Hutt Old Boys Marist and Tawa to meet in Jubilee Cup final after epic semi-final finishes

• By Steven White, Adam Julian & Scott MacLean

Sunday updates – more in our column published here on Monday morning. Finals Day draw on Saturday 1

Premier

• Jubilee Cup Final. Tawa v Hutt Old Boys Marist, Kilbirnie Park 1, 2.30pm
• Hardham Cup Final. Upper Hutt Rams v Pōneke, Kilbirnie Park 1, 12.00pm

Colts

• Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Memorial Cup Final: Upper Hutt Rams Colts, v Tawa Colts, Kilbirnie Park 2, 1.50pm
• Colts Division 2 Vic Calcinai Trophy Final: Paremata-Plimmerton Colts v Norths Colts, Kilbirnie Park 2, 11.20am

Premier 2

• Premier 2 Division 1 Ed Chaney Cup Final, Petone v Pōneke, Evans Bay Park 1, 2.10pm
• Premier 2 Division 2 HD Morgan Memorial Cup Final, Tawa v Paremata-Plimmerton, Evans Bay Park, 11.40am.

U85kg

• U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield Final. Tawa Ducks v Johnsonville Terrahawks, Kilbirnie Park 3, 1.30pm
• U85kg Division 2 Tony O’Brien Shield Final. Eastbourne v Paremata-Plimmerton, Kilbirnie Park 3, 11.00am.

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The Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles and Tawa will contest next week’s 2025 Wellington Premier club Jubilee Cup final after winning epic semi-finals this afternoon.

One semi-final was decided in the 82^nd minute, while the other was sent to extra time with a try and conversion with the last play of regulation time.

The Eagles beat Paremata-Plimmerton 45-42 in a high scoring thriller, scoring the winning try at the end to send them through to the final.

Tawa beat Johnsonville 27-24 in extra time, with  a 95^th minute winning dropped goal to replacement first-five James So’oialo after visitors Johnsonville had scored after 80 minutes to make it 17-17 and send the game to 10 minutes each way extra time.

Next week’s Premier Hardham Cup final will be between Pōneke and the Upper Hutt Rams, both winning hard-fought semi-finals at home this afternoon to qualify.

At Kilbirnie Park, scene of next Saturday’s finals, Pōneke defeated Old Boys University 26-15, while at Maidstone Park, the Rams edged Marist St Pat’s 27-25,

The Jubilee Cup is a forum where the ordinary become extraordinary; blue-collar battlers, white-collar servants, young upstarts, evergreen veterans, and unique characters of varying backgrounds, representing multiple races, sizes, and religions, come together to create an intoxicating fusion of competitive, courageous, and cunning community rugby.

A deluxe showcase of these elements unfolded at Lyndhurst Park this afternoon as Tawa edged Johnsonville 27-24 in an extra-time epic for the ages, securing their fifth final appearance since 2013.

The decisive moment came from former Samoan international James So’oialo deep into the second period of extra time. A deflected lineout bounced perfectly for Tawa, allowing the hosts to advance rapidly by 15 meters. With quick ball movement, powerful winger Rewti Katene-Leat surged close to the try line.

With a penalty advantage, So’oialo created space for a drop kick, skillfully collecting a half-volley pass before sending the ball soaring through the posts with his right foot.

James So’oialo with the winning dropped goal.

As was the pattern throughout the match, Johnsonville rallied fiercely, twisting, ploughing, wriggling, and sprinting towards the Tawa try line, but they were met by resolute resistance from the Tawa defence, leaving the Hawks a mere breath away from their first final in 125 years.

Earlier, Johnsonville started with ominous intent as tighthead prop Mike Faimalo matched Tawa in their formidable close-quarter game, bulldozing over for a try within the opening ten minutes.

Tawa then seized the initiative, with rangy Wellington Lions blindside Patolu Petaia scoring two converted tries, allowing the hosts to lead 14-5 at halftime. Although it’s difficult to single out a Most Valuable Player (MVP) in such a thrilling contest, Petaia stood out for his dynamic performance, both offensively and defensively.

A penalty from Solomona Uelese extended Tawa’s lead to 17-5 before the Hawks’ second wind arrived. Crafty second-five Olly Paotonu crossed out wide to bring the score to 17-10, and regulation time ended with a pile-up over the try line, which prompted referee Matt Perry to raise his arm in signal of a try.

Johnsonville with the try on regulation fulltime to make it 17-17 and send the game into extra time.

Johnsonville struck first in extra time with hooker Raja Sami clattering through traffic, but Tawa quickly answered with a try from their mountainous No. 8, George Risale. Tawa have won their last seven matches and are 6-1 in tussles decided by less than a converted try in 2025.

