
Norths halfback Jayde Burns is pursued by Tawa flanker Hemi Fermanis on Saturday. It was mostly Norths doing the chasing as Tawa won 69-0. Photo: Chainsaw Photos. More photos from this past weekend (and more to come) HERE
Updated in the afternoon: Two more rounds to play in this year’s Swindale Shield competition, so it’s time to delve into round 12.
In a nutshell, the story in the Swindale Shield is that it remains Old Boys University’s to lose. They are on 50 points, ahead of Petone on 45, and with the Upper Hutt Rams on 40 and the only other team that can mathematically yet share the Swindale Shield with one or both of OBU and Petone. OBU can win the Shield this Saturday outright, if they beat MSP and Petone miss out to Paremata-Plimmerton and the Rams fail to gain maximum points at Tawa.
The top 8/bottom 6 split for July’s championship rounds has now been decided, with more than a 10-point gap between sixth-seventh-eighth Tawa, MSP and Ories (all on 37) and ninth placed Poneke (26). But what is still to be determined from the 22 and 29 June rounds is the order of finishing. Because teams will have their favoured opposition to meet (or least favourite as the case may be) in a knockout format and there is all-important home ground advantage to play for as well. More on this – and the situation in the other grades we cover – in our preview at the end of the week.
Matches this coming weekend at a glance (home teams first, Premier 2 and Colts versus the same opposition):
#1 – Wellington v Ories
#2 – Avalon v Norths
#3 – HOBM v Poneke
#4 – J’ville v Wainui
#5 – Marist St Pats v OBU
#6 – Petone v Pare-Plim
#7 – Tawa v Upper Hutt Rams
It appears that after recent disruption, kick-off times are back to normal this coming Saturday, with most senior club rugby matches back to 1.00pm and 2.45pm times and college First XV games back to 2.30pm.
Women’s finals this coming Saturday as well, at the curious venue of William Jones Park. In the early Division 2 final at 11.00am, Paremata-Plimmerton come off their two-week bye to play Poneke/OBU and in the Division 1 decider unbeaten Petone meet dangerous challengers Ories at 1.30pm.
+++++
More school rugby this week.
It is understood that the St Mary’s College First XV girls team hosts a touring American side at Kilbirnie Park today. This team goes on to play Manukura midweek. on Thursday, St Mary’s play Lower Hutt’s Sacred Heart College at Kelburn Park. Kick-off for that one 11.ooam.
On Tuesday, Upper Hutt College First XV hosts the Grant Batty XV from Kuranui College in their traditional at Upper Hutt College at 1.00pm.
On Wednesday, the start of the fifth round of the First XV Premiership sees St Pat’s Silverstream hosting Rongotai College in their traditional fixture at 1.30pm at Silverstream. In recent past seasons this traditional has been rather one-sided in favour of Silverstream, but Rongotai are better this year so here’s hoping for a good game.
+++++
Spotted adorning windows in houses dead opposite each other in the side street leading to the scoreboard end of Helston Park . A local Johnsonville jersey in one window (with a Petone ball below it) and a Paremata-Plimmerton one in the other across the street!
+++++
Caleb Robson played his last game of the season on Saturday as he is off to Australia to play in the Shute Shield for North Sydney. He played in 25 of the 27 games in the last two seasons so will be a big hole to fill.
Some other news in brief from Pōneke Jacob Turrell last week and Va’a Taoipu this week – both torn Achilles wearing the Number 7 jersey. Wishing them both a successful recovery and to be back in action in the future.
+++++
It’s understood the Hutt City Council has approved $3 million dollars to repair the Petone Rec Grandstand.
+++++
Upper Hutt Rams prop Senio Sanele was called into the NZ U20s last week as an injury replacement. That makes Petone’s Stanley Solomon, Norths’ Jeremiah Avei-Collins and Sanele as Wellington’s three representatives in this squad for the upcoming U20s World Cup in South Africa. OBU midfielder Fuka Paongo was also picked as a non-travelling reserve, and the player going ahead of him must be special as Paongo is playing well at the moment.
+++++
In Canterbury club rugby news, Robbie Timo played his 500th cub rugby match for the Sumner club on Saturday – the 53-year-old having played in most grades for the past three decades.
+++++
In Taranaki club rugby news, Beauden Barrett played club rugby for Coastal on Saturday.
++++++
Congratulations to Barrett’s namesake, Tynan Barrett, for playing his 100th match for the Upper Hutt Rams on Saturday. Same for HOBM prop Brett Manaia for playing his 100th for the Eagles on Saturday. Also to Petone’s Sam Tonise for playing his 50th Premier match.
In milestones we know about, Wainuiomata’s Teru Time will become the second player from his club this season after Jason Love to play his 200th Premier game this coming Saturday.
+++++
Four tries to Tawa centre Connor Sharrock on Saturday against Northern United.
