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- By Scott MacLean
It’s the penultimate weekend of competitive club rugby in Wellington coming up, with semi-finals across the Premier, Premier 2, Colts and Division 1 U85kg grades. Everything to play for all these teams, with the winners progressing to the finals and the vanquished heading back home until next year.
It’s also Finals Day in Wairarapa-Bush and semi-finals in Horowhenua-Kapiti, while college rugby continues in full across the region.
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Tipping Competition: Enter your tips by Saturday 2. 30pm at: https://www.faceyoursfears.com/games/WGTN2025/join This competition rolls on for the next two weeks, with a major winner then declared. The competition is close and looks set to go down to the wire next weekend.
Radio Commentary. This Saturday, the E Tū Whānau Footy Show comes from the Hutt Rec in the fixture between Hutt Old Boys Marist and Paremata-Plimmerton. 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 still remains offline for 2025)
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:
Jubilee and Hardham Cup Cups semi-finals: Just the teamlists
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Premier Jubilee Cup
Tawa (2) vs Johnsonville (8)
Our first stop is leafy Lyndhurst for the clash between two teams that have hit form at the right time of the season. Having beaten Pare-Plim in successive weeks in almost identical fashion, Tawa were able to put their feet up and see who would be coming to them this week. Most pundits would have predicted that to be Ories, but instead it was Johnsonville who produced the upset result to earn their place here. The pair met just over a month ago up at Helston, where Tawa won a belter 43-36.
Little surprise there’s few changes to both sides. Saimoni Roraqio starts at lock for Tawa in place of Tito Loane while Mona Uelese moves out to first-five with Cullen Dexter at halfback; James So’oialo drops to the bench. Johnsonville make just one change across their 22 with Raja Sami taking the bench hooker role from Charlie Barton; otherwise, they’re putting the faith the same players to get the job done once again.
Loading ...Hutt Old Boys Marist (4) vs Paremata-Plimmerton (3)
Across the hills HOBM have likewise been able to put their feet up after their week one win over Ories and see who they would face. For 85 minutes last week it appeared that would be their McBain rivals Petone, until Pare-Plim’s Mika Cooper-Finau crashed through from close range to put the Hammerheads through instead. Unlike most grounds the Hutt Rec is still in ideal condition and that should bode well for an entertaining clash, and having won here 42-17 earlier in the year the visitors will fancy their chances, but HOBM were poor that day and will be a different proposition tomorrow.
The Eagles make just one change to that lineup that won at Polo a fortnight ago, opting for the size of Lise Soloa on the blindside over Freddie Sunia, which is perhaps an indication of how they’ll approach this match. Their only other one is on the bench with Junior Paulo coming in for Francis Tanuvasa. Pare-Plim go with the same XV that started that started against Petone, with the addition of Leni Apisai and a returning Alex Fidow to their bench.
Matt Perry and Charlie Harris are the two referees. Perry backs up from Wednesday’s Silverstream vs Town match to take charge at Lyndhurst, with Harris holding the whistle at the Hutt Rec.
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Premier Hardham Cup
Upper Hutt (5) vs Marist St Pats (10)
MSP make the long trip out to Maidstone Park to face Upper Hutt, with each side coming off contrasting wins last week. The Rams made no race of their contest with strugglers Avalon, while MSP had to work hard to edge out a stubborn Norths outfit. Its probably fair to say that both sides had loftier ambitions than to be here, but there’s still silverware on offer if they make it through to next week and they’ll be keen to be there. Upper Hutt won their earlier meeting 36-27, albeit all the way back in the second week of the season.
The Rams have a single change in personnel for their starting side with Gelu Lafaele coming back in and Jack Wright dropping to the bench in the reshuffle. On the pine Josh Hunt and Liam Slight come in for Pene To’o and Tynan Barrett. MSP elevate Corban King to start up front, with their only other changes coming in the backs with Dallas Natoli given the keys first-five and Boaz Ikahihifo coming onto the wing. Tui Tuiatua, Luke Donaldson, and Daniel Rogers all drop to the bench.
Loading ...Poneke (7) vs Old Boys-University (9)
Only one game south of Ngauranga tomorrow, and that is at Kilbirnie Park where Poneke and OBU renew acquaintances having met only a few weeks ago and where Poneke’s 26-25 win finally consigned the defending Jubilee champs to the Hardham Cup, though the home side have since joined them there. It will be seen how close tomorrow’s reply encounter is.
The hosts make just three changes to the side that beat Wellington last week; national U85s rep Pasia Asiata returns to the side of the scrum while Hamish Huggins – who started the year at OBU but moved for game time – is installed at prop. The sole backline change has Nick Robertson returning at fullback. OBU make a pair of enforced changes from last Saturday’s win over Wainuiomata with Jake Lawson starting at halfback in place of Mitch McLeod and Isaac Wong for Elijah Maene-Lokeni with Josh Morgan-Ranui pushing into centre. Plenty of firepower on the bench for the Goats with regular skipper Louis Calvert, Harry Irving, Ollie Church, and Lions and Crusaders halfback Kyle Preston all there.
Two of the newer Premier referees in charge of these matches, although both Ethan Jefferson and James Taylor were only appointed to the WRRA’s top panel this year, each refereed a final last season. Jefferson is at Maidstone, with Taylor at Kilbirnie.
All four matches are 2.45pm kickoffs, with extra-time of 10 minutes each way if required.
