Aisle be Back: NPC season opens and Wallabies-Lions series closes

Leo the Lion leads the Wellington side out on the field for the start of the final last October. Will there be one mascot to rule them all in 2025? 

• By Kevin McCarthy 

The NPC kicked off last night – and traditionally that’s the cue for laments over its loss of status, pushed to the margins by Super Rugby at one end – and the All Blacks at the other.

Somewhere in the mix is the financial frailty, and the paucity of star power – except when it makes sense to trot out some All Blacks to keep them ticking over ahead of the mid-year international window kicking in.

Let’s not go there, however. As you know, Super Rugby had a bit of moment earlier this year – as in more fans, much closer matches, and more than a whiff of the glory days. Even the underdog got to run the kennel at times.

It may have overshadowed the fact, however, that the national provincial championship did have its own bit of a moment in 2024. Close games, and the rousing run of the Bay of Plenty Steamers to the final, where they (of course) lost to everyone’s favourite second side – Wellington!

Stirring enough indeed to have their run to the final recorded in a new doco called Steam Team: One More Game.  Chasing their second title in 48 years. Note for sensitive watchers, there is some strong language (surprise!).

It’s a great watch, and the cruel reality that for every jubilant team – there’s the flip side of despair. Especially after the final went to extra time.

This is the sort of story that rugby needs to be telling to remind fans of what they may have fallen out of love with.

In a sense you’ve seen it before – it’s damn hard to get to a final, will we get there again.

Now at the starting line, we obviously will be backing the Lions in the title defence. But the Steamers will be well worth following to see if they pull off a return to the finale again.

Having grown up with Wairarapa Bush’s glory days in the early 1980s (what a doco that would have made! Or make !!) I well remember how that knitted together a province that was going through a few serious challenges.

Regardless of the jersey being worn, that’s what the NPC represents to me. That, and seeing the young bucks coming through.

That – and the peppering throughout of the Ranfurly Shield, the secret sauce.

++++++++++

Were the Wallabies stiffed by that late call in the second test.

Yep.

As the All Blacks were in the last test against the Lions when they last toured here.

But it’s not the end of the world, is it. Although I wouldn’t suggest that to the Wallabies.

Kudos to Joe Schmidt, who had them a much better side in game two, than game one, where you feared they would be overpowered 3-zip.

They may still be, but a Lions whitewash isn’t where the series deserves to end up.

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The Wellington Lions open their campaign on Saturday afternoon at Porirua Park against Canterbury.

The team is below:

1. Xavier Numia (Oriental-Rongotai)
2. James O’Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
3. PJ Sheck (Tawa)
4. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
5. Akira Ieremia (Tawa)
6. Caleb Delany (Old Boys University)
7. Peter Lakai (Petone)
8. Brad Shields (Petone)
9. Callum Harkin (Old Boys University)
10. Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
11. TJ Clarke (Petone)
12. Julian Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)
13. Matt Proctor (Oriental-Rongotai)
14. Losi Filipo (Petone)
15. Ruben Love (Wainuiomata)

RESERVES

16. Leon Tuiloma (Upper Hutt Rams)
17. Kenshi Yamamoto (Japan)
18. Vili Tauofaga (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
19. Dominic Ropeti (Oriental-Rongotai)
20. Sione Halalilo (Oriental-Rongotai)
21. Nui Muriwai (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
22. Callum Harkin (Old Boys University)
23. Tom Maiava (Oriental-Rongotai)

An extended story heading into their first game is at the link below:

Wellington Lions gunning for four-peat over Canterbury in NPC opener