UPDATED: Sideline Conversions 17 July (some rugby news and information to start the week)

Three weeks after winning the title, with a week to spare and then a week off last week, the HOBM Green Colts were presented with the first round Paris Memorial Trophy. They opened their second round with a quarter-final victory over Poneke and are a fortnight away from a possible championship title as well. PHOTO: Warwick Burke. Game photos HERE

Monday morning tea edition – several updates below since first published over your eggs benedict and fine filtered coffee for breakfast.

It’s the start of week 17 of the Wellington club rugby season and we are into the Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup finals.

Petone and Marist St Pat’s meet in the Hardham Cup final and Paremata-Plimmerton and Oriental-Rongotai in the Jubilee Cup final.

The finals are at the Hutt Rec, with the Hardham Cup at 12.30pm and the Jubilee Cup at 2.45pm, both the #1 field, and the Premier 2 finals on the back fields at 12.00pm and 2.15pm respectively.

@ParePlimRugby v @oriesrugby this coming Saturday in the Jubilee Cup final at 2.45pm at the Hutt Rec. Who have you got? pic.twitter.com/7n118yh37I

— ClubRugby (@ClubRugby) July 17, 2023

There are four finals this coming Saturday, with the Premier 2 Ed Chaney Cup (top division) and HD Morgan Memorial (second division) deciders both set to go as well. Tawa and Poneke meet in the Ed Chaney final and Stokes Valley and Ories in the HD Morgan Memorial final.

It is also semi-finals time of the Colts competition, which will see top qualifier Hutt Old Boys Marist face giant-killers Old Boys University Green, who, as seventh placed qualifiers, tipped over defending champions and second placed Petone in Saturday’s quarter-finals. The other semi-final is between Ories and Tawa.

+++++

On Wednesday the Wellington Lions defend the Ranfurly Shield against South Canterbury at the Hutt Recreation Ground, kick-off 2.05pm.

As Heartland Meads Cup champion from 2022, South Canterbury are mandatory challengers on Wednesday.

Wellington will be playing South Canterbury for the third time in Ranfurly Shield history.

Their first meeting with the shield on the line was on 9 September 1920, when Wellington won 32-16 in Timaru in their ninth defence of the season and the first of their South Island tour. They defended in Dunedin two days later in a 16-5 win over Otago, before losing it to Southland in Invercargill in a 17-6 defeat four days after that.

Their next meeting was in September 1974. Wellington challenged then holder South Canterbury and won 9-3. Wellington would lose it two challenges and 18 days later. They beat Waikato 18-12 and then lost 26-13 to Auckland and the shield was gone for another seven years.

+++++

The Premiership First XV competition also resumes on Wednesday with opening match of the eighth round, with the annual traditional match between St Pat’s Silverstream and St Pat’s Town. As well as the occasion, being a full sports exchange and with the annual Old Boys’ curtain-raiser match, it is a chance for Silverstream to seal their home semi-final berth and for St Pat’s Town to push for a top four spot. This is also a replay of the final last year. Kick-off is at 1.15pm.

Moving on to Saturday, the match between Wellington College and HIBS in town could be a must-win for the home first XV. HIBS are currently third, but Wellington College fifth, and a loss for the latter could mean they miss out on a top four spot, especially seeing as fourth placed Wairarapa College host St Bernard’s College in Masterton.

++++++

If Ories win the Jubilee Cup they will have done so after finishing eighth in the first round Swindale Shield. From eighth in the Swindale to Jubilee Cup winners. Has this ever been done?

Not to our knowledge (playoffs started in 1992). But in 2014 Hutt Old Boys Marist and Wainuiomata finished the first round seventh equal on 32 points, both with six wins from 11, and then went on to meet in the Jubilee Cup final. HOBM won that 14-11.

Update: We have been told that Poneke achieved this in 1996 – from eighth in the Swindale Shield to Jubilee Cup champions.

++++++

Ories coach Mason Malagamaali’i could be the first winning coach in the Premier Women’s and Men’s grades.

+++++

What about a Best & Fairest competition update? Maybe its tight and will go down to the wire this Saturday? Maybe its already been decided. Ssssh, don’t tell anyone.

+++++

Best Modern Winning Streaks in Premier club rugby: Old Boys University, 19 games, 2015/16, Paremata-Plimmerton, 14 games, 2023

Hutt Old Boys Marist won 19 out of 20 matches and held the Jubilee Cup and Swindale Shield titles in an impressive run between 2014 and 2015.

+++++

Ories have won 66% of their matches under this coming Saturday’s Jubilee Cup referee Jack Sargentina, and Paremata-Plimmerton 40%.

+++++

From Hardham Cup champions one year to Jubilee Cup winners the following season?

Ories won the Hardham Cup last year, beating Old Boys University 24-20 in the final. Are there instances of a club going from Hardham Cup winners to Jubilee Cup champions the following season? Not to our knowledge, or not in the past 20 years anyway.

Upper Hutt won the Hardham Cup in 2004, then won the first round Swindale Shield title in 2005. Marist St Pat’s won the Hardham Cup in 2019, then won the first round Swindale Shield title in 2020. In both instances, Upper Hutt and MSP reached the semi-finals of the Jubilee Cup the following year after winning Hardham. Tawa won the 2011 Hardham Cup and two years later in 2013 won the Jubilee Cup for the first time.

+++++

Likely the biggest crowd at Helston Park in years on Saturday. Both sides of the ground were packed, the clubrooms end was full of Johnsonville supporters and a fair smattering of Ories supporters were at the southern end, where Ories stormed to their second half win with several tries in front of them. It really makes one wonder why the NZRU continues to bleed the game white with the continuation of the Super Rugby competition, which should be scrapped at this point in favour of club rugby and the NPC competition.

