"Good Day for the Town and a Good Clash"

These are the words of Wayne Smith, Chairman of the Mercury Bay Rugby Club. Wayne is speaking about the coming weekend’s big match at Lyon Park between our local team, The Swamp Foxes and North Otago, this Saturday, 24 September.

“North Otago are playing good rugby and so is our local team,” says Wayne. “So it’s going to be very competitive rugby with both teams being very near the top of the table in their respective competitions. It is our first, First class match – Heartland cup match, Swamp Foxes versus North Otago. The curtain raiser is Thames Valley Under 18’s playing Northland Under 18’s.

“For the main match, our local boy, Connor McVerry, is Captain of the team and so it’s great to have him here playing on his hometown field,” adds Wayne.

“It’s going to be a very good clash for both matches but particularly the main one.”

Change of venue: The big change since the The Informer wrote about this weekend, is the change of venue. Due to the Moewai Road Sport Park not being up to the standard required for a First Class match, it is now being played out at Lyon Park, the home of Mercury Bay Rugby. It is no longer Sport Park but Lyon Park. It will be like a festival day for this historic rugby clash. Game day, Saturday, there will be food stalls run by the local Motorcross Club, a Coffee cart, Ice cream vendor, and the Whitianga Fire Brigade will be selling their famous mussel fritters.

There will be a fully licensed bar, and numerous marquees to add to the number of spectators being able to watch in a relaxed manner.

On the day it’s going to be gate sales - just $5 Under 15’s are free. Kickoff is at 2.00pm.

Caption: The Swamp Foxes at their most recent win in Westport, 52 -12.