‘Pre-season’ round this Saturday (updated)

UPDATED information below (Friday evening).

The club and college rugby season starts on 20 June, but first there is a round of ‘pre-season’ matches on Saturday.

Several venues will be humming with rugby for the first time this year, while bars and clubrooms will be open and all are welcome at these.

Starting in the eastern suburbs, the Oriental-Rongotai Premiers (1.30pm kick-off), Premier Reserves (12.30pm) and Colts (TBC) are hosting their Tawa counterparts at the Polo Ground.

Over at Evans Bay Park, the Marist St Pat’s and Poneke Premiers meet (3.00pm), preceded by the MSP Colts and St Pat’s First XV squads (1.30pm).

Across the road at Kilbirnie Park, the Poneke and MSP Women open their seasons (11.30am), followed by the start of the MSP and Poneke Premier Reserves (12.00pm).

The Wellington College First XV and the Poneke Colts play on college grounds (2.00pm).

A further 11 Wellington College teams are also in action at home on Saturday against various school opposition.

Up at Hataitai Park, the Wellington Axe-Colts and the Rongotai College First XV (12.00pm) kick-off ahead of the Wellington and Paremata-Plimmerton Premier squads (2.30pm).

One match on Helston Park sees the Johnsonville and Upper Hutt Rams Colts in action (1.15pm).

Moving up the motorway, Northern United, Upper Hutt Rams and Hutt Old Boys Marist teams are in action at Porirua Park. The schedule for the afternoon is Norths Premiers v Upper Hutt Rams Premiers (12.00pm), Norths v HOBM Premier Reserves (1.30pm) and Norths v HOBM Premiers (3.00pm).

At Petone, the home club’s Colts (11.00am), Premier Reserves (1.00pm) and Premiers (2.30pm) squads host their Old Boys University counterparts. All three games are set down for Norths Park, across the road from the entrance to the Petone Rec on Udy St.

Over the hill, the Wainuiomata and Avalon Wolves Premiers meet at William Jones Park (1.00pm).

In pre-season college rugby at St Pat’s Silverstream, the Silverstream, Wairarapa College, Tawa College and Kapiti College First XVs are all in action (from 11.30am), as well as some junior Silverstream teams playing.

In other First XV pre-season matches, the Bishop Viard and Porirua College teams meet at BVC (1.00pm), the Wainuiomata High School and Onslow College sides are at Wainuiomata HS (12.00pm), the Hutt International Boys’ School and Mana College squads are at HIBs (2.00pm) and the St Bernard’s First XV hosts the Palmerston North Boys’ High School Second XV (11.00am) – this latter match also live-streamed on Huddy Sports.