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Above: Thumbs up for Round Two of the Swindale Shield tomorrow. The Wellington Axemen are one of five city and town clubs playing at home, hosting Northern United, whilst Petone are on the road at Tawa.
- By Scott MacLean & Steven White
Week one is done and dusted, and while some questions were answered in the opening round, many more were posed. What will we learn this time out?
SWINDALE SHIELD TEAMLISTS AND SCORING 2025 RD2 Teams2
For Round 2 Premier teamlists, click the line above (the link opens a Word Document).
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Tipping Competition: Please join us in playing the inaugural Wellington club rugby tipping competition, by signing up at this direct link here https://www.faceyoursfears.com/games/WGTN2025/join and reading about it first at https://clubrugby.nz/wp/tipping-competition/ (tab in menu bar). If you have signed up remember to make your second round picks by 2.30pm Saturday. It is not too late to join up, there are two ‘wildcard’ rounds so you can quickly catch up.
Preview podcast: Listen to Club Rugby’s Round Two preview on the new @Tackld podcast covering community and grassroots sport in Wellington on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/3aipZteMhwCxUGFkw4SvyM?si=wpanXRNhRGucaqT-xzrWfw
Radio Commentary. This Saturday, the E Tū Whānau Footy Show comes from Evans Bay Park in the fixture between Marist St Pat’s and the Upper Hutt Rams. On air from 2.00pm Catch all the action on Te Upoko Radio – 87.6FM in the central city, 1161AM across the region, or stream it on iHeart Radio, the Whare Kōrero app, and online at www.teupoko.nz.
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Public notice about our Draws & Results website. These pages were offline for a few weeks recently owing to a forced server change and a major coding breakage (2004 website meets 2025) . The pages are back live at https://clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=71&season=22&Submit=Go We still don’t have any access to the website administration section meaning we can’t update anything yet such as adding new teamlists!
- So, for Draws & Results please visit this page here: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2025-wgtn-club-live-scores/
- For this week’s line-ups please visit the attachment here: SWINDALE SHIELD TEAMLISTS AND SCORING 2025 RD2 Teams2
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Premier Swindale Shield
On paper at least, the feature clash of the round might be at Lyndhurst Park, with Tawa back in the leafy surrounds of home for the first time this season. Petone are visitors, with both sides coming off wins in the opening round; the hosts over OBU and the Villagers over Wellington.
The home side get a lift with Hugo Plummer released to play for them, and he’ll partner veteran Tito Ioane in the engine room. Their only other change appears to be midfielders Faraimo Nofoaiga and Nigel Hunt swapping jerseys this week, though the name of Belgium Tuatagaloa appears on their bench. Petone also have a Hurricanes flavour, with Riley Higgins’ comeback from injury starting in the Villagers midfield. There’s plenty of changes to their side, with Ryan Imrie, Connor Tuifao, Jordan-Glen Bradbrook, and Tom Carter amongst those returning, with Thompson Tukapua handed the keys for his first Premier start.
It’s a very busy day south of the Basin Reserve, with five matches in that part of the city. We start out on the peninsula with the second matchup of first-up winners as Oriental Rongotai hosts Johnsonville in a battle of feathered spirit animals. The home Magpies were methodical in seeing off the Upper Hutt Rams, while the Hawks made an impressive start in beating Pare-Plim.
The home side will be without regular skipper Penieli Poasa so Elijah Ti’a starts at hooker. The only other change is a first start for the year for Sione Halalilo, with Ronaldo Seumanufagai dropping out. Theres three changes for the visitors as well, Daniel Hoare starts at hooker, former Wellington College star Ish Perkins is at first-five, and former Ories centurion Andy Ellis comes in for Finlay Sharp at fullback, who departed early last week against Pare-Plim with an apparent leg injury.
Poneke were the other winning side from ‘out east’ last Saturday in beating their rivals from across the road. They’re on their side of the divide this time, with Avalon making the trek down from the central Hutt Valley. It’s already shaping up as another tough year for the Wolves after an inauspicious start last week, and they’ll be significant underdogs against a team that will have their tails up after their opening triumph.
