KEAS DETERMINED TO FINISH OFF DOMINANT CAMPAIGN WITH GF GLORY
On the surface, table-topping Linwood Keas come into the 2025 CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership grand final without a genuine test under their belts for some time.
But Keas coach Tyron Rapana believes their semi-final hit-out against Woolston Rams provided the perfect lead-in to their CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day showdown with defending champs Sydenham Swans.
While the Swans are coming off two titanic battles with Hornby Panthers in the past three weeks, the Keas finished off the regular season with three straight wins by 60-plus points and overwhelmed the Rams 46-10 last week.
“I thought Woolston played a very smart game, they really gave it to us in the first half,” Rapana says.
“The scoreline was quite low and we really had to do something to pick our game up in the second half, it was a good challenge.”
The 2022-23 champions – beating the Swans in both deciders – are fizzing to be back on the grand final stage after losing to the Panthers in last year’s prelim.
“[There’s] a lot of excitement within in the team, it’s been a tough week this one actually for me – I felt like every member of our squad has contributed to us being in the grand final but unfortunately I can only select 18 players,” Rapana continues.
Rapana’s CRL Women’s Premiership journey began with Burnham Chevaliers back in 2015, while he has filled several representative coaching posts in the interim before taking the reins at Linwood in 2025.
He oversees a well-balanced squad laced with experience and youthful strike, led by inspirational front-rower Angela Petero.
“I found Ange was the perfect fit for captain, when we were doing our pre-season I was really looking at finals – I was taking it game by game.
“Ange stood right out to me as the rightful captain, her leadership and guidance to the young players has been on point all season.
“Individually there’s multiple players can bust a game open, but the thing that makes us us as Linwood women’s is how we work together as a team.
“The connection this team has is pretty tight – I feel like that is more important than the technical stuff of the ‘Xs’ and the ‘Os’.”
The Keas defeated the Swans 20-16 at Linwood Park in May, while an under-strength line-up went down 36-20 when the teams met at Woolston Park in late-June.
It’s a result that will ensure there’s no sign of top-of-the-table complacency from the Keas after breezing into the big one.
“Sydenham are a very strong team with some very talented players – it will just come down to who wants it more,” Rapana says.
“It should be a ding-dong battle.”
After Linwood failed to produce a CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day participant in 2024, the Keas women’s team are striving to set the tone for a massive day for the high-achieving club with the men’s team also featuring in the Pat Smith Trophy Challenge against Riccarton Knights.
“It’s going to be a big day for the club. Linwood, being one of the powerhouse clubs of Christchurch, has always been strong in these divisions … last year wasn’t quite our year, but it’s good to see us stepping up in all the grades.”
The 2025 CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership grand final kicks off at 12.30pm at Ngā Puna Wai on Sunday, August 3.
