Robson and Pōneke pressing hard for strong season

Caleb Robson on the burst for Pōneke against Avalon in their recent second round match at Kilbirnie Park. Photo: Hugh Pretorius. 

• By Steven White

Pōneke midfielder Caleb Robson says that close ties off the field are translating to good form on it for himself and teammates as the Swindale Shield unfolds this year.

“It is like being with your best mates at training.”

“Everyone is super-excited to be at training and playing together on match-days, and pushing each other and helping everyone to improve, it is really good.”

Pōneke have made an encouraging to start to 2025 with three solid wins over Marist St Pat’s (25-10), Avalon (69-0) and the Wellington Axemen (48-16) and a close loss to Tawa (18-24) at Lyndhurst Park  in one of the toughest places to play in Wellington club rugby.

This Saturday Pōneke are back at home in another testing match, hosting Johnsonville for the Galu Taufale Shield.  If they can swoop down on the Hawks and win this one they can probably start thinking about the Jubilee Cup later in the winter.

Now in his sixth season in Premier rugby, Robson has started at second-five in 27 of his past 28 matches, including in all four games this year.

A busy player and a physical presence in the midfield, he thrives in helping those around him shine – and there are no shortage of exciting players on his shoulder.

“Carlos Hihi [first-five] is bringing the heat this year, Isaac Moe Jenkins just moved to centre from the wing this year and has the perfect build for a centre – tall and big. Nick Roberston at the back brings speed and bravery.”

With a try against the Axemen this past Saturday, Robertson has scored 88 Premier tries in  123 games so a milestone might be coming up for him soon if Robson and company can continue to feed that speed.

“Again, these guys are some of my best mates, so it helps when you have got them around you to work with off the field and on the field.”

The team is honouring Pakai Turia in every match with their Premier jersey this year inscribed with ‘PT113’, his initials and the number of starting caps he made for the red and blacks.

Turia passed away in January.  More here: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2025/01/27/pakai-turia-rip-extremely-gifted-and-consistently-exciting/

Robson and Galu Taufale congratulate Pakai Turia on scoring a try against MSP in 2022. Photo: Andy McArthur.

Robson scored a key second half try in Pōneke’s 42-22 win against this week’s opposition, Johnsonville, last year at Helston Park, and he has won four of five games he has played against the Hawks.

Scoring his try against Johnsonville last year. Photo: Steven White. 

“They are a tough side and not to be taken lightly. They have some dangerous backs to contain, with the likes of Aukuso Tuitama and Olly Paotonu in the midfield and Jacob Walmsley out wide.”

That round 11 win over the Hawks last year was Robson’s last in Wellington last club season as he packed his bags and headed to Sydney to join the Two Blues side in the Shute Shield for the back end of their season.

“It was a good opportunity, and I played several games for them in a hard competition with no weak teams and a fast style of play.”

He returned to the Two Blues at the start of this year and played pre-season and sevens for them, but with his partner expecting their second child he came back and realised it was going to be too hard to return this year so Pōneke threw their doors open for his return.

He has two children, Alakai (two years) and Kaubi (two months). He works as an apprentice builder during the week, so between family, work and rugby he has a lot on his plate.

Robson is also proudly affiliated with his iwi Ngati Raukawa based in Otaki, through his mother’s side. The late Sam Doyle was his second cousin.

He came home from Sydney last year to play his second season for the Wellington Māori side in spring representative rugby. He has previously been involved in the Wellington U19s and has briefly for the Centurions (when there was also a Wellington B team) a few years ago.

Robson playing for the Wellington Māori side last year. Photo: Steven White.

Caleb’s father is current All Blacks Communications Manager Toby Robson, so who is also well know for playing a long career in the 1990s and early 2000s for the Wests Roosters as predominantly a fullback and as a Jubilee Cup in 1998.

Raised in Wellington’s southern suburbs, Caleb became a Pōneke junior aged four but has fond memories of watching dad Toby play.

“I used to go to all his games, I remember sitting in the changing room with all the Wests boys, including Soti Fa’amausili and Galu Tafale before they went to Pōneke. Then getting to play with Galu was a cool experience, because he played with my dad.”

It was that Wests connection that helped him get a trip to the US two years ago to New Orleans to join the Nola Gold Academy.

“Former Wests player and Nola Gold head coach Kane Thompson invited me over at the end of the 2023 Wellington season to train and play for two-three months.”

All this recent experience in different environments in the US and Australia is coming together to aid Robson’s game, and at the end of this season he will be knocking on the door of 100 Premier caps (including off the bench).

Second-five is his usual position now, but he has also started matches for Pōneke variously at first-five, centre, wing and fullback.

His starting debut match was at first-five in 2019.” I wasn’t supposed to be playing that match against Ories, but Ben Huntley [over 200 games for Pōneke] pulled out late so Pakai went to fullback, and I slotted in at first-five.”

“It was quite tough for me the first couple of seasons, playing at 10 and elsewhere. But dad told me at the time it was a great opportunity to learn that different position so when you move to 12 you can apply what you have learned at 10 into 12, which was really helpful in hindsight.”

Robson scores from close range after some phase play close to the line against Tawa in 2023. 

That was his first year out of school. His last year at Wellington College was 2018, under the captaincy of close friend and openside flanker Ridge Studd. Ish Perkins, who plays for Johnsonville, was first-five. Thomas Murray was another great friend, who sadly passed away in 2023.

Robson is open to heading overseas again in the future, but for now he is focused on playing well and helping Pōneke prosper, honouring those close to him who are no longer with us, and helping his friends get the best out of themselves in rugby and in life.

Pōneke host Johnsonville for the Galu Taufale Shield at Kilbirnie Park in the fifth round of the Swindale Shield at Kilbirnie Park on Saturday at 2.45pm.

Below, the Huddy Hui caught up with centre Isaac Moe Jenkins this week. Watch below.