Between 2007 and 2021, Johnsonville won 10 out of 120 Hardham Cup matches. They have since won 30 games across all competitions and reached two Jubilee Cup semi-finals in the past three years. Supercharged by local legends like Anthony Pettett, Serge Hollis, and Jacob Walmsley, and despite being relatively undersized, the Hawks have propelled themselves into a new echelon of competitiveness.

In short, it was a truly special day of code!

It was an equally helter-skelter Jubilee Cup semi-final at the Hutt Rec, with the final score of 45-42 to home side HOBM over Paremata-Plimmerton indicative of a wild match with several lead and momentum shifts.

The start of the game was particularly energised, with both sides scoring tries, including a penalty try to Pare-Plim, to see Pare-Plim up 13-12 inside 15 minutes.

Pare-Plim first-five Dale Sabbagh kicked his third penalty to push his side ahead 16-12, before HOBM’s big forwards stirred and scored following a scrum win to make it 19-16.

The visitors’ reply was to score twice more before halftime, including a runaway try to left wing Louis Northcott, to take a 30-19 lead into halftime.

Pare-Plim then scored again after the break to move ahead 37-19. The Eagles’ reply to that was an intercept and runaway try to left wing Phelan Rona to close the gap to 23-26. The other wing, Kapu Broughton-Winterburn then scored his second try of the match to cut the deficit to 37-31 as the conversion hit the uprights.

Inside the remaining 10 minutes, Pare-Plim were in again to make it 42-31, then the Eagles scored to make it 38-31.

With the final attacking play of the game and now into referee’s time, the Eagles forwards went to work with a lineout in the far corner. Driving for the line, hooker Harry Press went close, but more recycling saw replacement flanker Fred Sunia on hand to score the winning try to break Pare-Plimm’s hearts and propel the 2007 and 2014 champions through to the Jubilee Cup final next week.

The Upper Hutt Rams booked their place in next weeks Hardham Cup decider, but had to withstand a strong effort from a Marist St Pat’s side that had several flu-ridden players – most notably skipper Jake Wetere – drag themselves out of bed just to take the field.

The Rams started strong, and were over inside 10 minutes when Ieti Campbell strolled over when the host worked the mismatch. But despite that early setback the visitors got into gear and had the better of the balance of the half, with lock Viliami Rarasea and hooker Grecia McNamara-Taele particularly prominent. MSP would eventually cross when winger Boaz Ikahihifo popped up near the posts and powered over, and his fellow winger Francis Mettrick profited from a moment that Scott Svenson would want to forget a couple of minutes later. The visitors completed a solid half of work when Tomasi Connor kicked a penalty to send the sides to the break.

The Rams needed to respond, and did so quickly when Emmanuel Solomona crashed over within three minutes of the restart. They reclaimed the lead when Leon Tuiloma found no one in front of him at a midfield ruck and sprinted 40m to score, but MSP were far from a spent force; working their way downfield and impressive young midfielder Dante Ford-Tuveve cut back across the grain to force his way through a clutch of Rams defenders. The sides traded penalties before one of the old warhorses on the Rams bench, Tolu Fahamokioa, had arms just long enough to get the ball on the line.

That set up a grandstand last 10 minutes, which included MSP losing a man to the bin, but neither side could add to their tallies.

Premier 2

Top guns Petone and Poneke will clash in next week’s Ed Chaney Cup final.

Petone were 37-24 winners over valley rivals HOBM, while Poneke beat the Upper Hutt Rams 46-22.

In the HD Morgan matches there was one upset as Pare-Plim beat Ories 45-43 in a thriller at the Polo Ground, while Norths came close to doing the same at Lyndhurst before Tawa prevailed 29-24.

Tawa won this semi-final with a late surge in the game, coming back from 10-16 down and later 15-19 to win with two later tries to go ahead by 10 points.

They also did so having lost two players to the sin-bin in quick succession midway through the second half, the 13-player side rallying hard.

Tawa had also missed out on at least two clear try-scoring chances, being held up earlier in the second spell and then a break and lunge at the line under the posts late in the first resulting in a penalty for a double movement.

With scores locked at 3-3, Tawa had scored the game’s first try to go ahead 10-3 in the 27^th minute, but Norths hit back with their first try to make it 10-10 at the break. Norths then moved ahead with two penalties and then a third, whilst Tawa stayed in touch with their second try.

Colts

The Upper Hutt Rams will play Tawa in next week’s Colts Division decider for the John E Kelly Cup.

