Plenty of rugby on offer on Saturday around the Wellington region

The Wellington Samoans are playing Wellington Maori at William Jones Park and the Wellington Fijians are meeting the Wellington U19s at Porirua Park in two 1.00pm matches tomorrow.

By Scott Maclean & Steven White

Second edition (further possible changes and additions to come). Rugby supporters, make your choices and plot your courses – there’s plenty of rugby on around the region to follow tomorrow.

The conclusion of the college finals, a National Knockout U85kg fixture and several representative fixtures make for another busy and exciting day out there tomorrow. The downside, however, is that most matches are standalone fixtures and there are clashes all over the place so viewing choices will have to be well considered.

A look at these options below.

College

The last four finals of the CSW season take place tomorrow, with three of those in the U15 grade. The Division 1 final for the Fr Gus Hill Cup sees unbeaten top qualifiers Wellington College host St Pat’s Town at Hataitai Park in the decider at 12.00pm, while the Division 2 final sees Tawa College and Scots College meet on neutral turf at Bishop Viard at 10.00am for the Ross Findlay Cup. The Division 3 final has St Pat’s Town’s third side taking on Mana at Kilbirnie Park with Onslow hosting Wainuiomata in the last of the Under 65kg finals, both also at 10am.

After their win in last Sunday’s Premiership decider, Scots College move on to the Hurricanes Regional playoffs for the place at the National Top Four next month. They host Feilding High School – winners of the CNI competition over St John’s Hamilton last Saturday –at the Polo Ground at 1.00pm, with the winner to meet the victorious side from the clash in Napier between Super 8 sides Napier Boys and Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Club

There are still two club sides going even though the WRFU season has concluded, and after playing out a thrilling Under 85kg decider last Saturday the OBU Scallywags and Tawa Ducks will do it all over again, this time at Nairnville Park at 1.00pm for a place in the last 8 of the National Club Cup knockout competition. It’ll be the first time the Scallywags have actually taken to the field in this competition this season, after being defaulted to by Blenheim’s Central club and then Stokes Valley in the previous two rounds, while Tawa have accounted for MSP and then former runners-up Tukapa from Taranaki so far. With different eligibility rules in play, the two sides could have some different faces to those that met last week.

The winner will progress to the national quarter-finals next weekend, where they will face the winner of the clash between Pakuranga and Morrinsville.

Representative

Bar the Wellington Pride, who have the bye in the Farah Palmer Cup Premiership this week, every other representative side is in action in Wellington tomorrow.

The Wellington Centurions will look to repeat last week’s win over the Manawatu Evergreens when they meet in the reverse fixture at Rugby League Park at 1.00pm.

Wainuiomata’s William Jones Park is the setting this year for one of the more anticipated matches of the local rep calendar as the Wellington Samoans and Te Upoko Wellington Maori clash at 1.00pm.

Over on the ‘westside’, it’s an 11.00am start at Lyndhurst Park for the Centurions and Samoans U18 sides. This is a Hurricanes U18s competition ‘pre-season’ game.

Up at Porirua Park #2, the match between the Wellington U19s and the Wellington Fijians men’s team kicks off at 1.00pm.

Over at the Hutt Rec, the Wellington Lions mount their third Ranfurly Shield defence and first in the NPC when they host Southland at the Hutt Rec at 2.05pm, with Wellington Stadium unavailable due to a beer festival.

It is also the annual ‘Battle of the Bridge’ fixture at Ngati Toa Domain, with the main game between Paremata and Plimmerton commencing at 2.45pm.

Elsewhere, the Heartland Championship comes to Levin for the first time this season, with Horowhenua-Kapiti playing West Coast at Levin Domain at 2.30pm.

Teams below (as received):

Wellington Centurions:

1 Connor Lemmon (Ories)
2 Penieli Poasa (Ories)
3 Ha’amea ‘Ahio (Johnsonville)
4 Eammon Carr (Tawa)
5 Boston Hunt (Norths)
6 John Tuia (MSP)
7 Willie Rua (HOBM)
8 George Risale (Tawa)
9 Logan Henry (Petone)
10 Sam Clarke (Paremata-Plimmerton)
11 Louis Northcott (Paremata-Plimmerton)
12 Callum Harkin (OBU)
13 Alex Ropeti (Ories)
14 Ty Poe (OBU)
15 Zane Ainslie (HOBM)

16 James Douglas (Johnsonville)
17 Nico Aandewiel (OBU)
18 Julius Masoe (Petone)
19 Ruperake Oloapu (Ories)
20 Toby Crosby (Upper Hutt Rams)
21 Logan Love (MSP)
22 Harrison Boyle (HOBM)
23 Josh Morgan Ranui (OBU)

Te Upoko o te Ika Wellington Maori