Where are they now: The 2015 Old Boys University Jubilee Cup winning team

As part of Old Boys University’s Old Timers’ Day this coming Saturday, the club is holding a 10-year reunion of the 2015 Jubilee Cup winning team.

This was the first of five Wellington club rugby champion teams, the club also winning in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2024.

The club is celebrating the 2015 anniversary at its annual Black Tie dinner on Saturday night from 7.00pm at the Rydges Hotel, Featherston St. For more visit this link HERE 

A look at what the players in this team are doing now – many have hung up their boots and are still basking in glory, some are still playing, many have transferred their rugby success to their businesses and work careers. 

1. Finbarr Kerr-Newell – won Jubilee Cups in 2017, 18 and 20 with the Goats and has played over 100 games for the club. Moved to Auckland and played a couple of seasons for North Shore. Now in Melbourne, working as a Senior Project Manager for a construction company.

2. Stu Simonsen – won 2017 Jubilee Cup with the Goats and played over 100 games for the team. Then moved to Parematta Plimmerton, first as a player, now coaching Paremata-Plimmerton’s Premier 2s side. Stu and his wife own ta franchise of Exceed, fixing windows and doors in the Hutt Valley

3. Jonathan Fuimaono – Won Jubilee cups in 2017, 18 and 2020, leaving in 2021 as OBUs most capped Goat with 185 games. Now living in Otaki, he first played for Rahui, now is coaching. He works as a Business Aset Manager at ANZ.

4. Joe Beech – played for the goats until 2017, when he went over to play in Scotland. Came back and played Wairarapa Bush Heartland side. Back involved at OBU as Premier 2s manager this season. Works as an accountant in Wellington.

5. Agustin Escalona – after winning Jubilee Cups in 2017 and 2018, he moved to Sydney at the end of the 2019 season. He is a 100-game centurion for the Goats. He briefly played for Easts in Sydney before retiring. He works as a mechanical engineer in Sydney.

6. Huey van Vliet – post 2015 Huey moved back home to the Netherlands, where he played 26 times for his country, and won two national championships. Now he is back in Auckland working as a commercial director for Kerry Group, a taste and nutritional ingredients company.

7. Adam Hill – Played Hurricanes and Wellington Lions and left Wellington in 2015. He came out of retirement to play for Arrowtown. He is now the Director of a guided hunting tour company just outside Queenstown called Alps Outfitters.

8. Teariki Ben Nicholas – part of 2017 and 18 Jubilee winning sides. Has played for Tasman Mako, Wellington Lions and The Highlanders. He then went overseas and is currently playing for Kurita Water Gush Akishima, a League One side in Japan.

9. Luke Campbell – after 2015 he moved to Bay of Plenty, where  heplayed NPC. He played for the Hurricanes and has played recent NPC seasons for Manawatu. He is currently in his third season for New Orleans in Major League Rugby in USA.

10. Hamish Buick – After 2015, moved to Perth and played for Kalamunda. Played for Perth Spirit 2017 (Australian NRC). Wee stint in the mines 2018-2020 before moving home back to Otaki was player Coach 2020-2023 at Rahui. Also played for Horo Kapiti in Heartland, now just fills in wherever needed at Rahui. He now works at Designer Concrete in Otaki

11. Te Wehi Wright – Part of the 2017,18 and 20 Jubilee Cup winning sides. Last played for the Goats in 2023. Has played many games for NZ Universities and has played over 100 games for the Goats. Off the field has had a stint as OBU Chairperson, involved with NZ Universities and is the Cultural Advisor for the Hurricanes. He works as Senior Consultant at Te Amokura.

12. James Waddell. Post 2015 James played little rugby. He now lives in Auckland and played a few games of social rugby. He works as a Working Capital Specialist at BNZ

13. Wes Goosen – last played for the Goats in 2021 and played in the 2017 and 2018 Jubilee Cup finals. Had successful career with Wellington Lions and the Hurricanes, before moving to Scotland. He now plays for Edinburgh and was recently named their player of the season.

14. Joe Hill – featured in OBU Premiers every year until 2019, and has played over 100 games for the Goats. Now he owns a business called Out the Gate Farms, that brings quality meat to directly to your doors

15. Sam Chamberlain – after 2015, Sam moved to Nelson and made Tasman Development and Tasman 7s. He now lives in Christchurch, and is assistant coach of Christs’ College 1^st XV, while also selling Real Estate

16. Zeke Sopoaga – after 2015 moved to Invercargill where he played NPC for Southland Stags. He came back to Wellington and won Jubilee Cups with the Goats in 2018 and 2020, before joining his brother at Petone. He moved to Sydney where he played Shute Shield for Southern Districts. He lives in Cronulla and works as a chippie for a building company.

17. Alex Barendregt – was part of the 2017 and 2018 winning Jubilee Cup squads, and last played for OBU in 2019. Played for the Netherlands national side, as well as for the Wellington Lions. Works for Godfreys Chartered Loss Adjusters in Wellington

18. Thomas Fleming – last played for OBU in 2017, and was a OBU Premier centurion. Since then, has done a lot of boxing. He won Golden Gloves at the Northland championships in the Super Heavyweight division in 2019. He works as the Packaging Manager at Sawmill Brewery in Matakana.

19. Morgan Poi – last played for OBU in 2022, and was part of the wider squads that won Jubilee in 2017, 18 and 2020. He played for Wellington Lions and Ngāti Porou East Coast. He played Premier grade rugby for Napier Technical winning a championship there as well. He lives in Tauranga working as Facilities & Safety Lead at Port Nicholson Fisheries.

20. Danny Tusitala – since leaving in 2015, he has packed a lot in his rugby CV. He represented Samoa at both 15s and 7s. He has played NPC for Auckland and Hawke’s Bay and has won a Gallaher Shield with Ponsonby in Auckland. He has played professionally in France and most notably for Old Glory DC in MLR in USA. He has recently set up an online rugby coaching business called Storm Coaching.

21. Tomasi Palu – won Jubilee Cups as a player in 2017, 18 and 20, and last year won one as a coach. He still occasionally plays, and played one game this year off the bench. He has been coaching the Premiers for the last few years and has coached at rep level for teams such as Wellington Under 19 and Centurions. He works for both OBU and Victoria University as OBU Director of Rugby / Victoria University OBU Academy Lead.

22. Logan Vaughan – left OBU in preseason 2016 due to injury. Since 20115 the highlight of his rugby career was representing the Defence Blacks in the international series but mainly supports rugby from the sideline. Now living in Washington, he is a Lieutenant Colonel, as the Military Attachē.