Both starting sides are largely unchanged. Poneke in fact make just a single one with Mike Brown swapping with Jimmy-Lee Hongara at halfback. Avalon have outside back Nathan Fa’apusa playing his blazer game for the Wolves. Front-rowers Ale Peni and Koli Bower continue to lead the side.
In between those two venues are two teams that will be looking for improved performances. The Upper Hutt Rams are in the area for the second successive week, this time at Evans Bay to take on Marist St Pats.
The Red Machine have rattled off the changes after that disappointing result. Amongst them veteran prop Tui Tuiatua makes his return to the starting side after spending last year with Wellington, while last years St Pat’s Town halfback Max Reynolds is in from the start after Jayde Burns’ early red card last week. He’ll be partnered by former OBU Goat Tomasi Connor, with Luke Kapene returning to he preferred spot at fullback. Hurricanes signing Lucas Cashmore gets some gametime as he starts at first-five for the Rams, who also bring back flyer Jack Wright to start on the openside and Ieti Campbell makes his first start of the season and first partnering Emmanuel Solomona in midfield.
Up the hill Wellington are back at their Hataitai home. Despite the margin, there was plenty for them to take out of their defeat to Petone last week, but need a much-improved effort on the discipline front. Norths are the opposition, with the Porirua side out to make hay starting out against the two sides that finished below them on the ladder last term having swept Avalon aside last Saturday.
The Axemen will be determined to not only prevent that happening, but also to send their supporters home happy with a win. Will Cosgriff is missing, so Te Aranga Hakiwai moves in to halfback with Caleb Aiulu at first-five, while Kade Perez-Saolele is at fullback. Norths have stuck with most of the side that won handily, though veterans Luca Rees (at lock) and the seemingly ageless Liki Siliga return to the starting side, with Hurricane and Lion Siale Lauaki in line for his Norths debut from the pine.
Across in Newtown, Old Boys-University will be looking to rebound from that narrow defeat to Tawa, but they’ll have to do that against another of the competition’s heavyweights in Hutt Old Boys Marist, who looked assured in beating Wainuiomata.
The Goats will be without two key pieces. NZ U20s selectee Harry Irving drops out while Mitch McLeod is absent through injury. The latter is replaced by young Thoma Takeuchi, the son of long-time coach Katsu, while Riley Forbes and Reece Plumtree come into the starting backline. Drew Berg-Mclean gets his first start for the Eagles after a solid debut from the bench last week, while former Ram Vaini Halafihi also starts. Last year’s Lions halfback Te Aonui Wharawhara-Muriwai is in line for his first appearance in Wellington club rugby from the bench.
The final match of this preview is out in the north, with Paremata-Plimmerton returning to the waters of the Ngati Toa sharktank for the visit of Wainuiomata. The hosts will be out for an immediate improvement on last week’s outing against Johnsonville, while the men from William Jones will be out to show that last years Hardham Cup win over the Hammerheads was not a one-off.
Pare-Plim have rattled the changes in the pack with only prop James Coburn and hooker Toby Mallon retained. Curiously Alex Fidow – a late scratch last week – is at lock, with Leni Apisai to lead the side from the blindside. Flyer Louis Northcott returns on the left wing in the only backline change. 200-game veteran Teru Time comes back into the Wainuiomata starting XV, while a backline reshuffle gives Elysium Tolova’a-Stanley his first start in the green and black hoops with Tyler Tane dropping back to the bench.
- Ories and Johnsonville contest their Ash Pointon Cup. A titan of the local game, Pointon racked up a century for both clubs across a lengthy career, though sadly we lost Ash in 2017 aged just 56. Ories are the holders.
- OBU and HOBM play for their Wood Cup. Ron Wood – not to be confused with the current Norths personality – played for Wellington College Old Boys and was later a founding member of the Woburn (later High School Old Boys) club in 1945. Played for by those clubs from 1960 its now between their successors, and is held by OBU
- Pare-Plim and Wainuiomata play for the Smith & Wilson Cup, which was donated by Daniel Smith and Justin Wilson Snr when they were the coaches of the two teams. Pare-Plim hold this.
