Club Rugby by the Numbers

The 2025 Wellington club rugby season kicks off this coming Saturday. The season starts with the opening round of the Premier Swindale Shield and Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield, Colts Paris Memorial Cup and Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy competitions. A mix of historical and recent stats and records below. 

96 – The number of Jubilee Cups contested. First won in 1929 by University (a forerunner to Old Boys University).

14 – Different clubs to have won the first round Swindale Shield since 1969, with Paremata-Plimmerton in 2023 the most recent first-time winner. Also the number of teams in Wellington’s Premier club rugby competition.

41 – The number of interclub trophies contested in Premier rugby in matches in the first round (at last count, we stand corrected).

89 – Years the famous McBain Shield between Petone and (now) Hutt Old Boys Marist has been contested. The two sides meet this year in the last round.

26 – The known single season record for most tries scored in a Premier season – by Michael Knight for the Wellington Axemen in 1970. Knight was the National junior 100 years titleholder in 1964 with a dash of 10.4 seconds.

6 – The most tries in a single Wellington Premier club rugby match (in the modern era), by Mike Kingsbeer for Marist St Pat’s against Wainuiomata in 2009 and also by Sosi Tuimavavae for Poneke against Rimutaka in 2013.

286 – The most points in a single season of Wellington Premier club rugby by an individual, by Hutt Old Boys Marist’s Brandyn Laursen in 2013.

127 – The biggest winning margin (known) in Wellington Premier club rugby, when Hutt Old Boys Marist defeated Rimutaka 127-0 in 2013.

52 – The Most points by an individual in a Wellington Premier club rugby match, by Brandyn Laursen for HOBM against Rimutaka in 2013 (see above).

145 – The most combined points scored by both sides in a Wellington Premier club rugby match, when Northern United beat the Wests Roosters 98-47 in 2013.

620 – The number of points that the famous Petone team scored in their record breaking 1973 season (conceding just 106), winning all 18 matches.

607 – The Most points scored by one team in a single Swindale Shield season (in 13 matches), by Old Boys University last season. This bettered the 564 points scored by Paremata-Plimmerton in 2023. In the previous format of 11 first round matches, the Northern United 2010 teams holds the recod with 546 points scored.

831 – The number of points that the Wellington Axemen conceded in 13 matches in 2023. This wasn’t the most ever, that’s 896 by Rimutaka in 2013.

801 – The total number of tries scored in last year’s Swindale Shield competition, at an average of 8.8 per game.

5,496 – The total number of points scored in last year’s Swindale competition, at an average of 60.3 per game.

18 – The number of tries scored by Buxton Popoalii in 11 matches in the 2010 Swindale Shield, a first round record. Luca Rees scored 17 tries in 13 matches in 2018, the most in more recent seasons.  James So’oialo also scored 206 points in 2010, a first round points scoring record.

41 – The hottest winning streak by a Wellington Premier side, by Marist St Pat’s. MSP won all 20 games in 1979 and were heading for another unbeaten season in 1980 but were lowered by Petone in the final.

194 – The number of tries that Oriental-Rongotai women’s wing Ayesha Leti-L’iga is sitting on in Wellington club rugby. She has played 81 games.

194 – also the same, the number of Premier caps Wainuiomata flanker Greg Lealofi is sitting on. Wellington club rugby’s next double centurion?

13 – Out of 15 players from the Poneke club that made up the Wellington representative team in 1889.

154 – Continuous years the Wellington Football Club has been in existence. Founded in 1870, it is the oldest playing through club in New Zealand.

37 – As in 37-0 (three point tries), the heaviest defeat in the first match of a new season by the defending champion, when University beat Jubilee Cup holders Poneke in the season opener in 1952. University went on to win the first of three consecutive titles later in the season.

3 – The number of weeks that Onslow’s supporters had to wait to win their historic maiden Jubilee Cup title in 1955. Club rugby was put on hold for three weeks for the representative season, before Onslow could play and beat Athletic and win the title.

11 – As in 11-9, the score in perhaps the most famous Jubilee Cup final upset of them all, when Poneke beat Petone to win the championship in 1975, for the first time since 1951.

101 – The number of years between drinks between Oriental first winning the club championship in 1910 and winning it again as Oriental-Rongotai in 2011.

66 – The number of years it took before Tawa was formed to it winning its first major Premier grade silverware in 2013. The wait was worth it, their side wining the Swindale-Jubilee double and also winning several big interclub trophies.

15 – The number of times that Marist St Pat’s have won the Jubilee Cup since formation in 1971.

17 – The number of Premier club rugby rounds coming up over the next 17 weeks; 13 rounds of the Swindale Shield and four of the Jubilee/Hardham Cups.

17 – the same number, as in 17 May – Johnsonville’s last home Saturday of matches before the club goes dry on 4 June.

132 – the points scored by 2024 MSP first-five Rique Martin, the highest points scorers in last year’s Swindale Shield. Tynan Barrett (Upper Hutt Rams) was second on this list with 119 and Callum Harkin (OBU) third on 117.

28 – as in 28 June, the last round of the Swindale Shield, when this year’s champion will be crowned.

31 –The number of individuals on the field at 2.45pm this Saturday when the 2025 Swindale Shield kicks off. Opening round matches are:

• Marist St Pat’s v Pōneke (Horan Millar Trophy), Evans Bay Park
• Johnsonville v Paremata-Plimmerton, Helston Park
• Petone v Wellington Axemen (Bill Francis / Jack Taylor Trophy), Petone Rec
• Oriental-Rongotai v Upper Hutt Rams (Bob Lendrum Cup), Polo Ground
• Northern United v Avalon Wolves, Jerry Collins Stadium
• Old Boys University v Tawa (Bill Brien Challenge Cup), Rugby League Park
• Wainuiomata v Hutt Old Boys Marist, William Jones Park

A public notice on our own Draws & Results website. This draw above can be viewed here https://clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=71&season=22&Submit=Go but due to the great website breakage event of Feb/March 2025 we still can’t access our website administrator pages to edit this or add new draws, teams and results- watch this space.

If you haven’t joined up already go to the article below and follow through to play our inaugural Tipping Competition.

If you have joined up, make sure to bookmark the website https://www.faceyoursfears.com/games/WGTN2025 – and we will also have permanent links to it on our home page before the week is out.

Link here to club rugby Tipping Competition 2025 (with prizes)