Kemara Hauiti-Parapara has signed for Auckland for the NPC. He is sidelined at the moment after taking a knock, but hoping to see him bac in the Wellington competiton before he links up with Auckland.
+++++
Marist St Pat’s first-five Rique Miln is now the leading points scorer in the Swindale Shield. With 22 points against Avalon on Saturday, he is now on 120 points, ahead of HOBM’s Brandyn Laursen on 114.
Petone’s Belgium Tuatagaloa and Paremata-Plimmerton’s Esi Komaisavai both have 13 tries.
+++++
A close series of matches on Saturday across four grades between Paremata-Plimmerton and the Wellington Axemen. Paremata-Plimmerton won their Premier, Premier 2 and Colts encounters and the Axemen took out their U85kg game. The combined score from these four games was Paremata Plimmerton 116 – Wellington Axemen 104.
+++++
When the wrong player is yellow carded. This apparently happened in the Upper Hutt Rams – Wainuiomata match on Saturday. The Rams caused a sin-bin offence for repeated team infringements but the referee didn’t know who to send off for 10 minutes so settled on the replacement hooker although he was nowhere near the incident at the time!
+++++
A first half hat-trick for James Tuia for the Wellington Axemen over Paremata-Plimmerton on Saturday. They led 24-0,before the home side came back and won 27-24. How often has a hat-trick been scored in a losing effort? It has happened several times as we wrote a story about it several years ago, but will have to dig deep to find it!
+++++
Hurricanes Run out of Puff
The Hurricanes beat every team in Super Rugby Pacific except the Brumbies. Unfortunately they stumbled against the Chiefs in a home semi final on Saturday night. A poor start and a lack of accuracy hurt the hosts who were otherwise exceptional in 2024.
Coach Clark Laidlaw built depth and had a fit and athletic side playing eye-catching rugby unlike the boring Blues who do deserve credit for their combination of power and discipline. There was a breakout season by No.8 Braydon Iose, confirmation of growing quality by Xavier Nuima, Billy Procter and Peter Lakai. Isaiah Walker-Leawere proved more durable and consistent at lock and a resurgent TJ Perenara kept the backline mostly humming. Josh Moorby and Ruben Love were standouts out wide but the distance and accuracy of Love’s kicking might be the only thing that dampens his strong All Blacks selection prospects.
NZCIS is a massive asset and attraction for the Hurricanes but with continued apathy and governance issues surrounding Super Rugby the future of the competition is uncertain. The Hurricanes didn’t endear themselves with community rugby with kick-off times that treated community rugby (and all sports) with utter contempt and the continued preciousness around the ‘cotton wooling’ of players. How ridiculous for example Benet Kumeroa who didn’t play all season and virtually had no chance of playing the semi was withdrawn from McBain to apparently warm up with the Hurricanes.
Lots of empty seats inside Wellington Stadium on Saturday too. Crowd numbers? 30,000? Perhaps if several thousand were re-living the sevens out on the concourse during . Perhaps off the mark given the advertorials by the Wellington Post newspaper earlier in the week pumping this up.
Well done to the Hurricanes for going through another entire season without posting any of their match results – beyond the scores – on their official website. Perhaps they could do better next year? If incapable of writing a short report, at least posting the scorers and some updated statistics from each game would be good.
+++++

+++++
Archie
Archie Sims scored all four ways for Wellington College in their 27-24 win over St Patrick’s College, Silverstream last Wednesday. Daniel Carter never accomplished that feat in 287 first-class matches. It’s a rare feat. Stanley Solomon did it at Wellington College in 2022 but his side lost that game 24-23 to St Pats Town.
Perhaps the most famous dropped goal in college rugby history was a late success slotted by Bryn Gatland for Hamilton Boys’ High School in their 12-10 win over St Kentigern College in 2013. St Kent’s were the reigning National champions and were unbeaten in 51 consecutive matches. Gatland went onto score 873 first class points in near decade long first-class career.
Otahuhu College might argue a 35m drop goal kicked by Orene Ai’i to win the 1997 1A final against five-time defending champions Kelston Boys’ High School is the most meteoric. Otahuhu is the last state coed school to win the 1A title. Ai’i was playing Major League Rugby in Los Angles just two years ago aged 42 following a decorated professional career that saw him win an IRB World Sevens Player of the Year award as well as a Super Rugby title with the Blues in 2003 and four NPC championships with Auckland.
Big Rex
Former Upper Hutt Mayor Rex Kirton passed away this week aged 82. Rex was first elected to council in 1974. After three years as a councillor, he announced he would stand for mayor and held the position from 1977 to 2001. In the 1997 New Year’s Honours, Rex was awarded a Queen’s Service Order for public services.
He announced his retirement from the mayoralty on August 14, 2001, and was then elected to the regional council as Upper Hutt representative, a position he held until 2010. Rex was Chairman of the regional council’s parks, forests and utilities committee.
