The Wellington club rugby Evergreen XV

The first round is over and the 2019 Wellington club rugby Championship season kicks off this weekend with the 91st playing of the Jubilee Cup. A group of players in the twilight of their careers are still contributing week in-week out for their Premier teams.

At the start of the year a similar paper team was named of the players who played in 2018 HERE. Below is a team of players still playing Premier (Swindale Shield) rugby in Wellington in 2019, determined by how far back they made their debuts and the service they have given to their clubs and the game. As always, this is not a ‘definitive’ list, in case we have left someone out.

Some positions are stacked with long-serving players, such as prop and loose forward, others aren’t such as hooker and wing, which is a young man’s game in club rugby as it is at the professional level.

The 2019 Evergreen Wellington club rugby team is below. ‘Debuts’ in brackets are their first matches in the Club Rugby Draws & Results website unless otherwise stated. 

1. Simon Malaeulu (Hutt Old Boys Marist. Debut for HOBM SS Round 5 2007)

2.   Stu Simonson (Paremata-Plimmerton. Debut for Wellington Axemen 2003)

3.  Justin Va’a (Wainuiomata, debut for Upper Hutt 2001)

4. Akuila Alatini (Avalon. Debut for Avalon, JC Round 5 2006)

5. Ian Kennedy (Old Boys University. Debut for OBU SS Round 11 2005)

6. Peniasi Tokakece (Tawa. Debut for Marist St Pat’s SS Round 1 2005)

7. Scott Waldrom (Avalon. Debut in 1999)

8. Thomas Waldrom (Avalon. Debut in 2002)

9. Nua Fono-Hunt (Upper Hutt Rams. Debut for Upper Hutt SS Round 1 2006)

10. Fa’atonu Fili (Marist St Pat’s. Debut in 2001)

11. Jeff Makapelu (Tawa. Debut SS Round 1 2006, v Upper Hutt)

12. Isaiah Petelo (Marist St Pat’s. Debut for MSP SS Round 3 2007)

13. Paulo Aukuso (Oriental-Rongotai. Debut for Ories SS Round 1 2005)

14. Joe Hill (Old Boys University. Debut for OBU SS Round 1 2007)

15. Cameron Cross (Avalon. Debut 2000)

Riding the pine:

16. Valentine Meachen (Marist St Pat’s. Debut for MSP HC Round 1 2008)

17. Soti Faamausili (Poneke. Debut for Wests Roosters Round 2 2006)

18. Chris Middleton (Northern United. Debut for Norths, SS Round 6 2006)

19. Josh Hunt (Northern United. Debut for Upper Hutt, SS Round 1 2006)

20. Damian Madsen (Avalon. Debut for Johnsonville SS Round 1 2006)

21. Ben Aoina (Upper Hutt Rams. Debut for Upper Hutt 2001)

22. Michael Lealava’a (Wainuiomata. Debut for Wainuiomata SS Round 3 2007)