- And finally, the Bill Brien Challenge Cup gets its first airing of the year with Tawa defending it against Petone.
All seven Premier matches are underway at 2.45pm.
Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield
A chance for some teams to get a gap on the field even at this early point. First-up winners the Upper Hutt Rams and Pare-Plim both have that opportunity when they visit MSP and host Wainuiomata respectively with those teams having lost their opener. Wellington hosts Norths at Hataitai in a clash between two sides looking for their first win, while Ories will be out for their second victory as they await the visit of Johnsonville. In matches between winners in the first round OBU hosts HOBM and Poneke welcome Avalon, while the feature clash of the day might be at Lyndhurst where Tawa looks to get on track against Petone.
Colts Paris Memorial
Plenty of turmoil in the Colts grade with Wellington, Wainuiomata, and Avalon all withdrawing during the week, and leaving the union with having to undertake a re-draw and last week’s matches null and void. So take two of the opening round has OBU hosting Ories in the Ian Galloway cage and Tawa meeting Johnsonville at Redwood in a pair of 12.30 kick-offs, followed at 1pm with Pare-Plim welcoming Poneke to Ngati Toa, MSP and the Upper Hutt Rams at Kilbirnie, and for reasons we’re struggling to understand heavyweights Petone and HOBM are meeting at the Petone Rec this weekend rather than when their respective Premier sides contest the McBain later this season. Norths have the bye with this now an 11-team competition.
Content continues below.
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Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy
We’ll have to wait another week for a big-name clash, as they manage to avoid each other in the second round tomorrow. Petone head into the city to play Poneke at Kilbirnie Park, while Oriental Rongotai are at home again at Polo to face Wainuiomata in the only clash between winners from last week. In between Marist St Pats are at home to take on Avalon, while the only match not east of the tunnel is at Ngati Toa for the local derby between home side Paremata-Plimmerton and visitors Norths.
All four matches are at 11.30am.
Under 85kg JC Bowl
The four games this week are scattered across the region. The champion Tawa Ducks are in the city this week to face MSP, while HOBM and the OBU Scallywags are on semi-neutral turf at the Petone Rec. Eastbourne are back at HW Shortt to face Avalon, while Johnsonville head up to Ngati Toa Domain to take on Pare-Plim. Wellington has the bye this week.
All four matches are at 2.45pm
Elsewhere
Manawatu’s Hankins Shield moves into round two. First-up winners Kia Toa and Linton Army clash while of other two winners on opening day Feilding Yellows will be favourites away at Te Kawau while Freyberg will be in the unusual situation of having that tag away to College Old Boys who were well-beaten by Linton last week. The fourth match sees Massey away at minnows Feilding Old Boys-Oroua.
The fourth round of the Ramsbotham Cup in Horowhenua-Kapiti sees champions Foxton are home for the northern derby against Shannon, Levin Wanderers have the Domain to take on Waikanae, and College Old Boys head south to face Paraparaumu. Rahui has the bye.
Over in the Wairarapa it’s the second round of the Lane Penn Cup. In Group A current holders Martinborough are back home after their big win last Saturday to take on Eketahuna, while Marist head east to face first-up winners East Coast. The Group B matches have Greytown at home again to face Pioneer and Carterton going north to play Masterton Red Star, with long-serving Carterton prop Blair Heming playing his 200th match for the club’s top team.
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College
It is the first weekend of the school holidays, with some light college rugby pre-season action around this weekend ahead of several notable pre-season First XV matches during the break and throughout the remainder of April.
This afternoon, the Rongotai College First XV continues its busy pre-season campaign when it hosts visiting Toowomba, Australian school Downlands College. The First XV Kick-off this coming Friday at Rongotai is at 2.30pm, while the Second XVs of both schools kick-off at 2.00pm on the back fields.
Tomorrow sees Taita College taking on the combined Upper Hutt/Heretaunga College.
Mana and Aotea Colleges meet at 1.00pm, as do Newlands and Naenae Colleges, whilst there are a number of lower grade college pre-season matches being played tomorrow around the region.
