2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season explained

2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season
Countries: New Zealand
Tournament Format:Round-robin and knockout
Champions:Matatū
Count:1
Matches:10
Tries:96
Top Point Scorer:Renee Holmes, Matatū (59)
Top Try Scorer:Luka Connor, Chiefs Manawa (7)
Website:Official site
Previous Year:2022
Previous Tournament:2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season
Next Year:2024
Next Tournament:2024 Super Rugby Aupiki season

The 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season was the second season of Super Rugby Aupiki (known as Sky Super Rugby Aupiki for sponsorship reasons), a professional women's rugby union club competition organised by New Zealand Rugby. The competition ran from 25 February 2023when Hurricanes Poua and Chiefs Manawa played the opening match in Levinto 25 March 2023.[1]

The tournament was won by Matatū, who defeated Chiefs Manawa 33–31 in the final in Hamilton, earning them their first Super Rugby Aupiki title. That match also resulted in the Chiefs Manawa's first-ever loss in the two-year-old competition.[2]

Competition format

The competition featured four teams, who each played three regular season matches and two play-off matches. A total of ten matches were played over five weeks. The semi-finals were played on Sunday 19 March 2023 and the finalswhich also included a third place play-offon Saturday 25 March 2023.

Standings

The standings at the end of the round-robin of the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season were:

2023 Super Rugby Aupiki standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTFTATBLBPts
1 3300149925723141013
2 310295102–71516015
3 310295105–101515015
4 310268108–401018004
Legend
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Competition points
Source: Sky Super Rugby Aupiki – Team standings[3]

Matches

Round 3

Finals

Chiefs Manawa finished top of the table after winning all their matches during the regular season. In their semi-final, they faced fourth-placed Hurricanes Poua.[4] Second-placed Matatū, who recorded their first-ever Super Rugby Aupiki win this season,[5] took on Blues Women in the other semi-final. Both semifinal matches were played at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany on 19 March 2023.[6]

Chiefs Manawa continued their winning streak in the semi-final by defeating Hurricanes Poua 43–21, while Matatū reached the final after a narrow 26–23 win over Blues Women. The final between Chiefs Manawa and Matatū, as well as the third-place play-off between Blues Women and Hurricanes Poua, were played at FMG Stadium Waikato on 25 March 2023.[7]

The 2023 final was the first Super Rugby Aupiki final in the young competition's history, after the competition was reformatted to a round robin tournament in 2022, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Matatū were crowned as the new Super Rugby Aupiki champions after defeating Chiefs Manawa 33–31 in the final. It was Matatū's first title win and Chiefs Manawa's first-ever loss in Super Rugby Aupiki.[9]

Final

Chiefs Manawa:[10]
LP1 Kate Henwood
HK2 Luka Connor
TP3 Tanya Kalounivale
LL4 Kelsie Thwaites
RL5 Chelsea Bremner
BF6 Charmaine Smith
OF7 Tynealle Fitzgerald
N88 Kennedy Simon (c)
SH9 Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu (vc)
FH10 Hazel Tubic
LW11 Georgia Daals
IC12 Azalleyah Maaka
OC13 Carla Hohepa
RW14 Mererangi Paul
FB15 Tenika Willison
Replacements:
HK16 Grace Houpapa-Barrett
PR17 Angel Mulu
PR18 Te Urupounamu McGarvey
LK19 Dhys Faleafaga
LF20 Victoria Makea
SH21 Violet Hapi-Wise
BK22 Abigail Roache
CE23 Olive Watherston
Coach:
Crystal Kaua
Matatū:[11]
LP1 Pip Love
HK2 Georgia Ponsonby
TP3 Amy Rule
LL4 Emma Dermody
RL5 Cindy Nelles
BF6 Lucy Jenkins
OF7 Kendra Reynolds
N88 Alana Bremner (c)
SH9 Di Hiini
FH10 Rosie Kelly
LW11 Martha Mataele
IC12 Grace Brooker
OC13 Amy du Plessis
RW14 Chey Robins-Reti
FB15 Renee Holmes
Replacements:
HK16 Nat Delamere
PR17 Ashley Palu
PR18 Steph Te Ohaere-Fox
LK19 Sera Naiqama
LF20 Marcelle Parkes
SH21 Georgia Cormick
BK22 Atlanta Lolohea
BK23 Charntay Poko
Coach:
Blair Baxter
Assistant Referees:
Scott McKenzie (New Zealand)
Cassie Watt (New Zealand)
Television match official:
Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)

Statistics

Leading point scorers

No. Player Team Points Details
1 59 4, 15, 3, 0
2 35 7, 0, 0, 0
3 34 2, 12, 0, 0
4 30 6, 0, 0, 0
5 29 0, 10, 3, 0
6 26 1, 6, 3, 0
7 25 5, 0, 0, 0
25 5, 0, 0, 0
25 5, 0, 0, 0
10 23 1, 6, 2, 0
Source: Sky Super Rugby Aupiki: Player Stats

Leading try scorers

No. Player Team Tries
1 7
2 6
3 5
5
5
6 4
4
8 5 players 3
Source: Sky Super Rugby Aupiki: Player Stats

