Hurricanes players such as Du Plessis Kirifi returning to club rugby are good for the competition, Here’s hoping most of these guys are keen and available to play over the next month or so. Review the first round in photos HERE
Monday afternoon updates: What a month of Premier club rugby we have coming up.
The first round is over and we are on to the championship rounds. As always, check out our preview at the end of the week, but for now the draws are up:
- Week 1 Jubilee Cup matches here: http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=3&season=19&round=1
- Week 1 Hardham Cup matches here: http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=2&season=19&round=1
More school rugby this week. Wellington College are away in Whanganui at Quadrangular Tournament. They play Nelson College today and hosts Whanganui play Christ’s College. On Wednesday the winners and the losers from these two games meet on day two. UPDATE: Nelson College have beaten Wellington College 34-31 in match one on Monday. Christ’s College have beaten Whanganui Collegiate 47-33 in the second game (halftime 40-7).
St Pat’s Silverstream hosts Rongotai College in their midweek traditional on Wednesday, kick-off 1.30pm.
The short, sharp College Sport Wellington Girls season comes to its conclusion – in part – on Wednesday night at Porirua Park. St Mary’s feature in both, with their U15 side to face either Wainuiomata or Sacred Heart (who play this afternoon) at 4.30pm followed at 6pm by the Premier 1 decider between the perennial powerhouse and a combined Wainuiomata/Sacred Heart side which won the previous meeting between the two. The Premier 2 grade has a couple more weeks to run.
+++++
The Wellington Lions have confirmed this morning that Oriental-Rongotai loose forward Sione Halalilo has signed with the Lions for 2022 and 2023.
Sione Halalilo hat-trick for the Wellington Centurions U18s v Whanganui U18s 2019.
+++++
Tawa fullback Randall Bishop celebrated his 150th Premier match for Tawa with a 26-20 win over Old Boys University on Saturday, to earn a home first round Jubilee Cup match this coming Saturday, also against OBU. Bishop’s dropped goal early in the second half put Tawa up 26-3 and that was enough for victory:
+++++
A familiar face amongst those at Tawa’s 75th Jubilee celebrations over the weekend was reigning Billy Wallace Best & Fairest winner Kemara Hauiti-Parapara. One of just four people to win that accolade outright twice (Allan Hewson, Zak Feaunati, and Scott Waldrom are the others), Hauiti-Parapara is recently returned from France where he played in the second division ProD2 with Oyonnax and is shortly headed to Dunedin to join up with Otago for the forthcoming NPC.
+++++
A late introduction to the Avalon Wolves team on Saturday was Asafo Aumua. The former All Black and current Hurricanes hooker started in the rake position and scored his team’s first and only try of the contest.
+++++
James Blackwell may feature for Petone this coming Saturday but it is understood he will be having a sabbatical from the Wellington Lions this season.
+++++
Massive shift from Zinny McCormick this week. On Wednesday he officiated the Rongotai College v Wellington College traditional and then he took charge of the Tia Passi Memorial Women’s final between Norths and MSP on Friday having worked a full shift stacking a food truck on Thursday. On Saturday he was seen at the Petone v Wainuiomata match.
++++
Iona Apineru was the inaugural winner of the Les Everson Goblet, for the Player of the Match in the Petone versus Wainuiomata Swindale Shield match on Saturday.
Petone Life Member Les Everson passed away in January this year. Les had a successful playing, coaching and administration career with Petone but is best known to today’s members as a tireless volunteer, avid Red Wine drinker and very loved Husband of fellow Life Member Marie. Les also had a spell over the Hill coaching a fledging Wainuiomata Rugby Club way back in the day.
+++++
The Super 8 First XV draws and results and points table continues to be a giant secret for the general public interested to know what is going on. If this is anywhere online, can someone please point us in the direction of where to find it?
Although we do know that the Moascar Cup changed hands on Saturday with Hamilton Boys’ High School defeating Rotorua Boys’ High School 28-19. Rotorua had held the trophy for 13 defences. Hamilton has held the trophy in 1978, 2008-2010 (17 defences), 2013 and 2014.
+++++
A new round of Wellington club rugby and a clean slate for all teams. Old Boys University won the Swindale Shield last year but lost their first-round play off match to Hutt Old Boys Marist. A week later their season was ended by Northern United 13-0.
+++++
Below: Big tackle in the corner, and some passionate commentary.
+++++
The New Zealand Under 20s start their Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship campaign on Friday with a match against Fiji. The series involves three matches and they are:
- Friday July 1 v Fiji, kick off 5pm
- Tuesday July 5 v Argentina, kick off 2pm
- Sunday July 10 v Australia, kick off 4pm
It is understood that these games are on Spark Sport, so unwatchable for most.
+++++
Scots College lost six points in the Premiership last week for fielding an ineligible player against Rongotai College and Wellington College. Scots are four-time reigning champions and the best resourced First XV in the city yet the same thing happened two years ago when they lost points for the same offense against Rongotai. What a let down to the players working hard and the fee paying students that their season could fall short of expectations because of neglectful paperwork.
