Community rugby fields lighting up with competition and pre-season rugby

Old Boys University and Massey pack a scrum down last Saturday. Catch OBU at Mary Crowther Park tomorrow to play Hutt Old Boys Marist.

By Steven White & Scott MacLean

It’s the autumn equinox this weekend, and whilst the mornings and evenings will be growing steadily darker from here on in, the afternoons are about to be lit by community rugby.

Indeed, one lower North Island competition is underway tomorrow. Round One of the Horowhenua-Kapiti’s Ramsbotham Cup kicks off, a full two week’s ahead of both Wellington and Wairarapa-Bush. Rahui’s quest for redemption after their shock loss in last year’s Ramsbotham Cup decider starts away at Waikanae, Levin College Old Boys travel to Shannon, and Levin Wanderers have the Domain for the visit of Paraparaumu. Champions Foxton have the bye. Two of the Senior Reserve Bill Muir Cup matches replicate the Premier clashes to follow at the Domain and Waikanae, with Levin COB across town to take on Athletic. Foxton have the bye here too.

Pre-season activity in the Wairarapa this weekend starts tonight with Eketahuna hosting Pahiatua-based Bush Sports, with tomorrow seeing Marist taking on East Coast, Greytown hosting Masterton Red Star, and Pioneer meeting Wainuiomata’s second and third teams.

In Wellington, the rugby also starts this evening at Wellington College (artificial field) at 5.30pm, where the home school’s First XV embarks on a busy college Premiership pre-season campaign with their annual fixture against the OBU Green Colts. This match is for the Letica Cup, after the 1960s Junior All Black player who passed away young through illness.

Wellington, Manawatu and Wairarapa-Bush clubs are all engaged in their penultimate round of pre-season weekends of playing or planning, ahead of these three competitions starting on Saturday 5 April.

Amongst matches in Wellington, Pōneke hosts Taranaki’s Tukapa club for the historic Zemba Cup at nearby Evans Bay Park at 2.45pm. Pōneke have won their last two encounters, since this was revived a few seasons ago, but Tukapa have announced on their social media the acquisition of first five Sam Clarke (most recently at Paremata-Plimmerton), so if himself and Campbell Woodmass (former Northern United halfback) play the visitors will be pressing hard.

There is a curtain-raisers to this match, with the Pōneke Colts and the Paremata-Plimmerton Colts kicking off the afternoon at Evans Bay Park at 12.00pm.

Over at Rongotai College, there are also two club rugby pre-season matches. The Oriental-Rongotai Premier 2s and Pōneke Premier 2s are kicking off at 11.30am and the Ories and Wainuiomata Premier squads take the field at 1.00pm.

The interested spectator therefore has an opportunity to catch an eastern suburbs double header of Premier pre-season matches at Rongotai College and Evans Bay Park respectively.

Moving to the other end of the region, Maidstone Park #1 in Upper Hutt comes alive tomorrow with a triple header of club rugby fixtures.

It starts at midday with the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone Colts, followed by the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone Premier 2 sides at 1.30pm and then the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone Premier teams at 2.45pm.

Staying in the Hutt Valley, the Avalon Wolves and the Wellington Axemen and visiting Manawatu club Freyberg meet in a game of three halves fixture (actually scheduled as 6 x 20 minute periods). kick off at Naenae College is at 2.00pm.

At Mary Crowther Park, the defending champion HOBM Colts and OBU Green Colts meet in a replay of last year’s final (two matches in 18 hours for OBU, as per the schedule) at 12.00pm, followed by the fixture between the HOBM Premiers and OBU Premiers at 1.30pm.

There is a third match on Mary Crowther Park tomorrow, with these two club fixtures preceded by a college pre-season game between the St Bernard’s First XV and the Hutt Valley High School First XV at 10.00am.

Down at North Park, home team the Petone Ponies are scheduled to play Palmerston Old Boys Marist Women from 11.00am.

Across the divide, the Northern United and Johnsonville Premier squads kick off at 12.00pm at Mana College. There are three sets of squads in action, playing 40-minute matches, these being the Colts (first game), Premier 2s (second) and Premiers (third).

At Bishop Viard College, Paremata-Plimmerton Women play the Oriental-Rongotai Women at 11.00am.

In away pre-season club matches involving Wellington clubs, Marist St Pat’s travels to Johnston Park to play Feilding Yellows.

Paremata-Plimmerton’s bus will be on the same road north as MSP’s, but will turn west to Whanganui to play home team Kaierau. Kick off is at 1.00pm.

Tawa are going inter-island, travelling to Christchurch to play defending Canterbury Metro champions Linwood, with that match kicking off at 1.30pm.

For those wanting an extra fix, there is a pre-season U85kg match on Sunday, with the Marist St Pat’s Reds up against the Wellington Light Axemen at Evans Bay Park at 1.00pm.

In high performance rugby, the Hurricanes Poua host the South Island Matatū side at NZCIS at 2.05pm tomorrow.

The Hurricanes U20s and Blues U20s meet for third and fourth at Owen Delany Park, Taupo, kick-off at 3.05pm. If nothing else, expect a high scoring fixture as defence has been optional for the Blues in their first two matches whilst still piling on the points themselves. Home team the Chiefs and defending champions the Crusaders meet in the final at 5.05pm.

The Hurricanes men’s side has a bye.