Discipline

PlayerTeam Red YellowRound (vs. Opponent)
Alana Bremner0 1 Round 1 (vs. Blues Women)
Ayesha Leti-I'iga0 1 Round 3 (vs. Blues Women)
Krystal Murray0 1 Round 1 (vs. Chiefs Manawa)
Joanah Ngan-Woo0 1 Semi-final (vs. Chiefs Manawa)
Katelyn Vaha'akolo0 1 Third place play-off (vs. Hurricanes Poua)

Players

Squads

The following squads have been named for the 2023 season.[12] Players listed in italics denote non-original squad members:

style="text-align:right;" bgcolor="lavender"
ForwardsEloise Blackwell • Dajian Brown • Joanna Fanene Lolo • Esther Faiaoga-TiloSophie FisherGrace GagoTafito Lafaele • Letelemalanuola Lavea • Shannon Leota • Charmaine McMenaminLiana Mikaele-Tu'uToka Natua • Alakoka Po'oi • Maia Roos • Cheyenne Tuli-Fale • Ma'ama Vaipulu • Chryss Viliko
BacksAriana BaylerSylvia BruntKrysten CottrellKiritapu DemantRuahei Demant • Hayley Hutana • Jaymie Kolose • Patricia Maliepo • Melanie Puckett • Tara Turner • Katelyn Vaha'akolo • Holly Williams
CoachWillie Walker
style="text-align:right;" bgcolor="lavender"
ForwardsChelsea BremnerLuka ConnorDhys Faleafaga • Tynealle Fitzgerald • Kate HenwoodChyna HohepaGrace Houpapa-BarrettTanya Kalounivale • Victoria Makea • Te Urupounamu McGarvey • Angel MuluKennedy SimonCharmaine SmithAwhina Tangen-WainohuSanto Taumata • Harono Te Iringa • Kelsie Wills
BacksGeorgia Daals • Violet Hapi-Wise • Carla Hohepa • Azalleyah Maaka • Arihiana Marino-TauhinuApii Nicholls-PualauMererangi Paul • Amanda Rasch • Abigail RoacheHazel TubicLangi VeainuOlive WatherstonTenika Willison
CoachCrystal Kaua
style="text-align:right;" bgcolor="lavender"
ForwardsSaphire Abraham • Maddie Feaunati • Rhiarna FerrisBaye JacobKrystal MurrayJoanah Ngan-WooTe Kura Ngata-AerengamateKaipo Olsen-BakerJackie Patea-FeretiLeilani Perese • Cilia-Marie Po'e-Tofaeono • Rachel Rakatau • Layla SaeAroha Savage • Kahurangi Sturmey • Sosoli TalawaduaCristo Tofa
BacksKahlia AwaShakira BakerCarys Dallinger • Teilah Ferguson • Iritana HohaiaAyesha Leti-I'iga • Milly Mackey • Crystal Mayes • Bernadette RobertsonAutumn-Rain Stephens-DalyVictoria Subritzky-NafataliMonica Tagoai • Isabella Waterman
CoachVictoria Grant
style="text-align:right;" bgcolor="lavender"
ForwardsAlana BremnerNatalie Delamere • Emma Dermody • Eilis DoyleLucy JenkinsAtlanta LoloheaPhillipa Love • Leah Miles • Sera NaiqamaCindy Nelles • Moomooga Palu • Marcelle ParkesGeorgia PonsonbyKendra ReynoldsAmy RuleStephanie Te Ohaere-Fox
BacksGrace BrookerGeorgia Cormick • Cheyenne Cunningham • Te Rauoriwa Gapper • Di Hiini • Renee HolmesRosie KellyMartha MataeleAmy du PlessisCharntay PokoChey Robins-RetiGrace Steinmetz
CoachBlair Baxter

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 8 February 2023 . Sky Super Rugby Aupiki set to entertain in 2023 . 28 March 2023 . allblacks.com . en-NZ.
  2. News: Chapman . Grant . 25 March 2023 . Super Rugby Aupiki: Matatū shock defending champions Chiefs Manawa to snatch women's crown . en-NZ . Newshub . 25 March 2023.
  3. Web site: Sky Super Rugby Aupiki – Team standings . New Zealand Rugby . 2023 . 4 March 2023.
  4. Web site: 18 March 2023 . Continuity the key for Waitomo Chiefs Manawa . 2023-03-19 . Chiefs . en-nz.
  5. Web site: 24 March 2023 . Preview: Aupiki 2023 Final . 24 March 2023 . superrugby.co.nz . en-nz.
  6. News: 18 March 2023 . Super Rugby Aupiki: Teams announced for semifinals . en-NZ . Stuff New Zealand . 28 March 2023.
  7. News: 24 March 2023 . Super Rugby Aupiki: Hamilton finale is last chance to impress on big stage before long wait for Black Ferns . en-NZ . Stuff New Zealand . 28 March 2023.
  8. 2 March 2022 . Sky Super Rugby Aupiki update . 28 March 2023 . superrugby.co.nz . en-nz.
  9. Web site: 26 March 2023 . Matatū take Aupiki title in dramatic finale . 28 March 2023 . superrugby.co.nz . en-NZ.
  10. 24 March 2023 . Reigning champions name their team for Sky Super Rugby Aupiki finals . 24 March 2023 . Chiefs . en-nz.
  11. 24 March 2023 . Team Naming: Aupiki Grand Final . 24 March 2023 . Matatū . en-nz.
  12. News: 21 November 2022 . Talent aplenty for 2023 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki Squads . 21 November 2022 . allblacks.com . en-nz.