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The Stokes Valley U85kg side with the Tony O’Brien Shield, for winning the Division 2 title on Saturday with a 14-9 win over Eastbourne in the final.
The rugby rolls on.
The last of the club rugby finals in Wellington is this coming Saturday, between the MSP Internationals and the Upper Hutt Rams J8s who contest the Reserve Grade Division 2 Alan Seerup Trophy at Evans Bay Park.
There are several more school finals this Saturday – with the Premiership final between St Pat’s Silverstream and St Pat’s Town at 4.15pm at Jerry Collins Stadium, and other finals in Premier 2, 3 and 4, U55kg, U15s (both divisions) and U65kg (division two) grades.
In representative rugby at home, whilst the Wellington Māori and Wellington Samoans teams meet at the Hutt Rec at 1.00pm.
In away matches, the Wellington U19s meet Canterbury U19s in Blenheim and the Wellington Centurions play the Hawke’s Bay Saracens at Napier.
There is also a NPC double-header at Jerry Collins Stadium on Saturday, where the Wellington Pride play the Bay of Plenty Volcanix at 11.45am and the Wellington Lions meet the Northland Taniwha at 2.05pm.
There are two school rugby fixtures in Porirua on Wednesday.
Mana College take on Hato Paora College at 12.10pm at their school grounds in a First XV traditional.
St Mary’s College play Feilding High School in the third match of their round-robin series, also involving Hastings Girls’ High School and Manukura. Kick-off on Porirua Park #2 is at 12.30pm. See below for a wrap of their matches last Wednesday.
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Rory Woolett scored 14 points and produced a tactical masterclass for the Petone Colts in their 27-22 win over Hutt Old Boys Marist in the John E Kelly Memorial Cup final on Saturday. In 2019 he missed four kicks for St Pat’s Silverstream when they lost the Premier I final against Scots College 20-15. Last year his kick to win Petone the John E Kelly Cup final at 18-18 missed by a whisker, OBU going onto win 25-21.
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Petone had 14 players involved in the 2021 John E Kelly Cup Memorial final involved in their 2022 triumph.
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MVP awards for finals would add a degree more prestige to matches.
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No scoreboards at Fraser Park on Saturday. Spectators had to keep their own time and scores.
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St Pat’s Silverstream will play St Pat’s Town in the Premier 1 final for the first time since 2018 after both schools won their respective semi-finals. In the 2018 decider Silverstream won 29-22 after being 10-0 down. Lock Neyla Masima scored three tries and prop Iona Apineru a try for the victors. Neyla has disappeared from the rugby scene after briefly appearing for Petone following a stint at the Warriors. Apineru was injured for Petone in the Jubilee Cup final and is likely to miss the entire Wellington Lions season.
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There was a great moment of sportsmanship after Saturday’s First XV semi-final at Evans Bay Park by the Wellington College student supporters. As the two teams did their post-game line up and shake hands, the Coll students gave the Town players a sustained period of applause. They also wished them good luck against Stream in the final. Considering there was a large amount of spirited banter between the two supporter groups during the match, this was a particularly commendable act of graciousness in defeat.
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The Manawatu Evergreens defeated the Wellington Fijians 82-7 at Ngati Toa Domain, in the inagural fixture for the Evergreens. This Saturday the Evergreens play the Taranaki Trojans at Hawera.
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Two one-sided Hurricanes schoolgirls games last Wednesday.
St Mary’s travelled to Palmerston North and beat Hastings Girls High School 85-12. The score aside, the team reported a much improved showing to that in their previous last week that they lost to Manukura. Manukura beat Feilding High School 72-12 in the other game. Following the St Mary’s-Feilding game this Wednesday, the Hurricanes final for the Rex Kerr Cup is in Palmerston North next Wednesday, likely involving St Mary’s-Manukura.
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It’s 15 August, the anniversary of the largest rugby crowd in Wellington. Read more here: http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/story.php?id=1041
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More recently, today in 2010: Two electric Buxton Popoalii tries and committed second half defence carry Northern United to their fourth Jubilee Cup title in the final against Poneke at Wellington Stadium. Popoalii scores two of their first three tries that sees them race to a 19-0 lead early in the second spell, ahead of an exhaustive Norths defensive effort. After scoring the game’s first try in the 10th minute, Popoaii adds his second early in the second half, ahead of a Poneke comeback over the next 20 minutes.Young Norths halfback TJPerenara is the Player of the Final.
