'We made history today': A rugby first for Southland
“Thank you to everyone who came to support today, it means more to us than just a game of rugby."
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About 2100 adult tickets were snapped up for Matatū’s Super Rugby Aupiki showdown with the Blues in Invercargill on Saturday. Another 500 or so kids under 13 also went along for free.
It was probably just shy of the 3000-plus crowd rugby officials were hoping for at Rugby Park and there will be varying opinions on that turnout.
But it feels wrong at this point to just debate the numbers.
That would overshadow what was a glorious day a Rugby Park on Saturday. In fact, a glorious couple of days given some of the community engagement around the event.
Rugby Southland, Community Trust South, and ILT should be commended for making it happen.
It didn’t appear to be a traditional Rugby Park crowd you might see at a Stags game. Lots of new faces at the venue, and plenty of young girls taking the opportunity to watch female rugby at the elite level.
At the end of the game hometown hero Amy Rule, and Matatū tighthead prop, told the crowd in attendance that “we made history today”.
And it did feel like that.
“Thank you to everyone who came to support today, it means more to us than just a game of rugby,” Rule added.
They’ve been playing rugby at Rugby Park in Invercargill for close to 120 years but never has there been a professional women’s game where female players took centre stage at the venue.
There was a moment with time almost up in the game when those playing, and more notably those in attendance, broke new ground for rugby in Southland.
Matatū was down 24-17 and hot on attack as it looked to snatch a late draw. Southland’s Amy du Plessis had just made a massive run to send Matatū close to scoring.
Then it happened. The between 2000 and 3000 attendees found their voice as a unified Matatū chant poured out of the grandstand in a poignant moment for women’s rugby in Southland.
Defending champions Matatū fell short of snatching that try which could have grabbed a draw.
It took close to 40 minutes on Saturday before the first points were scored when Matatū prop Pip Love crashed over to score.
Matatū then scored through wing Winnie Palamo in the second half to make it 12-0 before it started to come unstuck for the home team.
The Blues scored two tries in quick succession to lead 14-12. Matatū did regain the lead 17-14 at one point at one point through a Grace Booker try but two unconverted Blues tries made it 24-17 which turned out to be the final score.
Midfielder du Plessis - who started her rugby journey just over the fence at Southland Girls’ High School - was one of Matatū’s best. As was Rule and fellow Southlander Emma Dermody.
While disappointed by the result du Plessis was full of praise for Saturday as an occasion.
“It was so special, it was awesome to come out here and play at home in front of fans and family, it was awesome.
“There are lots of family and friends here which is awesome. We don’t get to play down here much so to be able to come out here and do what we could was pretty awesome,” du Plessis said.
As for the game?
“That first half was pretty slow and a lot of stop-start. I guess we fought to the end and obviously we could have drawn it at the end but were unlucky. We’ll just go to the drawing board and hopefully next week we’ll get it right.”