Plenty on the rugby plate in round eight matches

Above: big afternoons for the Norths and OBU Premier teams tomorrow to stay in the hunt with the mid-table teams. OBU plays Petone away and Norths host the Upper Hutt Rams. 

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

Fine weather is set to continue for the eighth round of the Premier Swindale Shield and Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield tomorrow, with the fortunes of several teams on the line. It is also the opening weekend of the second round of women’s matches and the first full weekend of competition matches in college rugby.

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Round 8 teamlists: At this story link here: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2025/05/23/round-8-swindale-shield-just-the-teamlists/

Tipping Competition: Enter your tips by Saturday 2.30pm at: https://www.faceyoursfears.com/games/WGTN2025/join

Podcast: Find the @tackld club rugby preview podcast at Spotify – week off this week, podcast returns next week.

Radio Commentary. This Saturday, the E Tū Whānau Footy Show comes from Ngati Toa Domain in the fixture between Paremata-Plimmerton and Oriental-Rongotai. On air at 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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Draws & Results website. These pages and all historical information 2005-24 at at https://clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=71&season=22&Submit=Go  (Access to our administration pages remains offline)

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 article link here: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2025/05/16/wellington-club-rugby-round-7-just-the-swindale-shield-teamlists/

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Premier Swindale Shield

First versus third highlights the start of the second half of the Swindale Shield, with leaders Oriental Rongotai leaving their Polo home and heading to the Ngati Toa shark tank to face Paremata-Plimmerton. Irrespective of the result Ories will finish the weekend still on top, but victory will take them one step closer to claiming a trophy they’ve never won. Pare-Plim have a habit of not making things easy for their supporters so far this year, but they’ll take a win over the leaders any way they can and that would get them that much closer to the competition lead.

Pare-Plim are unable to confirm their line-up at time of first publishing but hope to later today. The Magpies bring David Leota Johnson into their pack to add some speed, veteran Declan Hay starts at halfback, and Tom Maiava reverts to his preferred position of fullback.

Sitting in second are Petone, even despite their loss to Ories. They return to the Petone Rec this week where Old Boys-University provide the opposition. Even after finally getting on the board last week – and with the bonus points they’ve accumulated – the Goats don’t have much margin for error if defending their Jubilee crown is to remain a possibility. The Villagers are unlikely to be charitable, not when they’re looking to reclaim the title they won three years ago.

Logan Henry returns at halfback for Petone, with Jarrod Adams adding steel to the midfield. Captain Conner Tuifao moves to the blindside to accommodate Teddi Hern, with Conley Alexander and Ben Kershaw elevated to the starting front row. OBU are still without their NZ Universities quartet, but get a boost with NZ U20s flanker Harry Irving available tomorrow. Tom Henderson is back to run the cutter, with Sam Champion named at fullback.

Across the other side of the Hutt River, Hutt Old Boys Marist’s win over Tawa moved them into a share of fourth. They’ll look to continue their run when they host winless Avalon at the Hutt Rec and likely unbackable favourites for the match, even with an element of squad rotation. The Wolves’ season already looks like another long one, but they’ll undoubtedly show up with the intent to take one of the big names down.

The Eagles tap Nonu Tuia to start at tighthead while Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson returns to halfback to accommodate Flynn Ruscoe in the #10 jersey. Francis Tanuvasa starts in midfield for his 150^th game in place of Kienan Higgins who we understand has returned to the Hawke’s Bay for the balance of the season.  At time of publishing our first edition, the Avalon lineup hadn’t reached us.

The third game in the Hutt is over the Hill Road, with Poneke heading to William Jones to face home side Wainuiomata on their Old Timers’ Day. The visitors will be buoyed by their hard-fought win over the Rams to put themselves back on track, but face a home side that will have been left frustrated in the manner of their loss to MSP and will be eager to put that right this time out.

Two pairs of brothers return for the home side tomorrow; Greg and Dion Leolofi return to their usual spots with captain Greg for what we understand is his 199^th outing. The Kotuhi boys are back as well with Keanu at halfback and Renata in midfield replacing Tyler Tane who appeared to suffer a significant  injury at the end of the game last week. Poneke make two changes; Hunter Andrew is on the right wing with Lupe Tafaovale at hooker, with Andrew Jones shifting to openside for Luca Bellucci who was red-carded last week.