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Charles Harris – the man with the whistle for this coming Saturday’s First XV school final.
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Salesi Rayasi has scored 31 tries in 37 games for Auckland. He scored a ripper yesterday in a 24-23 win against Southland, that game stopped in Invercargill for 20 minutes following a birthday cheese roll. The crowd was escorted on to the field as part of the fire drill procedure.
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Hat’s off to the Tasman Rugby Football Union’s PR/branding/marketing.
David Havili gave the ‘Fins Up’ sign after scoring his match-winning try in front of 63,000 South Africans and millions watching on television or catching up on the highlights package around the world, so an effective campaign.
This year Tasman have added their ‘Finatics’ slogan to this.
The WRFU also have a brand that they could utilise in the future – the Lions and Pride.
Perhaps based on a “safari theme”? A line of merchandise around David Attenborough-style safari clothing and hats and Lions binoculars and the like. A claw gesture could be introduced, akin to the Fins Up one. The Lions and Pride teams could adopt a real pride of Lions in Africa, fans could sponsor some lions in the zoo or a real pride in Africa and in turn run a Lions and Pride fans competition for a family trip to Africa to go on safari…just some ideas! Over 10 years ago Club Rugby helped build a ‘lions cage’ that was driven around central Wellington on a trailer at lunchtime with lions roar sounds emanating from inside. Unsure how effective this actually was, but this was the pre-2011 RWC era when crowds still showed up to games. Please send any ideas you have directly to the WRFU.
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The Wellington Pride end the FPC with matches against top four opposition Bay of Plenty and Auckland. Two losses could see them relegated to the Championship for the first time since 2018. Two wins could see them make the semi-finals.
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Feilding High School won the Central North Island First XV competition on Saturday, beating St John’s Hamilton 33-22 in the final played at neutral Taupo on Saturday. This is Feilding’s first CNI title.
With no national Top Four Co-ed Cup anymore, owing to schools such as St Kent’s, St Andrew’s, Scots and St Peter’s Cambridge turning it into a private schools arms race and shutting out smaller co-ed schools, Feilding have entered the Boys Top Four competition. Feilding will play the winner of this Saturday’s Wellington St Pat’s Silverstream/St Pat’s Town final in one Hurricanes semi-final. Palmerston North Boys’ High School is playing Napier Boys’ High School in the other semi-final, with the winner to play Hastings Boys’ High School for a place in the final.
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Alex Fidow opened his account for North Harbour yesterday by coming off the bench and kicking the final conversion of the day in North Harbour’s 64-14 win over the Manawatu Turbos.
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The Heartland Championship kicks off this Saturday, with the three lower North Island teams all in action. Horowhenua-Kapiti start their season in Ruatoria against Ngati Porou East Coast, Whanganui are on the West Coast and Wairarapa-Bush are playing a ‘home’ game in Palmerston North against North Otago on Saturday night.
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Canterbury wing Martha Mataele has scored at least one try in all four Farah Palmer Cup games this year. Fullback or first-five Rosie Kelly is another pushing hard for a Black Ferns World Cup place. Canterbury have won 31 of their last 32 games and retained the JJ Stewart trophy every year since 2017.
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Record wins for North Harbour 64-14 over Manawatu and Bay of Plenty 46-6 over Taranaki in the NPC yesterday. A run of three games in eight games for the Turbos, who now have a full week off before hosting Hawke’s Bay next Sunday afternoon. A horror start for the Naki, who choked in their competition opener against Northland at home and now return to that venue at Pukekura Park this Saturday to play Canterbury.
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The All Blacks have been underdogs to win a test at the TAB five times and won for the first time in that position on Saturday. Sport betting came into existence officially in 1996 when rugby turned professional. The All Blacks record in that time is 267 wins, 53 defeats and none draws.
Richie Mo’unga has kicked 116 out of 147 goals in his career.
