Sideline Conversions 28 April (some rugby news and information to start the week)

Above: Ian Galloway Park, scene of the match on Saturday between Old Boys University and Oriental-Rongotai. Photo: Tane Nathan.

We are now into week five of the Wellington club rugby competitions, so starting to go deeper into the competition.

Just a few days until the next round kicks off. Round 5 Swindale Shield matches at a glance (the Premier 2 draw replicates the Premier one)

• Pōneke v Johnsonville (Galu Taufale Shield), Kilbirnie Park, 2.45pm
• Wainuiomata v Norths, William Jones Park, 2.45pm
• Hutt Old Boys Marist v Wellington, Hutt Rec 1, 2.45pm
• Avalon Wolves v Upper Hutt Rams (Harper Vine Trophy), Fraser Park 1, 2.45pm
• Marist St Pat’s v Petone (Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy), Evans Bay Park, 2.45pm
• Old Boys University v Paremata-Plimmerton, Rugby League Park, 2.45pm
• Oriental-Rongotai v Tawa, Polo Ground, 2.45pm

The points table after 4 rounds is (official): Ories 20; Petone 16, Pōneke, Tawa, Upper Hutt Rams 15; Paremata-Plimmerton 13; Johnsonville 12; Hutt Old Boys Marist 11; Marist St Pat’s, Wainuiomata, Northern United 10; Old Boys University 5; Wellington 2; Avalon 0.

To view the scoring from the weekend just played click on the click below (it opens a Word document):

SWINDALE SHIELD TEAMLISTS AND SCORING 2025 Round 4 RESULTS

Top try and points scorers list below (scroll down past a few more items).

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The Colts grade resumes this Saturday. Paris Memorial Trophy third round fixtures at a glance: Johnsonville v OBU Green; HOBM v Tawa; MSP v Norths; Upper Hutt Rams v Pōneke; Ories v Paremata-Plimmerton.

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One midweek match, with the St Mary’s College First XV playing visiting Canadian school Leithbridge College at Hataitai Park at 3.00pm.

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College grading games start this weekend too. One big match could be over in the Wairarapa between Wairarapa College and Wellington competition newcomers Rathkeale College.

Wellington College hosts Napier Boys’ High School for the Amner Cup.

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Amongst other things this week, look out for our story with Steve Coles, who runs a growing rugby memorabilia collection and mini-rugby museum and runs his Facebook page interviewing former rugby and rugby league players. Visit his page here https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064336652481

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Above: Tom Carter scores the ‘try of the match’ for Petone against the Upper Hutt Rams on Saturday.

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Swindale Shield Top Try scorers after 4 rounds
Esi Komaisavai (Pare-Plim) 9
Cazna Sale (MSP) 4
George Risale (Tawa) 4
Herman Suemanufagai (Ories) 4
Rewiti Leat (Tawa) 4
15 players with 3 tries
40 players with 2 tries
84 players with 1 try

Swindale Shield Top points scorers after 4 rounds
Tom Maiava (Ories) 49
Esi Komaisavai (Pare-Plim) 45
Andrew Wells (WoA) 41
Dale Sabbagh (Pare-Plim) 38
Tom Henderson (OBU) 38
Ieti Campbell (UHR) 35
James So’oialo (Tawa) 34
Ken Kurihara (J’ville) 32
Carlos Hihi (Pōneke) 31
Ben Brooking (Petone) 27

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Manawatu haven’t updated their Facebook page since Friday, so Manawatu Senior 1 results from this past weekend were:

• Kia Toa 38 – Feilding Yellows 27
• Te Kawau 31 – Old Boys Marist 25
• Varsity 55 – College Old Boys 17
• Freyberg 54 – FOBO 5
• Linton Army the bye.

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When was the last time a tighthead prop scored a hat-trick? When was the last time a tighthead prop coming on as a replacement scored three tries in a Premier match? Pōneke’s Noah Tuifao-Galuvao came on early for Wellington Academy prop Elijah Talalupe  who departed early in his first Premier start and scored three tries.

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Old Boys-University playing in a Wests-themed kit and in the Ian Galloway cage on Saturday got us doing a deep-dive.

• Their last Premier match was an 88-5 loss to Norths in a 2013 Hardham Cup semi-final. The only player from their starting side that day still playing Premier rugby is halfback Matt Goosen, now playing midfield for Pare-Plim after stops with Wellington and OBU.
• On the opposing side that day? His current Pare-Plim teammate James Coburn, current coaches Aiden Cains (HOBM) and Tomasi Palu (OBU), and Lions and Moana Pasifika pivot Jackson Garden-Bachop.
• The only active Wellington referees who controlled Wests matched at Premier-level? Mike Fraser and Gordon Noble-Campbell who are both very-much part-timers these days. Though that number doubles if you count Hamish Mexted (presently on a year’s break) and current WRRA President David Walsh
• There’s one other person still active in Premier rugby. Ben van Berkel played hooker during that season for the Roosters and 12 years on has over 60 matches under his belt as a Premier-grade referee

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Speaking of Mike Fraser, how handy is it for the WRRA to have someone of his experience available. Fraser stepped in at short-notice to referee the Harper Lock Shield clash between MSP and Norths on Saturday when the original referee pulled up lame on Friday.

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Who said size matters when playing for club interclub trophies? The Ted Connolly Cup is one of those small, innocuous trophies you could lift with a couple of fingers, but there is a lot on it in more ways than one. The match between  the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone brings with it plenty of passion and fervour, although there is little room on the trophy itself for fresh inscriptions so that upgrade might be required soon!