The fifth Hutt side are back on the road again, but this time the Upper Hutt Rams traverse the Haywards en route to Porirua Park and a meeting with Northern United. Sitting in seventh, the Rams will be keen to start heading back up the table, but while Norths are currently in 12^th, which seems like their long-term home, there are signs that they’re finally starting to turn the corner. A win here would be proof of that.

Norths swap in Bradley Crichton and Jerome Va’ai up front, but are otherwise almost unchanged from a week ago. The Rams have rehabbing Hurricanes squad member Lucas Cashmore and he’ll line up at first-five outside Dylan Slight and behind an unchanged pack, but of interest is that two erstwhile loose forwards, Pene To’o and Josh Hunt form the midfield combo.

Two sides who had ambitions of being further up the table than they are clash at Lyndhurst, with Tawa welcoming Marist St Pat’s to their Old Timers’ Day. Tawa currently occupies that final place for the Jubilee playoffs, and would much prefer to be closer to the top four spots rather than being close to that cut off. MSP sit on the outside looking in, and after beating Wainuiomata another win would bring them closer to the Jubilee places

Joyner Gaualofa reverts to hooker this week in place of Lotu Nuku with Robb Carr at prop. Their only other change has Hunter Sao on the right wing for Rewiti Leat, while midfielder Faraimo Nofoaiga starts in what we’ve calculated to be his 100^th Premier match across Tawa and Norths. MSP make only a couple of changes too, with Charlie Hankins at hooker in place of Cazna Sale, and Dante Ford-Tuveve in midfield to partner veteran Isaia Petelo.

Lastly, Wellington has another crack at an elusive second win after pushing Pare-Plim close last Saturday. Johnsonville make the journey into town and Hataitai Park, but after running amok over Avalon they’ll know that the Axemen are a different proposition despite where they sit on the ladder.

The Hawks have Luca Aukuso back up front but are again without big man Anthony Pettett, while the flying Jacobs, Kennedy and Walmsley, also return to the back three. Wellington are without Ben Tuiatua, who has a boxing bout tomorrow night so Malachai Feterika steps in amongst several backline changes, with former St Pats Town captain Jordan Chapman back in the team on the openside.

Once again, there’s a host of interclub silverware in play tomorrow:

• Petone and OBU play for their Marc Verhoeven Memorial Trophy. Nicknamed “Alby”, Verhoeven was a Jubilee Cup-winning captain for the Villagers before becoming Harlequins -as OBU were initially known – inaugural Premier captain, and his untimely death in Sydney in 2011 aged just 50 was a shock to the rugby community here. It’s held by Petone after they inflicted one of only two defeats on the Goats in the Swindale last year. Petone will also be defending the Bill Brien Challenge Trophy.
• HOBM and Avalon contest their Billy Herbert Memorial Trophy. A former HOBM Premier prop, Herbert transferred to Avalon for the 2005 season but was cut down by a heart attack on the season’s eve. It’s been held by the Eagles for several years.
• The Hakaraia Trophy is at stake between Wainuiomata and Poneke. Paul Hakaraia overcame a childhood disability to serve with the Maori Battalion, and post-war played for Poneke and then Wainuiomata where he coached, managed, and served right up until his passing in 2000. All five of his sons played for Wainuiomata, with two – Paul Jr and Peter – turning out for Poneke. Paul Jr was lost in a diving accident in 2007, with the trophy played for in memory of both. It’s held by Poneke after their 40-39 win last season.
• Norths and Upper Hutt contest their Terry Farrow Memorial Cup. Farrow was another prominent in the merger that created Norths, with the link to Upper Hutt coming from his father George. Both were Life Members of their respective clubs. Upper Hutt are the holders.
• Wellington and Johnsonville play for their Mick Kenny Memorial Cup. A Hawk before WWII and an Axeman after it, Kenny played a major part in having a wartime services trophy – the Harper Lock Shield – that he had played for and won in the Middle East donated for club competition in Wellington. This is held by Johnsonville.

Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield

A couple of tasty fixtures highlight the round here. Leaders OBU are on the road again, this time to the Petone Rec to take on the home side who sit in fourth and poised to strike. The other is at Lyndhurst where third-placed MSP face Tawa, who might be down in sixth but are showing signs of being that dominant force of old. The other side in the top four are Poneke, and they’ll be looking to profit against eighth-placed Wainuiomata.