+++++

Saturday’s Jubilee Cup finalists Paremata-Plimmerton and Oriental-Rongotai met back in round two of the Swindale Shield in early April. Paremata-Plimmerton won 21-17 that day.

Likewise, in the Hardham Cup, Marist St Pat’s beat Petone 23-20 when they met in the last round of the Swindale Shield just over three weeks ago.

+++++

Marist St Pat’s centre Billy Proctor scored four tries for the ‘All Blacks XV’ in their 42-17 win over the Japan Brave Blossoms over the weekend.

+++++

Former St Pat’s Silverstream first-five Rocco Berry was the Player of the Match in the Warriors’ latest win in the NRL.

+++++

Bob Smith, who founded the women’s Premier team in 1990, and Dick Carter, pioneer of the Presidents in the late 70s, were two Paremata-Plimmerton originals at their historic semi-final victory against Old Boys University on Saturday.

The Paremata-Plimmerton v OBU semi was the first one-point decider since a pair of games in 2019. Ironically Ories lost 20-21 to Wainuiomata.

The Paremata-Plimmerton v OBU semi was the highest-scoring semi since Norths beat Petone 56-17 in 2006. Norths went on to win the final that season 25-12 against Poneke.

+++++

New Zealand beat Georgia 50-26 to finish seventh at the U20 World Rugby Championship. France beat Ireland 43-14 in the final. Interestingly, France also won the European U18 Championship over the weekend. Will they do the treble later this year?

+++++

Good to see the incoming Hurricanes coach get a win.

+++++

Is Shannon Frizell the new human skewer?

Like Willie Ofahengaue, Frizell grew up on Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga before representing his adopted country in rugby.

+++++

A hat-trick for St Mary’s College and Petone player Justine McGregor on Saturday in the Wellington Pride’s 58-29 loss to Canterbury. Canterbury led 29-12 at halftime. Canterbury captain and MSP loose forward Marcelle Parkes scored two tries for the winners.

The Wellington Pride conceded their highest-ever score when losing 29-58 in the first round of the FPC to Canterbury who have won 44 of their last 47 matches.

The Wellington Pride play the Auckland Storm at the Hutt Rec this coming Sunday in their second round match. Auckland were beaten 32-31 by Hawke’s Bay in the opening round.

+++++

Last Wednesday, Sam and TJ Clarke both scored tries on their Wellington debut. The pair were born in the Chatham Islands. There has been one All Black born in the Chatham Islands Robert Mathieson (All Black, 255) played 13 first-class games, including four matches for New Zealand in 1922. He won in all his appearances in Black. Former Chiefs hooker Vern Kamo, Chance Pene is another who played first-class rugby from the Chatham Islands and the famous Whittaker family have connections to the place.

+++++

For Paremata-Plimmerton supporters. Doing the double – clubs winning the Swindale Shield and the Jubilee Cup in the same season:

1969 Petone
1970 Petone
1971 Petone
1972 Wellington Jubilee Cup shared between Wellington and Athletic and Swindale Shield shared between Wellington and Petone
1973 Petone
1974 Petone
1976: Petone
1979 Marist St Pats
1982 Wellington – Jubilee Cup shared with Petone
1985 Wellington
1986 Petone
1988 Marist St Pats
1992 Petone
1994 Marist St Pats
1995 Marist St Pats
1999 Marist St Pats
2006 Northern United
2008 Marist St Pats – Jubilee Cup shared with Northern United
2010 Northern United
2013 Tawa
2017: Old Boys University

The last team to only lose one match in winning the Swindale Shield/Jubilee Cup double was Norths in 2010.

+++++

Since 1994 the All Blacks have had 55 wins and two draws in all Test Matches in Auckland. The Black Ferns have only lost once in Auckland since 1991 as well.

+++++

Unfortunately, Iritana Hohaia became the first Black Fern sent off in a test, but they still won 39-17 against the USA. The Black Ferns infamously had three yellow cards in the 2010 World Cup final against England and won 13-10 in London. The Black Ferns have won 15 Tests in a row and 101 from 118 Tests.

+++++

The Taranaki Premier club rugby final on Saturday was an extra-time thriller. Scores were locked up at 12-12 at halftime and still that score after 80 minutes of regular time, so New Plymouth Old Boys and Stratford-Eltham played on for 20 minutes to decide the winner. NPOB won 26-12.

+++++

Paremata-Plimmerton has scored 92 tries this season, and Ories 83.

+++++

Napier Tech won the Hawke’s Bay Madison Trophy final on Saturday, beating Taradale 36-34.

NTOB: 36 

• Tries:  Timothy FARRELL, Xavier Mccorkindale (2), Bethel LUOTELE MALASIA, Liam Udy-Johns 
• Conversions: Sheridan RANGIHUNA (4) 
• Penalty: Sheridan RANGIHUNA 

TRSC: 34 

• Tries:  Josh EDEN-WHAITIRI, Dylan Gallien, Samuel Wye, Ezra Malo, William Fonohema 
• Conversions:  Trinity SPOONER-NEERA (3) 
• Penalty:  Trinity SPOONER-NEERA 

+++++

+++++

TJ Perenara, the first player to reach 150 games for the Hurricanes has recommitted to the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby for a further two years, through until the end of 2025.

Since a memorable hat-trick on debut in 2012, the then 20-year-old quickly became a Hurricanes fan favourite, nailing down the number nine jersey.

Upon re-committing to the Hurricanes for 2024 and 2025 Perenara said “I’m excited to re-sign with the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby. This last year has been tough missing out through injury, so having the opportunity to come back and play for the teams that I love, was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

+++++