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Another exciting day at Ngati Toa Domain for Paremata-Plimmerton’s supporters on Saturday. Photo: Stewart Baird.
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Evening additions : Welcome to the deepest, darkest week of the year.
We have one round to play in the 2023 Swindale Shield and several other competitions are heating up considerably.
Premier Swindale Shield matches are a glance this coming Saturday:
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In school rugby this week, there is just one scheduled boys First XV match – that we know of. This is on Wednesday at Rongotai College where the home school hosts St Pat’s Silverstream at 12.00pm. This is the opening match of round six of the Premiership. Silverstream are unbeaten with five straight bonus point wins, while Rongotai have won two from five including a 22-15 win over St Bernard’s College.
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We received a handful of emails and messages after we posted our round-up column on Saturday night questioning if we had it wrong stating that Pare-Plim had one hand on the Swindale Shield already. We have confirmed with the union on several occasions that the By-Laws were amended prior to the season to reinstate shared ties for first-round trophies, though the situation is not helped by the version that the WRFU has online is the 2022 edition.
So, to confirm once more: For OBU to claim a share of the Swindale they will need to beat Pare-Plim at Rugby League Park this Saturday with a bonus point AND deny Pare-Plim any bonus points. Any other result and Pare-Plim will win the Swindale outright.
The battle to finish eighth and thus make the Jubilee Cup for the second round is also all on this coming Saturday. The teams involved here are MSP (on 39 points), Tawa (37), Ories (37) and HOBM (36). One to miss out and play Hardham Cup in July.
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The Wellington Pride squad was named this afternoon (minus the full squad names in the email).
Angelica Schwencke (Western Force) and and Fa’alua Tugaga (Melbourne Rebels) add some more Super Rugby level experience to the Pride this year.
Amongst the group are seven uncapped players, five of which have been named in the squad for the first time. Centre Drenna Falaniko, Fa’alua Tugaga, prop Octavia Nanai-Iafeta and hooker Petrina Foaese join the squad for the first time off the back of a successful club season with the championship winning Marist St Pat’s. Joining them is uncapped lock Ashlyn Pescini, who returns to the squad again after being named in 2022. Avalon lock Siaiga Filipo is the fifth new addition to the squad, while Petone prop Lavinia Lea returns after a stint in 2021.
As well as no full list of names in the release, it is also unclear what positions Schwencke and Tugaga play. Tugaga came off the bench twice for MSP in recent weeks wearing #21, so presuming she is a halfback. Schwencke didn’t play any club rugby.
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A clutch of player milestones on Saturday with centuries of appearances for Ories’ Connor Lemon, Johnsonville’s Jacob Walmsley, and Upper Hutt’s Daniel Schrijvers with the latter becoming the first player to reach that mark since the creation of the Rams in 2014. All enjoyed a win, but no such luck for Wainuiomata’s Michael Lealeva’a whose 150th match for the club met with defeat and an early end to the game personally for him.
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Spare a thought for referee Danny Cameron on Saturday. He transferred a lolly from his mouth to his pocket during the game but the delicacy got caught up between his red and yellow cards in his pocket. He subsequently went to issue a yellow card but the cards were stuck and he almost showed the poor chap a red, so not a sweet time. We have the photo, but agreed not to post it!
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Is the combined Hutt Old Boys Marist/Wainuiomata team that won the Division 2 Women’s final on Saturday a template for what a couple or more Men’s clubs could do in the future? Unless player numbers explode in the next couple of seasons, that elephant in the room will simply have to be addressed soon.
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There were two National Knockout Cup U85kg matches played on Sunday in New Plymouth, involving Wellington and Taranaki teams.
The Tukapa Bantams beat the Wellington Axemen 32-14 and New Plymouth Old Boys beat Petone 82-3. So not a great day, but perhaps the Wellington teams enjoyed the delights of Devon St a bit too much the night before.
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A brief comeback to Premier rugby for Josh Brown on Saturday, the former Upper Hutt Rams captain playing and starting his first match for over two years, but leaving the field early in the contest through what appeared to be a leg injury.
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A few conversations about Ardie Savea playing for Ories on Saturday, and for the Premier 2 team in the Harper Lock Shield no less. It is understood that he came on the second half at fullback, but more played a roving role in the backline.
He actually ran the line for part of the first half before he came on in the second half although Ories didn’t appear to have a flag handy so he used a kicking tee!
We like All Blacks/Super players in club rugby and it is understood that Hurricanes players are all on leave until 2 July, and returning to play for their clubs is optional for them. So Ruben Love and Peter Umaga-Jensen both took that up and played for Wainuiomata on Saturday. But a question is how can the All Blacks let Savea rock on and play Premier 2 club rugby the day before the All Blacks are named? What if he were to break a leg and be ruled out of the upcoming Rugby World Cup? There’s different degrees of cotton wool and leading All Blacks would perhaps be most protected in this space.
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Riley Higgins out for 10 weeks with a broken wrist. An injury he sustained in last week’s McBain Shield. This would put him out until at least midway through the upcoming NPC and Ranfurly Shield season.
Lions midfielders – Peter Umaga-Jensen, Billy Proctor, Pepesana Patafilo, and one other to fill in for Higgins?
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Pride and Chiefs Manawa back Georgia Daals won the Player of the Match medal as her MSP side held off Petone to win the Tia Paasi Memorial Cup.