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Premier 2 Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Memorial Cups
As with Tawa and HOBM above, Petone and Poneke return to action after their weeks off to host their Ed Chaney Cup semi-finals. Harper Lock Shield winners Petone (1) welcome McBain rivals HOBM (6) south to the Petone Rec, while Poneke (2) are at home on Kilbirnie against the giant-killing Upper Hutt Rams (8) who will have little fear of a trip into the city.
In the HD Morgan Memorial section Tawa (5) pay host to northern neighbours Norths (11), while the third side from that part of the province, Pare-Plim (9) head into the eastern suburbs to face trophy holders Ories (7) at Polo.
Promising referees Craig McWilliams and Mathew Barnett have the whistles at the Hutt Rec and Kilbirnie respectively, with Matthew Fawkes in charge at Lyndhurst and Quintin Renner at the Polo Ground.
That match at Polo is a 12 noon start, with the others at 12.30pm.
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Colts John E Kelly and Vic Calcinai Memorial Cups
Crunch time for the remaining sides in the Championship John E Kelly Cup with their semi-finals tomorrow. Paris Memorial winners the Upper Hutt Rams (1) host valley rivals Petone (5) at Maidstone in one contest, while down the road defending champions HOBM (2) renew acquaintances with Tawa (3) at the Hutt Rec.
The Division 2 Vic Calcinai Cup semifinals are where you’ll find the other four sides that finished the season. MSP (7) take on Norths (10) at Kilbirnie Park, with OBU (8) facing Pare-Plim (9) in the Ian Galloway cage.
Seasoned duo Scott MacLean and Simon Mallon have the matches at Maidstone and the Hutt Rec respectively, with Malcolm Gibbs and Finn Mallon taking charge of the Division 2 matches.
All four matches are 12.30pm kickoffs.
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Content to resume below after some words from Wellington community and club rugby’s sponsors and supporters:
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Under 85s Paul Potiki Memorial and Tony O’Brien Shields
The fourth grade in semifinals action are the lightweights, but only in the Division 1 Paul Potiki Memorial Shield. Defending champions Tawa (1) take on 2023 winners the OBU Scallywags (4) in one match at Redwood Park, while a short distance away down the road Johnsonville (2) welcome Wellington (3) to Helston Park.
In the Division 2 Tony O’Brien Shield the four sides play one final round-robin fixture before a straight final next week. Paremata-Plimmerton (19) have already booked their place in that but face one final assignment out at HW Shortt against Eastbourne (16). The Gulls currently hold that second finals spot, but with HOBM (13) scheduled to host MSP (1), they’ll likely need a result against the Hammerheads to meet them again next week.
These all revert to 2.45pm kickoffs for tomorrow.
College
A quick return to action for both Silverstream and Town in the penultimate round of the Premiership following Wednesday’s Traditional clash. Leaders Silverstream (34) are back home to face a battered Scots (11) side, while Town (26) at on Evans Bay to meet southern suburbs rivals Rongotai (9). The third match in the province has Wellington College (30) against Tawa (7) at Nairnville Park; all three matches are at 2.30pm. The day starts off however with a pair of matches at 12 noon in the Wairarapa as Wairarapa College (14) host Hutt International (21) with the Trentham school chasing Rathkeale for that fourth playoff spot. Rathkeale (23) in turn welcome bottom-side St Bernard’s (5) out to Opaki.
Premier 2 is at the same point of the season though their standings remain muddled because of the three unplayed games from a couple of weeks back. What isn’t though is that tomorrow has the clash of the unbeatens with Hutt Valley High (35*) welcoming the Silverstream 2nds (30) to Woburn Road. The Wellington College 2nds (30*) remain in the hunt despite their loss to HVHS, and head north to take on Kapiti (8) in Raumati. The race for the fourth playoff place is currently headed by Porirua College (16*) and they’re across town against Mana (5), while nearby the Silverstream 3rds (13) visit Bishop Viard (9*), and Paraparaumu (12) head deep into the city to take on the Town 2nds (6).
(* denotes sides who have played seven matches. Others have played six)
Elsewhere
Only our immediate neighbours are in action tomorrow. Horowhenua-Kapiti’s Ramsbotham Cup see’s top qualifiers Foxton host Waikanae and Rahui at home against Paraparaumu. The senior reserve Bill Muir Cup ees Rahui hosting Levin College Old Boys, with Foxton at home against Levin Athletic.
Across the Tararuas its finals day in Wairarapa-Bush with three finals at Memorial Park. The main game of the day has Carterton looking to make it four titles on the trot as they face Greytown – who beat Carterton in 2021 – in the Moose Kapene Cup decider. Carterton are expected to have several players featuring in their fifth successive final; forwards Tupoa Lea’aemanu, Terongo Tekii and Zach Wakefield, halfback Daryl Pickering, utility back Filau Tameilau, and perhaps the ultimate utility player in the distinctively dreadlocked Inia Katia who has played each of those previous four finals in a different position – fullback, wing, openside, and second-five off the bench – and was a winner a decade ago with Gladstone as well. There’s a strong Upper Hutt Rams flavour in the Carterton side with first-five Hayden Schrijvers, centre Soli Malatai – who was on the losing Marist side in last year’s final – and prop Lewis Bush. Alistair Payne has the whistle for his 11th Wairarapa championship decider.
The Senior Reserve championship Ryan Cup will be played out between Greytown and southerners Tuhirangi, with their subsidiary Presidents Cup seeing a rematch between Pioneer and East Coast after the two met last week. The Premier subsidiary Hodder-Steffert Cup match is not going ahead with the trophy having been awarded to Marist, after both Pioneer and Eketahuna each played unregistered and ineligible players in last week’s semi-final.
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The All Blacks are also playing on Saturday night, the third test against France.
