The 2019 club rugby season is all but over and the local college season is reaching its crescendo, but two months of representative rugby from the ground up is just getting underway.
The secondary school post-season knockout phase is coming up soon, as school teams aim to qualify for the National Top 4 tournament in Palmerston North in early September.
A full programme of Hurricanes Youth Council U16, U18, and U19 rugby has already started with the Hurricanes Youth Council’s U20 Development series and this runs through to the start of October.
The Hurricanes U19 Central Region Shield between Wellington, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and the Hurricanes Heartland U20 side (selected from the U20 Development series, above) is played over the back half of August. This is then leads up to the National U19 provincial tournament in Taupo from 7-14 September.
The Hurricanes Development Shield competition this year is again being contested by the Wellington Centurions Development, Wellington Maori and Wellington Samoan teams (who will also compete for the Festival Cup) and the Hawke’s Bay Saracens
The Wellington Development’s season runs concurrently to the Festival Cup (above) this year For home supporters, their campaign is a case of blink and you might miss it. The team plays six matches, but after their opening match at the Hutt Rec this Saturday against the Wairarapa Bush Heartland squad just one of the next four is at home, against the Hawke’s Bay Saracens on 31 August.
The Wellington Pride play just one home match at Jerry Collins Stadium, with the remainder at Westpac Stadium as ‘curtain-raisers’ to men’s NPC matches. The home game at Jerry Collins is against Bay of Plenty on Saturday 7 September.
Several sevens tournaments will close out the year in rugby as teams and clubs prepare for next season and a fresh start in 2020.
For a Club Rugby fixtures list see below.
Please note this schedule below is a guide only and not to be relied upon. Please check closer to the times of fixtures and read our regular previews and reviews throughout this phase of the season for confirmation of these matches. This will also be added to as more comes to light.
Saturday 10 August
Wellington Lions v Tasman, Nelson 2.35pm
Wellington Development v Wairarapa-Bush, Hutt Rec 1.00pm
Wellington U19s v Centurions Development, Porirua Park 12.30pm (pre-season)
Friday 16 August
Wellington Lions v Hawke’s Bay, Napier 7.35pm
Saturday 17 August
Wellington Development v Wanganui, Wanganui 2.30pm
Wellington U19s v Manawatu, Palmerston North, 1.00pm
Wellington Maori v Wanganui B, Wanganui, 1.00pm
Wellington Samoans v Wairarapa-Bush, Masterton 1.00pm
Centurions Development v Horowhenua-Kapiti, Levin, 2.30pm
Centurions U18 v Centurions U85kg, Kilbirnie Park 1, 1.00pm
College Rugby Finals Day (Premier 2 down), St Pat’s Silverstream, all day TBC
Sunday 18 August
Wellington First XV Boys Premiership final, Jerry Collins Stadium, 2.30pm TBC teams.
Wednesday 21 August
Secondary Schoolgirls College Finals, at Jerry Collins Stadium
Friday 23 August
Wellington Lions v Canterbury, Wellington Stadium 7.35pm
Wellington U19s v Hurricanes Heartland U20s, Wellington Stadium 5.05pm
Saturday 24 August
Wellington Maori v Manawatu Maori, Palmerston North, 1.00pm
Wellington Samoans U18s v Wellington Centurions U18s, Kilbirnie Park, 11.15am.
Wellington Samoans v Wellington Centurions Development, Kilbirnie Park, 1.00pm
Wellington Maori Development v Horowhenua-Kapiti Development, Petone Rec, 12.30pm
Hurricanes region First XV semi-finals Boys, Girls, Coed, Development First XV -UPDATE: Scots College v Palmerston North Boys’ High School at Jerry Collins Stadium at 2.30pm, St Pat’s Silverstream v Hastings Boys’ High School (away), Aotea College v Kapiti College at Aotea at 1,00pm.
Thursday 29 August
Wellington Lions v Counties Manukau, Wellington Stadium 7.35pm
Saturday 31 August
Wellington Pride v Canterbury, Christchurch 12.05pm
Wellington Development v Hawke’s Bay Saracens, Jerry Collins Stadium 2.30pm
Wellington U19s v Hawke’s Bay U19s Jerry Collins Stadium, 12.30pm
Wellington Maori v Centurions Development, Hutt Rec, 1.00pm
Wellington Samoans v Manawatu Samoans, Palmerston North, 1.00pm
Centurions U18s v Wairarapa-Bush U18s, Masterton, 1.00pm
Cemturions U18s Women v Wellington Samoans Women U18, Ngatitoa Domain, 1.30pm
Hurricanes region First XV finals, Boys, Girls, Coed, Development First XV Palmerston North TBC.