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Four tries to Tawa right wing Rewiti Leat on Saturday against Avalon, his first four-try haul in 30 Premier matches for Tawa.

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Six rounds into the Hawke’s Bay first round Nash Cup competition, and Taradale and Napier Old Boys Marist are both unbeaten on maximum points and set for a showdown for the silverware. On Saturday, NOBM defeated Napier Tech 38-25, while Taradale enjoyed a training run with live opposition in beating M.AC. 108-19. For Taradale, Trinity Spooner-Neera scored 4 tries and kicked 13 conversions for 46 points – not far short of HOBM’s Brandyn Laursen’s Wellington record of 52 against Rimutaka in 2013.

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Wellington Premiership champions St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, rebounded strongly from defeats to Feilding High School (24-38) and Marlborough Boys’ College (7-17) to trounce St Bede’s College 55-24 in the annual traditional fixture. Kingston Hill (2), Axel Daken, Abe Smith, Shae Taitua, Will Davis, Jahvaan Hunt, Corus Taylor-Lefao, and Teddy Cooling scored the hosts’ nine tries, with Davis adding four conversions and Fletcher Cooper a solitary success. Silverstream enjoys a 31-13 advantage in the rivalry, which started in 1931.

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From 2019 to 2023, Ngane Punivai managed only 740 minutes of play for the Highlanders and Crusaders. In 2025, he has already amassed 534 minutes. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a player who last year was struggling to make the Petone side.

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Some refreshing honesty from Tawa fullback Jacob Denyer reflecting on the Hurricanes Super Rugby Under-20s campaign in which they finished fourth out of eight teams and were embarrassed 57-22 in a warm-up fixture by eventual winners the Crusaders. “They were two levels above everyone else. Like their men’s side, they all have a brain, and when they get that fluency, they’re hard to stop. We didn’t have the resilience to stop it.”

A player profile with Deyner featured on Club Rugby last Wednesday, the same day he played a full game for the Hurricanes Hunters against the New Zealand Under-20s. The New Zealand Under-20s and the Hurricanes Hunters had an hour hit out on Wednesday at NZCIS.

The Hunters won the game that was contested over two half an hour periods 34-33. New Zealand led 26-10 at halftime with Otago halfback Dylan Pledger a standout scoring a try and making a couple of searing breaks. The lineout functioned strongly and scored a rolling maul try. The game was played with unlimited substitutions and with a wholesale swap in personnel the Hunters stormed home. Kade Banks and Tjay Clarke scored long range tries. Ories flankers Dominic Ropeti and Sione Halalilo were full of bustle.

The New Zealand Under-20s have departed to South Africa for the Tri Nations that starts on South Africa on Friday. The World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy runs from 29 June to 19 July.

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New Zealand U85kg Blacks tour of Sri Lanka:

MATCH DETAILS
Match One
3:45pm Sunday 4 May (Sri Lanka) | 10:15pm Sunday 4 May (NZST)
Nittawela Rugby Stadium, Kandy Sports Club

Match Two
7:00pm Saturday 10 May (Sri Lanka) | 1:30am Sunday 11 May (NZST)
Racecourse Stadium, Colombo

Games will be available live on Sky Sport and NZR+.

Wellington’s player bios from NZRU: 

Pasia Asiata Pasia Asiata is a loose forward out of the Poneke club in Wellington. Playing premier and Under85kg rugby, he moved to New Zealand from Samoa in 2019. A versatile player, Asiata is equallycomfortable on theside of the scrum as he is on the wing.

Adam Preston Tawa’s Adam Preston is a utility back with both Under 85kg and premier rugby experience. Hehas previously represented Wellington at age-group level and, in 2018, played for the Wellington Centurions. His younger brother, Kyle, scored three tries on debut for the Crusaders earlier this year.

Matt Treeby A familiar face in the Wellington club rugby scene, Matt Treeby has more than 200 caps for his Tawa team and had been part of two Jubilee Cup-winning sides. With plenty of Wellington represeantive rugby to his name, the firefighter has been playing Under U85kg rugby for the past two years.

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England’s women beat France 43-42 to stretch their winning run in the Women’s Six Nations tournament to 34 games and 25 in all competitions. However, France scored more points against England (42) than the Red Roses had conceded in their four other Six Nations games collectively (29) this year. England used 35 players in the Six Nations and have won 55 of their last 56 internationals. The most points England have conceded in any test was 67 by the Black Ferns in 1997.

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The Wellington Women’s club rugby competition sees a clear top 4-bottom 4 scenario after a month, as the women’s game in the region continues its re-building phase.

In the top bracket, defending champions Petone will be pushed hard by Northern United, Oriental-Rongotai and 2023 winners Marist St Pat’s – some big games await. This coming Saturday, Marist St Pat’s play Petone at Evans Bay Park and Norths host Ories at Porirua Park.

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The Hurricanes enjoyed a good win over the Brumbies on Saturday night for the inaugural Captain Shout Cup.

Why the dark kit though? Why don’t the Hurricanes wear yellow when there is no clash?

They return home this weekend to host the Chiefs at Wellington on Saturday night at 7.05pm.

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Congratulations to MSP Premier Centurion and former MSP Women’s coach Ryan Setefano on his appointment as BoP Volcanix coach for the upcoming Women’s NPC competition.

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This Monday morning review, round-up and tidbits column is a collaborative effort. If you have news and information please get in touch.