Waikato have claimed provincial rugby's premiership for the first time in 15 years.
Photo: John Cowpland/Photosport Ltd 2021
The Mooloo have beaten two-time defending champions Tasman 23-20 in a tense premiership final in Hamilton.
Replacement first-five Fletcher Smith kicked the match-winning penalty for Waikato in the 72nd minute after the final was level at 10-all, 13-all and 20-all.
Waikato held a slender 13-10 halftime lead, with D'Angelo Leuila (lay-oo-ee-lah) kicking a penalty as the halftime whistle blew.
Leiula gave Waikato an early 3-0, but that was all the hosts had to show for their dominance in the first 20 minutes.
It was Tasman who scored the first try of the final in the 27th minute, when Olympic sevens silver medallist Regan Ware streaked away to dive over in the left corner. Co-captain Mitch Hunt converted from the sideline to give the Mako a 7-3 lead.
Waikato hit back just six minutes later, when centre Bailyn Sullivan picked up a loose ball 10 metres on his side of halfway and ran 50 metres to score under the posts. Leuila converted to put Waikato in front 10-7.
Waikato centre Bailyn Sullivan on his way to scoring his second try in the premiership final. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport Ltd 2021
Hunt kicked a penalty in the 37th minute to pull Tasman level, before Leuila answered five minutes later to give Waikato a halftime lead.
Tasman pulled all square early in the second-half with another penalty from Hunt, before Sullivan scored his second opportunist try in the 48th minute.
This time he swooped on a wayward pass five metres inside the Waikato half and runs 55 metres to again score under the posts. Leuila converted and gave Waikato a 20-13 lead.
They held the seven point advantage until the 67th minute when Mako co-captain Quinten Strange crashed over for a try to the left of the uprights. Hunt converted and the scores were level again at 20-20.
Smith then stepped up to kick a penalty from 30 metres out to put Waikato ahead 23-20.
Earlier today Taranaki won the championship title.
Taranaki celebrate winning the 2021 championship title in Inglewood. Photo: William Booth/Photosport Ltd 2021
The Amber and Blacks beat Otago 32-19 in the championship final in Inglewood to cap a perfect 10-win season.
Taranaki led 22-12 at halftime courtesy of tries from loosehead prop Jared Proffit, centre Daniel Waite and lock Mickey Wooliams and two conversions and a penalty goal from Stephen Perofeta.
Winger Kini Naholo then all but secured the title when he scored four minutes into the second-half to give Taranaki a 29-12 advantage.
Otago took advantage of Taranaki first-five Jayson Potros being sin-binned in the 50th minute, with his opposite Josh Ioane scoring a try, but couldn't crack the Amber and Blacks' line again despite dominating possession and territory for much of the second-half.
Ioane also kicked two conversions for the visitors, with lock Josh Hill and winger Vilimoni Koroi scoring their first-half tries.