+++++
The Hurricanes can’t lose Jordie Barrett, top five in three important statistical categories:
https://www.allblacks.com/news/stat-leaders-dhl-super-rugby-pacific/
+++++
There were 706 tries in 91 matches in the just completed Swindale Shield round. Champions Petone scored the most with 73 and minnows the Wellington Axemen with 15.
For the second time in three years, Norths outside back Losi Filipo was the top try scorer in the Swindale Shield. Filipo dotted down on 12 occasions. Since the start of the 13-round first round competition in 2016 the top try scorers each term have been:
- 2016: Paddy Hughes (Wellington) 13
- 2017: Michael Sage (Poneke) 12
- 2018: Luca Rees (Ories) 17
- 2019: Luca Rees (Norths) 16
- 2020: Losi Filipo (Norths) 13
- 2021: Luca Rees (Norths) 13
- 2022: Losi Filipo (Norths) 12
- First round record:
- 2010: Buxton Popoalii (Norths) 18 [in 11 rounds]
+++++
There was 4,922 points scored in 91 matches in the just completed Swindale Shield round. Petone scored the most with 507 points and Wellington the fewests with 104.
Callum Harkin (Old Boys University) was the top points scorer with 142 points. Since the start of the 13-round first round competition in 2016 the top points scorers each term have been:
- 2016: Joyner Key (Upper Hutt Rams) 127
- 2017: Adam Deck (Ories) 143
- 2018: Glen Walters (HOBM) 177
- 2019: Willie Schutz (MSP) 104
- 2020: Logan Henry (Petone) 150
- 2021: Sam Reid (OBU) 153
- 2022: Callum Harkin (OBU) 142
- First round record:
- 2010: James So’oialo (Norths) 206 [in 11 rounds]
+++++
Sydenham won the first round of the Canterbury Metro Division 1 [Premier] competition on Saturday, with a record of nine wins and two losses from their 11 matches. The championship round starts this coming weekend.
+++++
Since their 20-23 loss to France in 1994, the All Blacks have seen off 45 opponents at Eden Park, with only two draws, against South Africa (18-18) in 1994 to start the run, and the British & Irish Lions (15-15) in 2017. Putting that into some sort of context, the next highest unbeaten run is 22 by England at Twickenham between 1999-2003. Australia at Ballymore, Brisbane (1990-2000) and France at the Parc des Princes, Paris (1982-89) had 17 without defeat. Next highest was 16 by the All Blacks at Westpac Stadium in Wellington (2004-2017) and 14 by the All Blacks at Carisbrook in Dunedin (1977-1990).
Since 2013 Ireland have won 79 out of 103 tests (77%). The All Blacks 99/121 (82%).
+++++
The Hurricanes this morning announced that Hawke’s Bay players, lock Isaia Walker-Leawere and loosie Devan Flanders, have recommitted to through 2024.
+++++
A big response to our story with Avalon women’s legend Liz Nanai who played test rugby for Hong Kong. Her ex-husband who achieved the same feat was a centurion for Western Suburbs, winning a Jubilee Cup in 1998. He later became an Asian Film Star. Read more here: http://happinessiseggshaped.org/rugby-player-to-movie-star/?fbclid=IwAR33zMO_j6_w69AyioScEtkE0304Rto8SHZrE6M4nO82j6AKPDrzWvO0zfs
+++++
If the women’s final wasn’t played on Matariki, Norths might have had eight Black Ferns in the forward pack.
+++++
Moving moment for Wellington Rugby President Kerry Walsh presenting the Tia Passi Memorial Trophy. Tia had a long association with Johnsonville where Kerry is a long time stalwart. Personable and passionate, Kerry is making a good fist of his presidential tenure.
+++++
Dunedin Wahine beat Big River Country 22-12 in the Premier final. Dunedin Wahine is are a part of the 151 year-old Sharks club and their win represents a changing of the guard in Otago when the senior competition has been typically dominated by University or Alhambra Union. There were no Black Ferns in either roster, but with two tries Oceana Campbell was one of nine players selected in the Otago Spirit for the Farah Palmer Cup.
Christchurch Football Club beat University 38-25 in the Canterbury women’s club final. It’s the 13th time since 1995 Christchurch have won the competition.
Former Wellington Pride hooker Precious Auimatagi played for Nelson Marist in their extra-time 24-19 victory over Waimea Old Boys in the Nelson Senior women’s final.
+++++
Big result in Auckland First XV rugby last week, with Tangaroa College beating Auckland Grammar School:
+++++
1974 winners South Canterbury challenge Hawke’s Bay for the Ranfurly Shield on Wednesday.
+++++
New Zealand Rugby revealed its new four-year plan last week called Reimagining Rugby. It has four pillars: “winning with mana”, “rugby at the heart of our communities”, “unleashing rugby’s commercial potential” and “loved game, loved brands”.
Below, we are here to promote other rugby teams, clubs and individual players, but a wee bit of self self PR. As below, last week we breezed through one million visits to this website since we re-started the new home and story pages in March 2020 (on the cusp of lockdown 1.0). Already on to the next million!