In the remaining fixtures HOBM are at home against Avalon, Ories and Pare-Plim clash at Ngati Toa, Upper Hutt visit Norths, and at the bottom of the table Wellington hosts Johnsonville.

Women’s Tia Paasi Memorial and Izzy Ford Cup

The Women’s grade now splits for the short, sharp, sprint for the line to their finals next month. The championship Tia Paasi Memorial division. The winners of the last two seasons – Petone and Marist St Pats – clash in the first game of the day at the Rec, while Oriental Rongotai meets Norths at the Polo Ground.

The Izzy Ford Cup matches have Poneke heading out to William Jones to face Wainuiomata, while Avalon will hopefully be able to front tomorrow as they’re scheduled to host Paremata-Plimmerton at Fraser Park.

Colts Paris Memorial

The round gets underway under lights tonight, as the third-placed Upper Hutt Rams take on Norths under the lights at Maidstone Park. Tomorrow leaders HOBM head into the city to face Ories at Polo, while it’s second against fourth at Redwood with Tawa facing MSP.

The remaining matches have Petone hosting Pare-Plim at the Rec, with strugglers Johnsonville at home at Helston against Poneke. OBU has the bye, with the whole grade having King’s Birthday weekend off as well.

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Under 85kg JC Bowl

The lightweights first-round reaches its penultimate set of matches Saturday tomorrow. A win for the Tawa Ducks at Newlands Park against Wellington will assure that the trophy returns to Lyndhurst, but Johnsonville, who lost to Tawa last week, will be hoping they slip up while they themselves are in Eastbourne to take on the home Gulls. The OBU Scallywags are the away team this weekend at MacAlister Park against winless MSP, while there’s a Valley derby as Avalon and HOBM meet at Fraser Park. Pare-Plim have the bye.

College

For most, the College season gets underway tomorrow though the first match of the Premiership has already been played with Wellington College beating St Pats Town 18-13 on Wednesday. Defending champions Silverstream open their campaign tomorrow at 1pm against Wairarapa College, while Rongotai make the journey the other way for a 12 noon start to be Rathkeale’s first-ever Wellington Premiership opponent in what shapes as an early season marker for both. At 2.30pm Hutt International and St Bernard’s meet at the CIS campus, while a change this week has seen Hutt Valley HS moved to Premier 2 with Tawa stepping up, and the latter will host Scots.

In Premier 2 the Silverstream 3rds and Wellington College 2nds get the competition started when they meet in Upper Hutt at 11.30am. The remaining matches are all at 1pm, with the defending champion Silverstream 2nds away against Mana, Kapiti hosts Paraparaumu in the coast derby, Bishop Viard welcomes neighbours Porirua to the west side of the railway tracks, and HVHS head to Evans Bay to take on the Town 2nds.

Elsewhere

Kia Toa remains the runaway leaders in the Manawatu, and tomorrow can go and check out the rest of the action as they have the bye. Massey might be the only side with a chance to catch them, but first must deal with Freyberg away. Feilding Yellows finally got back in the winner’s column are they are at the army camp to face Linton, with Te Kawau hosting College Old Boys. The final match sees Feilding Old Boys-Oroua host Old Boys Marist in the battle of the bottom of the table.

Rahui lead the way in Horowhenua-Kapiti but have played one more match than their pursuers. They head inland tomorrow to face Shannon, with defending champions Foxton also on a bus, down at the Levin Domain against Wanderers. Further south Waikanae hosts Paraparaumu in the latest instalment of their century-plus rivalry. Levin College Old Boys have the bye.

Including the points carried forward from the first-round, Carterton hold a one-point lead over Greytown after two rounds in the championship part of the Wairarapa-Bush season. Both are at home tomorrow as Carterton hosts Eketahuna while Marist make the trip to Greytown. Martinborough will have little time to get over their mauling by Greytown as they head away to face Masterton Red Star, while on the other side of the river Pioneer plays host to East Coast. A special mention here too for long-serving Wairarapa referee and occasional visitor over the Remutaka’s Alistair Payne, who racks up his 200^th Premier outing in the competition with the Greytown vs Marist match. Congratulations from us here at Club Rugby.

Round 8 Swindale Shield – Just the Teamlists