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The curtain has closed on the first round Swindale Shield competition, with the top eight finishing sides now progressing to start the four-week second round Jubilee Cup and the bottom six teams lining up in week one of the Hardham Cup.
Some numbers and statistics from the first round Swindale Shield Premier competition (unless stated) below:
2 – Tawa’s successful Bill Brien Challenge Cup defences, since winning it off Wainuiomata in round 10. They hold it until early next season as its not played for in knockout matches, which the rest of the season is.
3 – the number of freshly-minted Wellington Premier club rugby double centurions from the first round. These players being: Jason Love and Teru Time (Wainuiomata) and James Coburn (currently Paremata-Plimmerton)
3 – The number of dropped goals in the 91 Swindale Shield games this season. Two by Marist St Pats’ Rique Miln and one by Wainuiomata’a Andrew Wells.
2 – The number of drawn matches in the 2024 Swindale Shield.
4 – Swindale Shield titles that Old Boys university have won, these being in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2024.
5 – The most tries in a single match, scored by two players. OBU’s Elijah Maene-Lokeni did the feat in in round seven against Avalon and matched by Johnsonville’s Jacob Walmsley in Saturday’s just completed 13th and final round.
5 – Matches won or lost by a solitary point. Johnsonville and Wainuiomata were each on the wrong side of that margin twice.
8 – players to have scored more than 100 points across the 13 rounds of matches. See ‘132’ below for more.
10 – occasions that a club has won the Premier Swindale Shield and Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield in the same season. The first was in the inaugural year, 1969 (Petone), with this years winner of both – Old Boys-University – also the last to do it in 2017.
14 – The most tries in the Swindale Shield. Shared by three players, these being: Belgium Tuatagaloa (Petone), Elijah Maene-Lokeni (OBU) andEsi Komaisavai (Paremata-Plimmerton).
11 – The most tries this year by a forward. This was by OBU hooker and captain Louie Calvert (in 10 games).
15 – The lowest combined total in a match from the 91 matches (Tawa beat Paremata-Plimmerton 10-5 in round two).
18 – The number of hat-tricks (three tries or more) scored by individuals.
19 – The number of successful penalties that Paremata-Plimmerton took in their 13 Swindale Shield matches. The next most was 17 by Johnsonville. Winners OBU with 9, Avalon and HOBM with the fewest with with 5 (HOBM probably reflecting a high number of tries from lineouts in the corner, but we can’t measure that one).
22 – The number of tries that Wellington scored in their 13 first round matches. Avalon with the next fewest with 23 and Norths with 26.
31 – The most points in a single match by an individual in the first round. Both Ories’ Alex Ropeti and Upper Hutt’s Tynan Barrett scored 3 tries and 8 conversions each in their team wins over Avalon in rounds four and thirteen respectively
41 – The most points scored by a losing team in a match in this year’s Swindale Shield – Tawa losing 41-57 to MSP in round 3.
58 – Successful conversions by Tawa in the Swindale Shield. OBU with the next most with 55 and Petone 51. Avalon with the fewest with 12.
94 – The number of tries that OBU scored in their 13 first round matches. Petone the next most with 81 and Tawa with 80.
95 – The highest score of the first round. This was by OBU in this weekend’s 13th round against Norths (95-0). One more than Tawa’s 94 (94-0) against the Axemen 24 hours earlier.
106 – The only century of points in a single match in the Premier/Premier 2/Colts (so far) first round competitions. This was by the Tawa Colts in round eight against Avalon (106-5).
132 – Points scored by MSP’s Rique Miln, as the leading points scorer. Tynan Barrett (UHR) 119 and Callum Harkin (OBU) 117 following behind.
194 – The number of tries – by our records – that Ayesha Leti L’iga has scored in 81 career Women’s Premier club rugby matches for Oriental-Rongotai. She made a return from her long injury layoff towards the end of the competition.
494 – Conversions kicked in the Swindale Shield. Plus 164 penalties and 3 dropped goals (see above).
580 – The number of points in 12 games (one round still to play) scored by the HOBM Colts. So, 28 points this weekend will give them the highest points tally of the 42 teams in the Premier/Premier 2/Colts grades in the first round. Note OBU with the most points in the Premier 2 HLS with 559.
607 – Points that first round champions OBU scored in their 13 matches. Petone with the next most with 546 points.
681 – Points that the Wellington Axemen conceded in their 13 matches. Avalon with the next fewest with 671.
801 – The total number of tries scored by all teams in all 91 games. Someone go through the photos and add up how many of these were captured by photographers!
5,506 – The total number of points scored by all teams in the 91 Premier first round fixtures 2024 – at an average of 60.5 points per game. Are you not entertained!
Roll on the rest of the season.