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Wellington club rugby women’s top try-scorers 2023:
- 18: Ayesha Leti”iga (Ories)
- 16: Monica Tagoai (MSP)
- 14: Drenna Falaniko (MSP)
- 12: Georgia Daals (MSP)
- 11: Ivana Samani (Ories)
- 10: Kararaina Te Puni (Paremata-Plimmerton)
- 9: Justine McGregor (Petone) and Kiri Grobeck (HOBM/WoA)
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Confirmed that Callum Harkin a broken hand He left the field in the second half against the Rams, as the Rams raced ahead to earn the win, only for the the Goats to mount a comeback of sorts to get a bonus point. If so, that’s a big blow for the OBU playmaker and for the team. Centre Jan Lammers also left the field with a broken hand for the visitors in the same game.
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A number of milestones in club rugby these past few weeks. As noted above, Johnsonville’s Jacob Walmsley played his 100th Premier game for his club, here preparing to run out on to the field on Old Timers’ Day. Note the gentleman in the hoodie behind him. None other than club rugby legend Galu Taufale, most recently of Poneke but also a former Johnsonville player.
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The Te Upoko radio station has the broadcast rights to commentate live the upcoming midweek Ranfurly Shield matches between a Wellington XV and Horowhenua-Kapiti (Levin on 12 July) and South Canterbury (Lower Hutt on 19 July).
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Maidstone Park is going to be magnificent when completed, but for now its a tease! The seats are taking shape behind the construction site and you just want to climb the fence and watch the game from there now. Like at Kilbirnie Pool circa 2006 (although that was an end-on view).
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Is the Maidstone Park scoreboard the best in Wellington? Every club needs a bright, clear, functioning scoreboard like this one (here’s to you too Wellington College, with Quad next week).
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A big fail with livestreaming the women’s finals on Saturday. Unless there was a stream that we weren’t aware of? We were under the impression beforehand that both finals were to be ‘well covered’ on livestreams. Instead what we got was a stationary high camera above the main field for one game only, with no graphics and no commentary. No livestream for the other final. This is the same feed that they had for the recent NZ U20s v Australia U20s test, and that was appallingly covered all-round. If you can’t do it properly, why do it at all?
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The Ories Premiers scored seven tries on Saturday and kicked all seven conversions.
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A thanks from the dropped goals desk to Petone’s Carne Green, whose first-half snap on Saturday ended the drought of droppies at Premier-level this season
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Tawa scored 13 tries against the Wellington Axemen on Saturday, with the tries generally spread around
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Paremata-Plimmerton won the Ken Gray Cup for the first time since its inception on Saturday, beating Petone 50-24 at home.
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A Wellington club rugby Best & Fairest competition update?
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Good luck for a speedy recovery for Avalon’s livewire hooker Koli Bower who suffered a nasty-looking knee injury in the second half of their loss to Johnsonville on Saturday, which brought proceedings to a halt and ultimately forced the match to be called off 13 minutes early due to the failing light.
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It’s not unusual for veterans to answer the call of their club at this time of year when injuries bite. Avalon’s Akuila Alatini retired in the offseason but was back on Saturday putting in a solid 40 minutes for the Wolves’ Premier 2 side, and still looks like he could be a force at Premier-level.
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Another such player we have mentioned in this space already this season is Josh Hunt. The Upper Hutt Rams Premier 2 midfeilder and captain is a talisman player for his side and leads by example.
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Most Wins by New Zealand Teams Since 2017 Crusaders 97 Hurricanes – 76 Chiefs – 70 Blues – 62 Highlanders – 48.
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The North Island has not held the Super Rugby and NPC titles at the same time since Auckland in 2003.
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The All Blacks were announced on Sunday night. As always some talking points, surprises and provincial parochialism associated with All Blacks namings.
Just two Wellington players in the squad, who will likely go to the Rugby World Cup: Ardie Savea and Dane Coles.
Lock Josh Lord has played 119 minutes of Super Rugby for the Chiefs this season and missed the entire 2022 season with Taranaki in the NPC yet is reselected for the All Blacks after two tests in 2021.
Dallas McLeod played a dozen games at centre for Canterbury at centre in the NPC last year. He’s covered second-five and wing for the Crusaders this year. What is his favourable position? Would he make the Paremata-Plimmerton starting XV?
Finlay Christie perhaps a surprise selection over Hawke’s Bay’s Folau Fakatava and Brad Weber? Cam Roigard well-deserved call-up.
The announcement was made on the pulpit old-school-style by NZRFU Dame Patsy Reddy. Perhaps Dame Farah Palmer could have been a more appropriate person to announce the All Blacks team? Plus they read out the names by denoting their provinces and Super Rugby teams. Wouldn’t it have been good if they read out their clubs alongside their NPC team instead?
Our story from earlier this year with Cam Roigard:
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Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox is a grassroots rugby legend: https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/200-up-for-te-ohaere-fox/?fbclid=IwAR1inlXrgKvzDUiQ4ynihN9Pk5QfhJm2COdO6BLuNu362t_OwDXWub8Ggnw
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Any news updates on the injury status and possible return to play of Wellington Lions hooker James O’Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist) and halfback TJ Perenara (Northern United)?
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The Wellington College First XV of 1963 is holding a 60th anniversary reunion at next week’s Quadrangular Tournament at Wellington College. This side’s claim to fame is they believe they are the only XV to win the Quad Tournament without having our line crossed. We will have a story with them next few days.
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Lots of photos continually being added to the Club Rugby photo website. Many, but not all, are also posted to Facebook.
For more visit https://clubrugby.smugmug.com/2023
