
Version 2.0 (5.00pm updates): The Wellington U19s require just two bonus points, from a draw or a high scoring close loss, to retain the Hurricanes U19s Central Region Shield this coming weekend against the Manawatu U19s in Palmerston North.
But they are not resting on their laurels against the competition strugglers and want to finish their 2023 season on a high. Should they hold aloft the trophy post-match it will be Wellington’s 21st win in the 40th year of this competition.
Heading into the third and final round, the points table reads: Wellington 10, Hawke’s Bay 7, Hurricanes Heartland U20s 5, Manawatu 0.
The U19s match kicks off at Massey University at 1.00pm.
The Hawke’s Bay U19s host the Hurricanes Heartland U20s in Napier in tomorrow’s other U19s match, ahead of the latter team staying on and playing the Chiefs Heartland U20s for the Glen Osborne Cup in Napier.
At the same time as the U19s match, the OBU Scallywags line up against the Takapuna Bombers at Rugby League Park at1 2.00pm in their National Knockout Cup U85kg semi-final.
The Scallywags beat Auckland’s Pakuranga in their semi-final last week, and the winner of this fixture goes on to play the winner of the other semi-final between Auckland’s Grammar Tec and Christchurch’s High School Old Boys.
The U85kg event page for more is: https://www.facebook.com/events/1452721165291590?ref=newsfeed
Huddy Sports spoke with Scallywags captain Matt Fowler earlier this week – see this interview below.
With the U19s competition winding down, the U18s one is in full swing this Saturday with round two matches.
In one match in Wellington on Saturday, the Wellington Centurions U18s and the Wellington Samoans U18s meet at Lyndhurst Park at 1.00pm. The Centurions team lost to the Hawke’s Bay U18s in their opener last weekend, whilst the Samoans’ match against Wellington Maori was postponed because of illness. Both will be aiming to get on the board.
There is a 2.30pm match that follows at Lyndhurst Park, with the Wellington U18 Girls and the Wellington Centurions U18s Girls meeting in their competition match.
In the other Boys U18s competition second round matches being played tomorrow, the Wellington Maori U18s are over the hill in Masterton against the Wairarapa-Bush U18s, the Whanganui U18s are hosting the Hawke’s Bay Saracens U18s and the Poverty Bay U18s host the Horowhenua-Kapiti U18s down the road at Napier.
The Wellington Fijians have a match tomorrow against Whanganui B at Kaierau Park, Whanganui.
The annual Hurricanes U16s tournament kicks off next weekend with the first round of ‘pre-tournament games, ahead of the tournament week in Napier the following week.
In three warm-up matches involving Wellington teams tomorrow at Bill Brown Park, Palmerston North, the Wellington Black side plays Hawke’s Bay A, the Wellington Gold team plays Manawatu and the Wellington Development team meets Hawke’s Bay Development.
Wellington’s high performance teams bookend this weekend of rugby.
The Wellington Lions play the Waikato Mooloo at Hamilton tonight, while the Wellington Centurions meet Tasman B in Blenheim on Sunday, which is a curtain-raiser to the Tasman NPC team’s match.
The Manawatu Development Evergreens team are also in action in their last match of their campaign, playing Bay of Plenty Pasifika at Owen Delany Park.
Teams (as received):
Centurions U18s:
1. Braedyn Goli (Oriental Rongotai RFC)
2 .George White (Hutt International Boys’ School)
3. Samuela Moli (Scots College
4. Harry Law (Wellington College)
5. Finn O’Sullivan (Wellington College)
6. Anthony Hunt (Tawa College)
7. Tom Devery (Hutt International Boys’ School)
8 .Harry Irving (Scots College)
9. Ollie Cuff (St Pat’s Silverstream)
10. Jayde Burns (St Pat’s Wellington)
11. Sean Carter (Hutt International Boys School)
12. Meta Afamasaga (Tawa RFC)
13. Jacob Kennedy (Wellington College)
14. Alex McAslan (Scots College)
15 Manihera Gardiner (Scots College)
16. Malachi Suniula (Tawa College)
17. Adwin Ngu (Naenae College)
18. Jarred Kuresa (Tawa RFC)
19. Seth Bailey (Mana College)
20. Jackson Mendoza (St Pats Silverstream)
21. Jake Lawson (Scots College)
22. Elysium Tolova’a-Stanley (Marist St Pats RFC)
23. Kata Ruaporo (Tawa College)
24. Harry Healy (Wellington RFC)
Watch the Huddy Sports conversation with OBU Scallywags captain Matt Fowler:
Is the U85 semi tomorrow at 1.00pm or 2.00pm?
Most publicity says 2.00pm but you said 1.00pm in this bulletin!!
It’s definitely at 2.00pm.
Thank you, have updated that now.
2.00pm is a bit of an odd time – had to check that as well.