Bumper weekend of rugby in Wellington and lower North Island

Tawa’s Tufuka Paongo captains a mostly settled Wellington U19s side in their match against the Junior Magpies tomorrow. Just a couple of changes made in the outside backs from last week’s win. Kick-off at Rugby League Park is at 12.00pm. Photo: Andy McArthur.

By Steven White

Updated 4.15pm: For sheer volume of rugby, this weekend is the last big weekend of the year in the Wellington region and lower North Island.

Some school rugby being played today.

The Wellington College U15s missed out to the Rotorua Boys’ High School U15s 34-24 in their final of the National U15 tournament today.

The Hurricanes U15 tournament final on Saturday at Silverstream is an all-Auckland affair. St Peter’s College and Dilworth College will meet in the decider.

Wairarapa College won their Winter Tournament quadrangular tournament final 32-26 over Hutt Valley High School this afternoon at Paraparaumu Domain. Wairarapa College led 22-7 at halftime. Paraparaumu College defeated Dannevirke High School 29-19 in the 3 v 4 match.

At the Top 4 in Palmerston North, Hamilton Girls’ High School beat Auckland’s MAGS 28-5 and Manukura beat Christchurch Girls’ High School 36-12 in the Girls semi-finals -so a Manukura – HGHS final on Sunday.

In the Boys, Southland Boys’ High School beat home school Palmerston North Boys 20-19 and Westlake Boys’ High School defeated Tauranga Boys’ College 43-40 – so a Southland BHS – Westlake BHS final on Sunday

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For local rugby fans in Wellington, there is U19s and U18s competition rugby and Development and NPC games, plus plenty of school rugby as the Hurricanes Regional U15 tournament wraps up at St Pat’s Silverstream.

The college rugby has/is already been in full swing since this morning at Fraser, Trentham Memorial and Maidstone Parks, the NZCIS, Davis Field and St Pat’s Silverstream. As well as the U15s tournament, today is the third and final day of the National Under 85 College Festival.

Wellington College are playing in the final of the ‘National’ U15 tournament in Hamilton today. The Wellington U15 champions meet Rotorua Boys’ High School in the decider of this tournament.

It is also semi-finals day today of the National Top 4 tournament at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North, with matches being played throughout the day, culminating in the affair between home school Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Southland Boys’ High School at 2.45pm. Finals Day is on Sunday.

Moving on to Saturday, complete your tasks early as the representative rugby kicks off at Rugby League Park at the noon hour between the Wellington U19s and the Hawke’s Bay U19s.

This is round two of three of the 2023 Central Region Shield competition but based on last week’s opening weekend set of results, this could be seen in some quarters as the competition’s decider. Round one results saw the Lions Cubs beat the Hurricanes Heartland U20s 50-12 and the Sheridan Rangi Hawke’s Bay defeat Manawatu 45-0. Those other two sides meet in Palmerston North tomorrow.

Supporters can stick around after this match for the match between the Wellington Centurions and the Hawke’s Bay Saracens teams. This game between the two union’s Development sides by other names kicks off at Rugby League Park at 1.45pm. The Centurions will want to bounce back from their defeat to Taranaki last Saturday at New Plymouth, while the Saracens accounted for an understrength Manawatu side comfortably at Napier last week.

Also scheduled to have been kicking off at 12.00pm at Hataitai Park, the Wellington Maori U18s – Wellington Samoans U18s as part of the opening round of the Hurricanes U18 competition has been deferred owing to a bout of illness.

In other Trustbank Secondary School Shield U18s matches, the Wellington Centurions U18s travel to Napier to play the Hawke’s Bay Saracens U18s, Horowhenua-Kapiti and Wairarapa-Bush meet in Levin, which is a curtain-raiser to their Heartland Championship fixture and Poverty Bay and Whanganui play in Napier.

The Wellington U16s A and B teams meet each other in a warm-up match at Hataitai Park at 2.45pm.

The icing on the cake for some will be found at Wellington Stadium, where the Wellington Lions take on Counties-Manukau in round 5 of the National Provincial Championship and for both the Ranfurly Shield and Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy. More on this game in our story yesterday here: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2023/08/31/lions-looking-for-steely-performance-in-silverware-defence-on-saturday-night/

In out-of-town fixtures, the Wellington Maori team is scheduled to be travelling over the pond to play Canterbury Maori.

Teams (as received):

Wellington U19s

Centurions U18s:

Braedon Goli – Oriental Rongotai RFC
Malachi Suniula – Tawa College
Jarred Kuresa – Tawa RFC
Harry Law – Wellington College
Finn O’Sullivan – Wellington College
Tom Devery – Hutt International Boys School
Anthony Hunt – Tawa College
Jack Riley – Wellington College
Ollie Cuff – St Pats Silverstream
Jayde Burns – St Pats Wellington
Jason Faleafaga – Mana College
Jacob Kennedy – Wellington College
David Tokolautawa – St Pats Silverstream
Kata Ruaporo – Tawa College
Harry Healy – Wellington Football RFC
George White – Hutt International Boys School
Adwin Ngu – Naenae College
Seth Bailey – Mana College
Jackson Mendoza St Pats Silverstream
Thoma Takeuchi – Old Boys University RFC
Sean Carter- Hutt International Boys School
Meta Afamasaga – Tawa College
Elysium Tolova’a-Stanley – Marist St Pats RFC
Evan Peanga- Mana College

Centurions:

Hawke’s Bay Development:

Trei Nepe-Apatu
Manaaki Aranui
Pulea Faleiva
Solomone Fono
Hunter Morrison
Tiaki Fabish (c)
Josh Gimblett
Cooper Flanders
Te Kahika Thompson
Ryo Kikkawa
Majella Tufuga
Gibson Popoalii
Bethel Malasia
Kali Mocetadra
Paoraian Manuel-Harman (vc)
Hame Lauaki
Johnny Faleiva
Manu Naciva
Iakopo Mapu
Bear Williams
Xavier Hill
Al Momoisea
Kere Penitito

Hawke’s Bay U19s:

Vikata Tevita
William Fonohema
Nathanial Hauiti
Reuben Allen
Tom Allen
Rico Harris
Jayden Gillies
Joshua Smith
Kade Manuel
Jordan Soli
Alex Dickey
Ceizar Fasso
Troyden Bird
Michael Beech
Bryson Pakoti-Crawford
Dylan Homan
Sean Lagikula
John Palu
Quaid Hanna
Angus Gillies
Zavier Dunn
Patrick Lilo-Iosefo
Peyton Kemp

Wellington Lions:

Xavier Numia
James O’Reilly
Siale Lauaki
Dominic Bird
Hugo Plummer
Brad Shields
Keelan Whitman
Kyle Preston
Aidan Morgan
Isi Saumaki
Peter Umaga-Jensen *
Billy Proctor
Losi Filipo
Ruben Love
Penieli Poasa
Cameron Orr
Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe
Akira Ieremia
Dominic Ropeti
Kemara Hauiti-Parapara
Sam Clarke
Riley Higgins

*50^th match

Unavailable for Selection:
Asafo Aumua, Bradley Crichton, Connor Garden-Bachop, Caleb Delany, Chicago Doyle, Pepesana Patafilo, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, PJ Sheck, Josh Southall, Tjay Clarke.