CRL FINALS WEEK 2 CLUB WRAP: KNIGHTS SEAL FIRST GRAND FINAL BERTH SINCE 2004
Riccarton Knights have qualified for their first Pat Smith Trophy Challenge grand final appearance in 21 years after a stunning preliminary final performance catapulted them into a showdown with Linwood Keas.
Meanwhile, Linwood Keas and Sydenham Swans will square off in the CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership decider as a wild weekend of finals footy concluded on Sunday. Six clubs will be represented across four matches on CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day next week at Ngā Puna Wai.
Riccarton powered into the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership grand final with an emphatic 36-16 victory over 2024 runner-up Halswell.
The Knights set the tone early at Halswell Domain and built an 18-4 halftime lead as centre Matariri Halbert-Pere grabbed a double. The visitors sealed their spot in the big one with the first three tries of the second stanza, before the Hornets hit back with a couple of late consolation tries.
Halbert-Pere finished with a personal haul of 20 points after slotting six goals.
The Hornets will feature in a second straight CRL ISC Sports Canterbury Cup grand final, however, after beating Linwood Keas 22-18 in a preliminary final thriller.
The table-topping Keas led 12-10 at halftime and 18-16 inside the last 10 minutes, but the Hornets regained the lead and a spot in the decider against Eastern Eagles with a try to TeApatu Christie.
Celebration Lions and Eastern Eagles will contest the CRL Division One grand final after posting convincing semi-final wins on Saturday.
The undefeated Lions overwhelmed fourth-placed defending champs Northern Bulldogs 46-10 at Cuthberts Green with Riley Williams and Nate Ah-Kuoi picking up second-half doubles.
The third-placed Eagles tipped up second-placed Shirley Hawks 32-12 and Macfarlane Park, going on with the job after storming out to an 18-0 halftime lead.
Linwood Keas and Sydenham Swans – opponents in 2022-23 CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership grand finals – won their way through to a showdown in the 2025 decider with semi-final victories on Sunday.
The top-of-the-table Keas were too good for fourth-placed Woolston Rams, winning 46-10 with Marilyn-Rose Ripine Kolio and Paulini Rabitu scoring two tries apiece.
In a rematch between last year’s grand final combatants, defending champs the Swans outlasted second-placed Hornby Panthers 18-10 at Leslie Park.
The Panthers led 6-0 at halftime with Celine Russell scoring early on, but a four-try blitz in the opening 15 minutes of the second half set up a commanding lead for the Swans that they would hold until fulltime.
2025 CRL HAPPY HIRE GRAND FINAL DAY SCHEDULE
Sunday, August 3 @ Ngā Puna Wai
CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP: Linwood Keas v Riccarton Knights
CRL BARTERCARD WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP: Linwood Keas v Sydenham Swans
CRL ISC SPORTS CANTERBURY CUP: Eastern Eagles v Halswell Hornets
CRL DIVISION ONE: Celebration Lions v Eastern Eagles
