Club Rugby pre-season schedules for this weekend

Wedged between the Ides of March today and St Patrick’s Day on Sunday is the third Saturday of pre-season club rugby matches and off-field training and events for Wellington’s 14 Premier clubs and clubs further up the line in Lower North Island Hurricanes territory.

There is just one scheduled pre-season interclub Premier fixture between two Wellington clubs in Wellington tomorrow, that between Tawa and the Avalon Wolves. The game between the two squads kicks off at the earlier time of 11.00am at Lyndhurst Park. It is followed by a pre-season First XV fixture between Tawa College and Hutt Valley High School at 1.30pm.

The Wellington Axemen host Waikanae and Martinborough in a ‘games of three halves’ match at Bishop Viard College from 2.00pm.

Next stop up the line the Paraparaumu and Johnsonville clubs meet at Paraparaumu Domain at 2.30pm. They play for the Cooper Family Trophy.

Foxton host Linton Army in their pre-season fixture at East Park, kick-off 12.00pm.

It’s a clash of the green and black club colours at Rongotea at 1.00pm, with the home club Te Kawau hosting Wainuiomata in Premier and Colts fixtures.

2023 Jubilee Cup champions Oriental-Rongotai play Manawatu club Kia Toa at Bill Brown Park, Palmerston North at 1.30pm. Kia Toa is the home of former Ories players and brothers Pena and Sasē Va’a, as well as Hurricanes No. 8 Brayden Iose (who obviously won’t be playing). Ories won’t be fielding a full strength line-up, with a few players missing with other commitments this weekend, but last year’s Colts and Premier champions should give a good account of themselves in their first game under new Head Coach Whetu Henry.

At Johnston Park, home club Feilding Yellows meet Whanganui club Kaierau at 1.00pm.

Shannon host Freyberg Old Boys at the Shannon Domain – that match is a Friday night fixture kicking off at 6.30pm.

Old Boys University carry on to Taupo, where they are playing a ‘game of three halves’ match against Massey University and Auckland University.

Moving to the east, Northern United head to Hawke’s Bay this weekend to play Taradale.

Hawke’s Bay club Clive hosts Manawatu’s Feilding Old Boys Oroua at Farndon Park

The Upper Hutt Rams meet the Central Hawke’s Bay club at Gladstone in the Wairarapa.

The Petone Premier 2s are hosting Carterton at North Park at 1.30pm and  the Wainuiomata Premier 2s are meeting Pioneer at Wise Park at 2.30pm.

Back in Wellington, Poneke have their club ‘Longest Day’ event, Marist St Pat’s have an internal trial at Evans Bay Park, Paremata-Plimmerton are running a skills session for their juniors and are in the classroom and Hutt Old Boys Marist are also keeping their preparations close to home.

There are also three Colts fixtures this weekend, starting this afternoon from 4.30pm at Bishop Viard College with a game of three halves between Wellington, Paremata-Plimmerton and Avalon.

The Poneke and OBU Green Colts play at Rongotai College at 6.30pm tonight.

The Upper Hutt Rams Colts and Upper Hutt Rams Pirates (Premier Reserve grade team) play at Maidstone Park at 10.00am tomorrow.

Some of Wellington’s First XV college teams step out on the paddock for the first time in 2024 tomorrow.

The Aotea College First XV hosts the Kapiti College First XV on their N0. 1 field at 11.00am, Tawa College play HVHS at 1.30pm (as noted above) and St Pat’s Town play Rongotai College at 12.00pm.

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Great days in club rugby 004: Brothers in Arms