Kirton was a staunch Upper Hutt rugby man. In 1960 the prop captained the St Patrick’s College, Silverstream First XV that famously beat Wellington College against the odds by 8-3.
An accountant by trade, for decades Kirton was a familiar voice on radio covering club rugby. Fashionably late he once missed a try and asked a spectator who scored. Kirton announced Sean Fitzpatrick scored for Upper Hutt. Rex is the brother of former All Black Earle Kirton.
RIP Ralph Caulton. Another huge loss last week in Wellington rugby circles with the passing of Ralph Caulton.
On a side note, who is Wellington’s oldest living first-class player? We think it’s Brian Steele, whom we will profile soon in our Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington series.
All Blacks Extras
There was some bemusement this week among the hearty grassroots when the All Blacks added two more [admittedly part-time] coaches to their burgeoning management staff. Former All Blacks David Hill (kicking coach) and Corey Flynn (throwing coach) were included to the management staff which also includes in various capacities:
Scott Robertson (Head Coach), Jason Ryan (Assistant Coach – Forwards), Leon MacDonald (Assistant Coach – Attack), Scott Hansen (Assistant Coach – Defence), Jason Holland (Assistant Coach – Backs), Tamati Ellison (Contact Skills Coach), Sir Wayne Smith (Performance Coach), Jamie Hamilton (Head Performance Analyst), Al Beeton (Assistant Performance Analyst), Jon Gardner (Assistant Performance Analyst), Ceri Evans (Head of Leadership + Mental Performance), Nic Gill (Head of Performance), Adam Hay (Performance Scientist), Martin Swan (Doctor), Karl McDonald (Lead Physiotherapist), Teresa Te Tamaki (Assistant Physiotherapist), Kat Darry (Dietician), Paul McLaughlan (Team Manager), Megan Compain (Commercial Manager), James Iversen (Logistics Manager), Toby Robson (Communications Manager), Paula Powlesland (Business Manager), Bianca Thiel (Operations Manager).
+++++
All Blacks Missing Roles & Contenders?
Jumping Coach: Luke Romano did much of the analysis of the All Blacks lineout in the 2015 Rugby World Cup win. Dom Bird is the tallest ever All Black.
Lifting Coach: The Franks Brothers Owen & Ben were two of the strongest All Blacks brothers.
Put the ball into the scrum Coach: Aaron Smith. Hundred test wins did it more than most.
Holding the tee in the wind Coach: Dave Loveridge, his nickname is trapper.
Washroom attendant Coach: Murray Watts. The Taranaki winger discovered he was selected for the All Blacks while in the urinal of a New Plymouth pub. He was a careers advisor at New Plymouth Boys High School for close to four decades.
P.S. Remember the 2005 British & Irish Lions brought 27 support staff, including 10 coaches, a Kit technician, and Alastair Campbell, a spin doctor for Tony Blair to New Zealand. No amount of PR could disguise the brutal reality of an ageing pack, and lacklustre backline. The All Blacks thrashed the Lions outscoring the tourists 107-41 over the three Test series.
+++++
Ayesha Leti-L’iga watch
Matches for Ories: 80
Tries scored: 191
+++++
There was over 400 years of combined rugby history for Club Rugby correspondent Scott MacLean’s Wairarapa-Bush Premier referee debut on Saturday. Home side Masterton Red Star is a 1996 merger of Masterton (formed 1875) – the club of the late, great Sir Brian Lochore – and Red Star (formed 1886) with visitors Carterton dating back to 1879; Masterton and Carterton were two of the five clubs that formed the Wellington union along with Wellington, Athletic, and Greytown.
It’s an unusual setup for MRS, somewhat akin to Marist St Pat’s in Wellington. The Colombo Road ground sits on the eastern bank of the Waipoua River, just upstream of its confluence with the Ruamahunga and directly across from rivals Pioneer’s home ground and has just a grandstand and changing rooms. Their clubrooms are back in town on Herbert Street, almost next door to Memorial Park. Why? When the two merged Masterton was ‘just’ a rugby club whereas Red Star was a multi-sports entity; in addition to rugby, they have cricket, hockey, and squash arms amongst others, and had the better, centrally located, facilities. Red Star’s ground was also located nearby but was sold off for redevelopment and created a nest egg that fuels the club to this day.
On the field MRS returned to the Premier grade this season after several in the Senior Reserve competition which they won in 2022. It’s been a tough introduction with just one win so far and three narrow losses amongst some heavier ones. Coached by Chris Simon, himself a 150+ game veteran for the club, they’re a young side but lack size and are badly missing former Scots College star Jack Loader who is missing the season after having a second shoulder reconstruction. But they’re also a team with a good attitude, and that bodes well for the future
+++++
Read about two-time Jubilee Cup winner Sam Coventry who now works for multi million dollar American sports brand Overtime as a graphic designer. Read HERE (link to a Stuff website story)
+++++

+++++