In today’s semi-finals, the Rams beat Petone 31-25, while Tawa beat defending champions Hutt Old Boys Marist 38-36 in a Hutt Rec thriller.

Top seeds and Paris Memorial winners Upper Hutt will have the chance to do the Colts double next week, but only just after a pulsating semi final against Petone.

It was the visitors who got off to a flyer with hooker Leo Grollemund scoring off the back of a driving maul, followed shortly after by No.8 Peighton Fa’amausili and leading to Rams assistant coach Henry Grey delivering an impassioned rev-up under the posts. That seemed to work and shake the Rams out of their post-bye slumber and their reply came in unusual fashion. A knock-on close to the Petne line gave the visitors a defensive scrum, but the Rams monstered it, won a tighthead, and then drove over for No.8 Jake Hewson-Smith to fall on and score. And when hooker Latu Tupou crossed, the Rams took a 14-12 lead into the break.

Some ill-discipline cost the hosts soon after the resumption, with Adam Jansen Van Vuuren kicking a close range penalty to put the Villagers back in front.

They extended their lead shortly afterwards as having come on as part of a five-man replacement Rassie Erasmus would be proud of, replacement prop Junior Tupou rumbled over to have them out to 22-14.

But just like the first half, the Rams came back with an excellent finish in the northeast corner by winger Tyrone Maraku, though he’d have nightmares soon after with an ill-timed drop with the line open.

The Rams would hit the front inside the last ten after Villagers skipper Archie Schrader – who was otherwise excellent – went to the bin for team infringements under his posts and the Rams kicked the three, followed soon after by centre Shohn Hunt crossing and establishing a nine-point lead. The Rams though would lose hooker Tupou to the bin and would soon concede a penalty that Jansen Van Vuuren would kick to narrow the margin to less than a try. But despite also losing Hunt to a yellow card the Rams would hang on, and book a match with Tawa next week.

In Division 2 Colts, the Vic Calcinai Trophy final will see Paremata-Plimmerton and Northern United meet.

In the Vic Calcinai semi-finals, Paremata-Plimmerton beat past multiple Colts champions Old Boys University Green 36-26 and Norths had a tight 25-22 win over Marist St Pat’s.

U85kg

The Under 85kg championship Paul Potiki Shield will be played out between Tawa and Johnsonville after their semifinals today.

The defending champion Ducks were 43-5 winners over OBU, while there were points aplenty as the Hawks overcame Wellington 49-37.

The Division 2 Tony O’Brien final will see Pare-Plim and Eastbourne meet again. Pare-Plim were already through, but the Gulls’ 29-26 win today ensured they progressed and left HOBMs 55-0 win over MSP in vain.

College

St Pat’s Silverstream will finish as top qualifier in the First XV Premiership, easing past an unlucky Scots College side 97-15 in today’s eighth round home clash.

Wellington College will in all likelihood clinch second place and the other home semi-final, following their 59-5 win over Tawa College this afternoon.

St Pat’s Town held on to third position with a 54-22 win over Rongotai College, ahead of fourth placed Rathkeale College, who had a solid 36-7 win over St Bernard’s College.

In the day’s other result, Hutt International Boys’ School had a good 31-15 away win over the hill over Wairarapa College.

The Premier 2 grade standings remain disjointed owing to byes and catch-ups still to be played, but at the top of the table, the St Pat’s Silverstream second XV defeated the Hutt Valley High School first XV 29-15 today.

In other Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup results today, the Wellington College seconds beat Kapiti College 61-19 and the Paraparaumu College firsts beat the St Pat’s Town seconds 33-19, in two wins for the coast teams.

Mana College beat Porirua College 29-24 in the battle of the Beard Trophy schools and the Silverstream thirds defeated Bishop Viard College 26-19.

Elsewhere

Greytown reclaimed the Wairarapa-Bush championship crown this afternoon at Memorial Park, beating three-time defending champions Carterton 26-21 and taking the Moose Kapene Cup back to their clubrooms for the first time since 2021.

In the two Senior Reserve contests country side Tuhirangi won the championship Ryan Cup 20-17 over Greytown, while East Coast reversed last weeks loss to Pioneer to win 29-26. The Premier subsidiary Hodder-Steffert Cup was awarded to Marist during the week.

The current Big Two of Horowhenua-Kapiti will meet again in next week’s Ramsbotham Cup decider. Defending champions Foxton saw off Waikanae 38-25, while Rahui were 23-18 winners over a plucky Paraparaumu. The Senior Reserve final will be between the same two clubs after a pair of close matches; Foxton edged out Athletic 27-23, with Rahui beating College Old Boys 32-29.