Westport Rugby Club

150 between our lads 🐝 well done boys and a massive thank you to everything you do for rugby in our community! Looking forward to witnessing you both run out on Saturday!
Shout out to Ants too! Incredible mahi 👊

250 CAPS. THREE BULLER MEN. A WHOLE LOT GIVEN TO THE RED & BLUE.

This Saturday is a special one for Buller Rugby as we celebrate three significant milestones - 250 Buller caps between three men who have each made this province home in their own way.

MITIELI KALOUDIGIBECI - 100 BULLER CAPS
From Fiji to Buller, Miti first pulled on the red and blue in 2008 after making his mark in club rugby with Westport RFC.

Now, 18 years later, Miti reaches an incredible 100 games for Buller.

Across those years he has represented our province on the wing, at centre and fullback, playing his part in some memorable Buller sides. 100 games is a huge achievement and recognition of Miti's commitment to Buller Rugby and all he has given to the game in our province.

ANTHONY ELLIS - 100 BULLER CAPS
Anthony first pulled on the Buller jersey in 2015 after moving from Wellington - and more than a decade later, Buller is well and truly home.

Anthony has gone on to captain his province and this season has taken on a player-coach role, continuing to give back to the game.

Alongside his partner and three children, Anthony's contribution extends well beyond Heartland. He gives his time throughout our pathways, from our littlest Under 6s through to secondary school 1st XV.

On Saturday, he joins a very special group to have represented Buller 100 times.

JOEL HANDS - 50 BULLER CAPS
For Joel, Buller Rugby is quite literally home.
Buller born and bred, Joel made his Buller senior debut in 2018 and has been a consistent presence in the red and blue ever since.

A farmer from a long line of Buller farming stock, Joel balances rugby with life on the farm and with his partner and two boys, while continuing to put in the work for his province.

From scoring two tries in Westport's 2018 Senior Shield victory to reaching 50 games for Buller, it's a pretty special milestone for a local lad who has grown up in our game.

Three different rugby journeys. Three men who have given plenty to our game. And 250 reasons to celebrate this Saturday.

Congratulations Miti, Antz and Joel - an incredible contribution to the Buller jersey.

I spy Westport RFC 🕵‍♂️ proud to be supporting the red & blue 💙 🐝

Women's & U18 7s – Expression of Interest🏉

The Matatū 7s tournament is coming up on 21 November in Christchurch, and we're keen to gauge interest from Buller players who would like to be involved.

Whether you're an experienced player, keen to give 7s a go, or returning to rugby, we'd love to hear from you!

There are opportunities for:
🔹 Open Women's
🔹 Social Women's
🔹 Under 18 Girls

Depending on player numbers across the Coast, there is the potential to combine with other West Coast players or, if numbers allow, enter separate teams.

If you're interested in representing Buller and being part of this exciting opportunity, send us a DM or email [email protected] to register your interest.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post!

We'd like to say a massive thank you to our WRFC rugby whānau for another fantastic season of JAB rugby.

Every single player should be incredibly proud of the effort, growth and commitment they've shown this season. It's been awesome watching our kids develop their skills, confidence and love for the game week after week.

Our Under 6s had a huge season, travelling to Reefton twice and Karamea once, taking every challenge in their stride. The improvement across the season was incredible to watch. A huge thank you to Grace and Lily for giving your time and energy to our little buzzy bees.

Our Under 8s started the season playing Rippa before making the transition to tackle rugby. They led the way in their grade, and once they got a taste of tackle in Reefton, they never looked back! A big thank you to Sean and Joe for guiding the team through that transition, making sure every player was ready and playing to their ability.

Our Under 10s had another strong season, with some outstanding young talent on display. It was fantastic to see the team really start to understand the structure of the game, executing their tackles and bridging with confidence. Craig and Troy, we love your passion and appreciate the time and commitment you give to these kids every season.

