CRL Rd 6 Wrap: Knights salute for old boys, Keas stay unbeaten, Tigers win thriller
Riccarton Knights celebrated their third annual Old Boys Day with an impressive victory, while Linwood Keas kept their perfect record intact in emphatic fashion and Papanui Tigers rallied late to win in Round 6 of the 2026 CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership. Meanwhile, Hornby Panthers’ sizzling start to the 2026 CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership continued in Round 3 and the Keas got off the mark.
The Knights overcame a 14-10 halftime deficit to overwhelm Halswell Hornets at Crosbie Park, saluting the club’s old boys in style with a 42-20 victory.
The game was still in the balance at 24-20 in the home side’s favour when Hornets halfback Roman Keno converted his own try midway through the second half, but three straight tries from former Canterbury Bulls rep Blake Thompson lifted the Knights to a convincing win.
The Keas moved to 5-0 and retained the Thacker Shield via a 64-4 defeat of winless Hornby Panthers.
Linwood powered to a 36-0 halftime lead on the back of a hat-trick to winger Julius Mumuta. Hornby opened the second-half scoring through Braedon Williams, but the ruthless Keas resumed the onslaught with another six unanswered tries – including halfback and captain Etelani Pouli’s second.
The Tigers chalked up their second win of their comeback campaign in the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership, coming home with a wet sail in a 14-12 nail-biter over Greymouth Greyhounds.
After a scoreless first half, the Greyhounds took a 12-0 lead after Jeremiah Lesoa and Jordan Campbell scored in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
But the floodgates opened when Papanui belatedly found a breakthrough, with Chad Tainui, Toetu Touli and Tamatoa Taylor Paku crossing inside the last 10 minutes to snatch a vital win.
Old Boys Day started inauspiciously for the Knights as the Hornets rattled up a 66-6 win in the CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountancy Canterbury Cup Conference League. Sam Levien scored four tries for Halswell and Connor Hibbs picked up a treble.
The Tigers’ quinella kicked off with a 36-4 defeat of the Greyhounds, while Jarvis Ataera spearheaded the Keas’ 44-4 win over the Panthers with a hat-trick.
Northern Bulldogs’ rampant CRL Division One charge continued with a 46-4 away win over Halswell Hornets, improving to 6-0.
Bulldogs stalwart Patella Tou’s tryscoring purple patch went up a gear, following up last week’s hat-trick with a stunning five-try haul.
Not to be outdone, Eastern Eagles centre AJ Sui scored five tries in a 76-24 victory over visiting Ashburton Barbarians.
Linwood Keas kicked away in the second half of a 54-22 defeat of Shirley Hawks at Macfarlane Park.
Hornby Panthers made it three-from-three in the CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership, running in 10 tries in a 52-4 win over Eastern Eagles on Sunday.
Linwood Keas got off the mark for 2026 with a 64-4 defeat of Shirley Hawks, a victory that featured four first-half tries by Marilyn-Rose Kolio, and two tries apiece to Isabella Williams and Paige Roberts.
CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 6 RESULTS
Riccarton Knights 42 (Blake Thompson 3, Ihaka Abraham 2, Arlan Josch Perez, Matariri Halbert-Pere, Jimmy Wihongi tries; Wihongi 5 goals) defeated Halswell Hornets 20 (Tommy Moriarty, Asomau Ausage, Tyler Tapa-Wither, Roman Keno tries; Moriarty, Keno goals) at Crosbie Park
Papanui Tigers 14 (Chad Tainui, Toetu Touli, Tamatoa Taylor Paku tries; Puke Vincent goal) defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 12 (Jeremiah Lesoa, Jordan Campbell tries; Mac Gibson 2 goals) at Papanui Domain
Linwood Keas 64 (Julius Mumuta 3, Etelani Pouli 2, Alofa Faaiva, Thomas Irving, Xavier Talatonu, Chanel Feala, Domanyc Fidow-Kele, Giovanni Manuseuga, Lennox Tuiloma tries; Thomas Ruwhiu 8 goals)defeated Hornby Panthers 4 (Braedon Williams try)at Linwood Park
CRL SIDEKICK CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY CANTERBURY CUP CONFERENCE LEAGUE – ROUND 6 RESULTS
Halswell Hornets 66 defeated Riccarton Knights 6 at Crosbie Park
Papanui Tigers 36 defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 4 at Papanui Domain
Linwood Keas 44 defeated Hornby Panthers 4 at Linwood Park
CRL DIVISION ONE – ROUND 6 RESULTS
Northern Bulldogs 46 defeated Halswell Hornets 4 at Halswell Domain
Eastern Eagles 76 defeated Ashburbton Barbarians 24 at Wainoni Park
Linwood Keas 54 defeated Shirley Hawks 22 at Macfarlane Park
CRL HAPPY HIRE WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 3 RESULTS
Linwood Keas 64 defeated Shirley Hawks 4 at Macfarlane Park
Hornby Panthers 52 defeated Eastern Eagles 4 at Leslie Park
PHOTO CREDIT: Abraham Atherton Photography
