Highs and Lows 2003

Maniototo retained the Douglas O'Malley Memorial Trophy defeating Eastern 34 - 5 in a preseason match. Tries to Paul Dougherty, Quinton Smith, Hamish Wilson, Johnny Duncan Kicks Thomas Huddleston.

Drawing with Alexandra 13 all.  Try to Vaughan Dowling with Thomas Huddleston Kicking 1 conversion and two penalties.

Beating Matakanui Combined 20-17  On Duck shooting weekend..Scorers Paul Dougherty, Tim Greer, Hamish Wilson 2. .

Upper Clutha 10 - 3  Try to Tim Greer with Thomas Huddleston a conversion and a penalty

Maniototo 5 v Wakatipu 25

Maniototo 17 v Alexandra 37

Maniototo 7 v Strath Taieri 10

Maniototo 9 v Arrowrown 23

Maniototo Seniors finished the season with a good win over Alexandra 20 - 12 ending up 5th on the table for 2003.  Great effort.

A very exciting game between Maniototo and Wakatipu was played in Queenstown. The game could not have been more even. 17 all at the break, and a try to Paul Dougherty on full time the conversion missing making the score 25 all.. Extra time having to be played to get a result. Wakatipu scored and converted in the 4th minute making the score 32 - 25. Maniototo tried valiantly to cross the Wakatipu line and in the the last minute Tim Greer went over for what would have been his third try but was unsighted by the referee. This was a great game with players playing their hearts out right to the final whistle.

Now we come to the most controversial point of the season - Andrew Hore.. Over the past couple of seasons Andrew has been able to play for us when he has been home, but due to rule changes by NZRFU, it was no longer going to be quite that simple. Despite the best efforts of our committee and with the assistance from Steve Martin (ORFU) and Rob Yule(Taranaki RFU) in obtaining all the revelant paperwork, the Country Rugby Board declined our initial requests for Andrew to Play. After an appeal was lodged by Maniototo (and a lot of unfavourable publicity for Country!) they agreed to let him play two games only. A request from us accompanied once again by all the relevant information, for Andrew to be allowed to play a further game for us against Wakatipu ( at this stage the good guys!), was turned down. At a meeting held by the players prior to the Country decision being made, it was a unanimous decision that Andrew play for us irrespective of the decision from Country. The result of this decision, which was supported be administrators, life members and supporters of the Club alike, was we were required to forfeit the White Horse Cup which was to be played for on a neutral ground at a later date and the 5 points gained for winning the game were taken off us. An appeal to Otago Country on the grounds that Wakatipu (no longer the good guys - or the Coach anyway!!) also fielded untransferred players failed, so the committee appealed it to the ORFU. The ORFU decision was that 'Wakatipu's breach of the transfer rules was of a techinical nature, not involving players of the calibre of Andrew Hore, brought in for a short time only" Wakatipu were awarded four points for the game effectively ending our hopes for a home semi final. This part of the season could be called the High and Low - the High because of the way it united the club and for the support we received from othe clubs e.g. Crescent and Lawrence and the Low because of the inability of the Country administrators to make decisions based on what is best for the game rather than what it says in the book....
                                                                                                                                                   

Maniototo outplayed Wakatipu to retain the White Horse Cup  winning 32 - 25. the scores were tied at 10 - 10 at halftime. Tries for Maniototo Paul Dougherty, Andrew Hore 2, Matt O'Connell, Thomas Huddleston 2 conversions and a penalty.