Our Under 12s overcame what initially looked like a challenging season with player numbers. As the year went on, more players joined the team, bringing plenty of determination and strong defence, helping lift the side to go most weeks undefeated. Jared and Shane, thank you once again for your dedication. Travelling into Westport for training on less-than-ideal nights doesn't go unnoticed, and we're incredibly grateful for everything you do.

To our wider WRFC whānau... thank you.

I spent much of the season in our various group chats, and seeing the connection within our club families is something I'm personally really proud of. Whether it was sharing photos, offering rides, helping at training, washing jerseys, supporting coaches or simply cheering from the sideline, everyone played their part. Our club values mean so much to us, and seeing them lived out every single week is something really special.

Finally, a massive congratulations to all of our award winners listed below. Every one of you should be proud of your achievements.

And if you've made it this far... thank you! 😂🐝

U6
Player of the year: Leo Murray
Runner Up: Amiah Shannon & Michael Douglas
Most Improved: Torrance Kingi

U8
Player of the year: Victor Walker
Runner Up: Ruby Martin
Most Improved: Kole Turner

U10
Player of the year: Rawiri Samuels
Runner Up: Carter Alexander
Most Improved: Judd Corcoran & Oaklyn Adams
Cameron Simmis Memorial Trophy - Most Dedicated Player: Louie Adams

U12
Player of the year: Coen Meadowcroft
Runner Up: Luke Forsyth & Isaac Smith
Most Improved: Harper Case

Good luck for your last games tomorrow! It'll be a fresh one 🥶
REMINDER: We have our prizegiving tomorrow! Unfortunately the ground isnt up to the bouncy castle and "the donut man" is unfortunately under the weather.
We will still have fun, crank the bbq and celebrate the season! See you there.

Last chance to get your registrations in for Rep Rugby!

Today we celebrated our Under 14 teams at their end-of-season prizegiving 🏉

This year looked a little different for us. For the first time, Westport RFC fielded both Under 14 teams, with only two teams from Buller competing across the West Coast competition.

It wasn't without its challenges. The boys travelled more than they're used to, navigated opposition defaults, and at times dealt with dwindling numbers within their own squads. Despite that, they never defaulted themselves. They turned up, committed to their teammates, and did whatever was needed to make sure there was rugby to be played every Saturday. That attitude speaks volumes about the character of this group.

We're incredibly proud of every player who pulled on the black and yellow this season. We're equally proud of our coaches, managers and volunteers, who put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to make this season possible. We'd also like to thank the new helpers who stepped in this year, your support has been invaluable, and you're always welcome in our rugby whānau. A special shout out to our Reefton fam David and Simon (and kids!) Who travelled multiple times a week for trainings/games as well as dedicated time to coaching.

While this was a new experience for our club, it has shown us what's possible. We'll take plenty of learnings into next season as we continue working to strengthen and grow youth rugby in Buller.

Congratulations to all of our prize winners, and thank you to every player, parent, coach, volunteer and supporter who helped make the 2026 season one to be proud of. Here's to an even bigger and stronger 2027! 💛🖤

WRFC Black ⚫️
Player of the year - Luke Marris
Runner up - Shaun Marris
Most Improved - Parker Hughes

WRFC Yellow 🟡
Player of the year - Olly O'Toole
Runner up - Bronson Stephens
Most Improved - Kyden Jarvis

Well done crew!

Up the wahs 🤟

Under 14s are gathering tomorrow after their game for an aftermatch and prizegiving.

Games have been moved to Vic Square at 11.30am
Team photos 10.30am
Prizegiving 1pm at Patterson Park, WRFC Clubrooms

WRFC Junior Prizegiving! 🏅

Join us as we celebrate all of our amazing bumblebees at this year's JAB prizegiving!
Bring the whole whānau along for an afternoon of fun as we recognise our young rugby stars and everything they've achieved this season!

After the last game of JAB, Sat 1st Aug
Games at Craddock, Prizegiving at Patterson Park (Clubrooms).

Bouncy Castle, Donuts, Sausage Sizzle and more!