Wellington won the NPC Premiership in 2000 when they beat Canterbury at a sold-out Lancaster Park, Christchurch, 34-29.
With a staggering 36 internationals, including 29 past, present, or future All Blacks, the 2000 NPC final is arguably the greatest NPC match ever played.
The ‘Match of the Century’ between Canterbury and Auckland in Christchurch in 1985 featured 23 All Blacks.
Canterbury was so strong in 2000 that their entire starting XV were All Blacks, except Marika Vunibaka on the right wing who played two World Cups for Fiji.
It was a contrast in styles, the formidable Canterbury pack against the vibrant and lethal Wellington backs.
Wellington made an electric start skipping out to a 13-0 lead in the first ten minutes. Two penalties from David Holwell and a converted try to Jonah Lomu from a pinpoint Jason ‘O’Halloran kick were the source of the Lions’ points.
The visitors were guilty of ill-discipline as they struggled to match the Canterbury forwards in the tight exchanges. A series of penalties from Andrew Mehrtens and Ben Blair kept Canterbury within reach but it was always Wellington who looked the more likely try scorers.
Lock Inoke Afeaki had the last say of the first half following a vintage break from Christian Cullen where he found space by changing angles multiple times. Wellington led 20-12 at halftime.
Early in the second half brilliant counterattack saw O’Halloran score an 80-metre try combining with Christian Cullen and Tana Umaga.
ESPN Rugby captured what happened next:
“A great Lomu try down the left. O’Halloran seized upon a loose ball in the centre of the field, and fed lock Dion Waller who sent a magnificent pass to the giant winger. He was one-on-one with Marika Vunibaka, took him on the outside, fended and dragged him over the line as the Fijian came back for another go. Classic Lomu which seemed to have sealed the match.”
Down 34-15, Canterbury rallied with a series of relentless attacks. Mehrtens and Todd Blackadder scored converted tries within the space of three minutes to reduce the gap to five points with about five minutes to play
Referee Paul Honiss awarded five penalties in injury time and sin-binned Waller for deliberately knocking on. But somehow the defence held, and Wellington had their first title since 1986.
Remarkably Captain Hewitt played much of the second half with a broken arm, still managing to hit rucks, tackle and throw to the lineout.
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October 21, 2000: Wellington: 34 (Jonah Lomu 2, Inoke Afeaki, Jason O’Halloran tries; David Holwell 4 con, 2 pen) Canterbury: 29 (Andrew Mehrtens, Todd Blackadder tries; Ben Blair 2 con, 4 pen; Mehrtens pen). HT: 20-12.
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2000 NPC Final Teams
Referee: Paul Honiss (228 first-class games, 1992-2008)
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WELLINGTON (15-1): Christian Cullen, Brad Fleming, Tana Umaga, Jason O’Halloran, Jonah Lomu, David Holwell, Jason Spice, Jerry Collins, Kupu Vanisi, Rodney So’oialo, Dion Waller, Inoke Afeaki, Morné van der Merwe, Norm Hewitt (c), Kevin Yates.
Reserves: Mike Edwards, Shane Carter, Semo Sititi, Milton Ngauamo, Riki Flutey, Paul Steinmetz, Alama Ieremia.
Coach: Dave Rennie
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CANTERBURY (15-1): Ben Blair, Marika Vunibaka, Mark Mayerhofler, Daryl Gibson (c), Caleb Ralph, Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall, Sam Broomhall, Scott Robertson, Reuben Thorne, Norm Maxwell, Todd Blackadder, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett, Greg Feek.
Reserves: Dave Hewett, Matt Sexton, Chris Jack, Dallas Seymour, Ben Hurst, Nathan Mauger, Afato So’oalo.
Coach: Robbie Deans
Bold: Denotes players that weren’t fifteen aside internationals. Brad Fleming played for the All Blacks Sevens and won a gold medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
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Wellington Lions NPC Winning Captains
1978: Kevin ‘Butch’ Phelan played 111 matches for Wellington. The prop had an All Blacks trial in 1975.
1981: Maori All Blacks loose forward Paul Quinn played 103 games and scored 27 tries for Wellington with an All Blacks trial in 1979. Wellington held the Ranfurly Shield in 1981. Quinn later became a Labour Party MP.
1986: All Black Kevin Boroevich led the charge from prop in 1986. He debuted for King Country as a 17-year-old in 1978 before representing Wellington 83 times
2022: Courageous and charismatic openside flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi led Wellington to a 26-18 win over Canterbury in Christchurch. Wellington had lost to Canterbury 10-43 in the round-robin, but after a 6-15 loss to Northland the following week rallied to win a Union record 21 consecutive games, holding the Ranfurly Shield as well. Wellington had lost Premiership finals in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2019.
Wellington Lions NPC Winning Teams Record
Year | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Against |
1978 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 323 | 195 |
1981 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 477 | 187 |
1986 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 521 | 280 |
2000 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 363 | 309 |
2022 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 407 | 298 |
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RIP Lions
2 Norm Hewitt (31) – A warrior in the New Zealand game Hewitt played 296 first-class games, including the last several minutes of the final with a broken arm. In 2005 the All Black won Dancing with Stars. Post-rugby he was involved with education, age-group coaching, business ventures and motivational speaking. In 2024 he passed after a battle with motor neurone disease aged 55.
3 Morné van der Merwe (18) – The prop from Port Elizabeth played for Eastern Province against the All Blacks (23-31) in 1996. After two seasons in Wellington, he returned to South Africa where he was a Super Rugby player for the Stormers in 2001. In 2013 he tragically died of brain cancer aged 39.
8 Jerry Collins (47) – Was only nineteen when he debuted in 1999 and continued to enhance his growing reputation with eight strong displays in 2000. Collins (a winner of 29 Wellington games) went on to captain the All Blacks (48 Tests, 42 wins) and featured in 85 games for the Hurricanes. Following spells in Wales, France, and Japan he tragically died in a car crash on June 5, 2015, in France aged 34. Porirua Park was renamed Jerry Collins Stadium in 2016.
11 Jonah Lomu (21) – The biggest superstar rugby has ever known underwent a kidney transplant in 2004 and then attempted a brave comeback which ended in retirement in 2007. He scored 126 tries in 203 first-class games, 37 of those in 63 Tests for the All Blacks. Released an autobiography in 2013 and remained in demand everywhere he went. He died unexpectedly on 18 November 2015 after suffering a heart attack associated with his kidney condition. He is buried in Manukau Memorial Gardens beside fellow rugby legends Dylan Mika and Peter Fatialofa.
Note: Numbers indicate total appearances for Wellington.