Matatū earn first win in front of home crowd

Matatū surged to victory in Christchurch on Friday, claiming their first win of the season. It was the team’s first outing at Apollo Projects Stadium, buoyed by a crowd that continued to build throughout the match. 

Matatū’s win was the first of two fixtures on Friday in Christchurch, the Crusaders also winning versus the Chiefs. 

It was a dominant performance by the South Island team, with tries from Rosie Kelly, Grace Brooker and Georgia Ponsonby in the first 30 minutes. Ponsonby crashed over again just before halftime, converted by Liv McGoverne to make it a 22-0 lead at halftime. 

The Hurricanes Poua came out of the sheds swinging to make it 22-7 within minutes, but from there it became Matatū’s afternoon. Back to back tries from Martha Mataele and Lucy Jenkins made the scoreline 32-7 before the clock ticked over 60 minutes. 

Debutant Fiaali’i Solomona enjoyed some valuable minutes coming off the bench in the second half, while First Class Centurion and captain Alana Bremner can take pride in a convincing team performance.

The Poua clawed some points back through two tries, but a second from Jenkins made the final score 37-17. 

Matatū have one more home game before the season wraps for the year – this time at Ngā Puna Wai, the venue that hosted the most boisterous crowd of the season in 2023. 

Don’t miss your chance to see our girls for the last time in 2024 on Saturday 6 April, kick off at 4.05pm. It’s set to be a huge occasion and we’d love to see you in the stands and on the embankment. Get your tickets now. Adults are $15, kids just $5.