Inkersole Trophy stays with Raiders

The Rodney Rams Masters came up against a slightly younger Hibiscus Coast Raiders team on Sunday May 28 when the two sides met in the Ray Inkersole Memorial Trophy clash.

The Raiders, who took the trophy last year, proved too strong on the day.

Spokesperson Roger Reid said overall, the game was pretty even.

“The Raiders have a few younger players this year and I think that may have been the difference. They just had a bit more stamina.”

Scores aren’t kept in Masters games, but for the sake of deciding who would win the trophy, tries were counted, with the Raiders finishing three tries to one.

Inkersole was a former Rodney Rams chair and the trophy recognises the fact that when Masters first started, Rams and Raiders played as a combined team under the name Ram Raiders.

Later this year, Masters of Rugby League New Zealand will celebrate its 30th Anniversary International Tournament for both womens and mens masters grades.

The tournament will be held at Cornwall Park from October 14 to 21, with local teams expected to take part.