlands, won the assembly rescue.

With nine crews in total, East End finished on 72 points, four clear of Fitzroy, with only Gisborne club Wainui breaking the Taranaki dominance in third on 42 points, led by their under-21 assembly rescue champions Yannis Kokkosis and Pera Gibbs.

Final points: East End 72 1, Fitzroy 68 2, Wainui 42 3, New Plymouth Old Boys 33 4, St Kilda 32 5, Muriwai and Paekakariki 24 each 6 equal, St Clair 22 8, Brighton 21 9, Opunake 19 10, Waimarama 16 11, Mt Maunganui 15 12, North Beach and Spencer Park 9 each 13 each, Taylors Mistake and Otaki 8 each 15 equal, Kariaotahi 7 17, Orewa 6 18, Waikanae 4 19, Raglan 3 20, United North Piha 2 21.

For more information, please contact Mark Weatherall, SLSNZ sport manager on 027 233 4014.