Monday 2 September
Hurricanes U15 Girls (Levin) and U14 Boys Festival (Wellington) commences
Wednesday 4 September
U15 Boys Winter Tournament Week tournament commences, Wellington.
Wellington Development v NZDF, Fraser Park Artificial, 7pm.
Friday 6 September
National Top 4 Day One. Palmerston North. Teams TBC
Sarturday 7 September
Wellington Lions v Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, 7.35pm
Wellington Pride v Bay of Plenty, Jerry Collins Stadium, 1.00pm
Centurions U85kg v Tasman U85kg, Porirua Park 2, 11.00am
Wellington Maori v Wellington Samoans, Petone Rec, 2.30pm
Wellington Maori Development v Wanganui Development, Petone Rec 2, 12.30pm
Centurions Development v Hawke’s Bay Saracens, Napier, 2.30pm
Centurions u18s v Samoan U18s, Petone Rec, 1.00pm
Wellington Community Women U18 v Centurions U18s Women, Ngatitoa Domain, 12.00pm
Wellington U16A v Petone Barbarians, Bernie Wood, 1.30pm
Wellington U16 Development v Wairarapa Bush U16s, Masterton 1.00pm
Sunday 8 September
National Top 4 Day One. Palmerston North. Teams TBC
Wellington U19s v TBC. National U19 Tournament Day One, Taupo.
Wednesday 11 September
Wellington U19s v TBC. National U19 Tournament Day Two
Saturday 14 September
Wellington Development v Hawke’s Bay Saracens, Napier 1.00pm
Wellington U19s v TBC. National U19 Tournament Day Three
Wellington Maori v Canterbury Maori, Christchurch, 1.00pm
Wellington Samoans U18s v Horowhenua-Kapiti, Levin, 1.00pm
Centurions U18s Women v Tasman U18 Women, Porirua Park, 11.00am
Wellington Community Women U18 v Wellington Samoans U18 Women, Porirua Park, 11.00am.
Wellington U16A and U16 Development v Manawatu U16 and U16 Development, Palmerston North, 1.00pm
Sunday 15 September
Wellington Lions v Otago, Wellington Stadium, 2.05pm
Wellington Pride v Counties Manukau, Wellington Stadium, 11.35am
Saturday 21 September
Wellington Development v Tasman Development, Blenheim, 1.30pm
Wellington Maori v Tasman Maori, Blenheim, 12.00pm
U18 final – Centurions U18s v Whanganui U18s, Cooks Gardens Whanganui 12.45pm
U18 3rd v 4th – Wellington Samoans U18s v Poverty Bay U18s, Porirua Park, TBC
Wellington U16A v Wairarapa Bush, Porirua Park 1.00pm
Wellington U16 Development v Wanganui, Wanganui 1.00pm
Sunday 22 September
Wellington Lions v Auckland, Auckland, 2.05pm
Wellington Pride v Auckland, Auckland, 11.35am
Friday 27 September
Wellington Lions v Northland, Wellington Stadium, 5.05pm
Saturday 28 September
Wellington Pride v Waikato, Wellington Stadium, 2.30pm
Wellington Development v Auckland B, Auckland, 1.00pm
Centurions U85kg v Waikato U85kg, Taupo, time TBC
Monday 30 September
Hurricanes U16 Tournament, Poverty Bay – 30 September to 3 October
Tuesday 1 October
Hurricanes U18 Women’s Tournament, Napier – 1 to 3 October
Friday 4 October
Wellington Lions v North Harbour, Albany, 7.35pm
Wellington Pride v North Harbour, Albany, 5.35pm
Saturday 12 October
Wellington Lions v Waikato, Wellington Stadium, 7.35pm
Tuesday 14 October
Wellington U15 Sevens Tournament, Naenae College
Saturday 19 October
Women’s NPC Farah Palmer Cup semi-finals TBC
Men’s NPC semi-finals weekend TBC
Hurricanes Schools Sevens Tournament (girls and boys), Rathkeale College, Masterton
Hutt Cup Sevens [Schools Tournament], Naenae College TBC.
Saturday 26 October
Men’s and Women’s final weekend TBC
Monday 28 October
Wellington and Wairarapa Condor Sevens Qualifying Tournament, Naenae College
Saturday 2 November
Napier Old Boys Marist 7s club sevens tournament, Napier
1 and 2 December
Condor Sevens Nationals, Disneyland
.
Please email editor@clubrugby.co.nz details of other rugby and sevens tournaments once finalised, to add to this article.