Another miserable night for Beauden Barrett, yellow carded almost immediately after coming on in the All Blacks 35-23 win over South Africa. The Super Rugby final and three losing tests as a starter are also among a disastrous last five games. Is it time to recall Damian McKenzie? The All Blacks have won 35 of 37 tests however with Beauden on the bench.
The run by All Black centre Reiko Ioane to help set up the winning try against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday was shades of Frank Bunce against the same team at the same ground in 1997. Bunce scored two tries in a classic 35-32 win.
Sam Cane has scored 16 test tries. Only Ian Kirkpatrick (16), Zinzan Brooke (17), Kirean Read (26) and Richie McCaw (27) have more tries among All Black loose forwards.
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Argentina beat Australia by a record 48-17 in the Rugby Championship. It’s the Pumas seventh win against the Wallabies and beats their previous largest success which was 24-13 in 1979.
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The All Blacks have lost 30 tests since September 8, 2007. Wayne Barnes has been referee in 12 of those losses.
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Rotorua Boys’ High School beat defending champions Hamilton Boys’ High School in the First XV Super 8 final on Saturday.
In the Crusaders First XV competition, St Bede’s knocked over St Thomas’ in their semi-final and Nelson College beat Christchurch Boys’ High School in the other. Nelson to host St Bede’s in the final.
In the Highlanders region, It’s a Southland Boys’ High School versus John McGlashan College final this weekend.
NZR Media release Monday morning:
Ten rugby clubs from throughout Aotearoa [New Zealand] have been named as the latest recipients of Bunnings Rugby Assist and are set to receive $30,000 to put towards upgrading their facilities for the benefit of the women’s game.
Three quarters of all eligible clubs across the country applied for Bunnings Rugby Assist, with ambitions to even the playing field for their women’s squads.
Wainuiomata Rugby Club in Wellington is one of the ten clubs selected and has plans to upgrade their old changing rooms and toilets so that they are suitable for female players.
Moana Kuma applied on behalf of the club and is thrilled with the news. “We are incredibly proud of our female squad, and the club is committed to strengthening our women’s programme. To achieve this, we need our clubrooms to be a welcoming space that caters to female players and all members of our community,” said Moana.
The 10 successful clubs will receive an equal share of $300,000 worth of Bunnings Warehouse products and materials and trade support to help with improving their facilities.
New Zealand Rugby General Manager Community Rugby, Steve Lancaster is looking forward to seeing the positive impact the funding will have on women’s rugby and the wider community.
“It is great to see clubs across New Zealand being supportive of the women’s game. Grassroots rugby plays a vital role in growing the sport we love, and women’s rugby is an area of real growth. With the Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) kicking off in October, demand for better women’s facilities is only going to increase. It is brilliant to have Bunnings supporting rugby across New Zealand with the Bunnings Rugby Assist fund, and I look forward to seeing the improvements made to each of the ten successful rugby clubs,” said Lancaster.
Bunnings Director, New Zealand, Ben Camire said, “We want to thank all the clubs that entered this year – your support and commitment to grassroots rugby is what drives this sport in communities throughout New Zealand.
“I’d also like to congratulate the 10 clubs who have been selected. Our local store teams look forward to connecting and working closely with you to complete your projects and making a meaningful contribution to the wider community.”
Bunnings Rugby Assist ambassador and women’s rugby legend, Ruby Tui, said she is blown away by the response from the rugby community and is excited to see how this support will drive the growth of women’s rugby further.
Rugby clubs who missed out in 2022 will have another chance to apply for Bunnings Rugby Assist in 2023 with the application process to be announced in due course.
The 10 clubs selected to receive $30,000 worth of Bunnings products and materials are:
| Northland | Te Rarawa Sports Club |
| Auckland | Auckland Marist Rugby Club |
| Bay of Plenty | Ōpōtiki Sports Club |
| Taranaki | Inglewood United Rugby Football Club |
| Manawatū | Feilding Old Boys Ōroua Rugby Club |
| Wellington | Wainuiomata Rugby Club |
| Canterbury | Christchurch Football Club Incorporated |
| Canterbury | Linwood Rugby Club |
| Southland | Marist Rugby Old Boys Football Club Invercargill |
| Southland | Invercargill Blues Rugby Club |
