Week 4 of pre-season in Wellington as Manawatu kicks off

Above: The Petone and Paremata-Plimmerton teams go aerial in their match last week. Both clubs have the weekend off ahead of opening day next Saturday. 

It’s the fourth and final weekend of pre-season rugby for Wellington’s Premier and Premier 2 clubs and teams, ahead of next weekend’s Easter Saturday kick-off for the Premier Swindale Shield and Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield competitions.

There are a handful of pre-season fixtures scheduled between Premier clubs, including an inter-provincial match. This is between Tawa and Linwood from Christchurch, with both clubs beaten finalists in their respective competitions last year and following Tawa’s visit south last March.

Oriental-Rongotai will welcome a final hit-out after being cancelled by Kia Toa last Saturday, and they host Old Boys-University at Rongotai College.

The Upper Hutt Rams host Marist St Pat’s at Maidstone Park in another match.

Paremata-Plimmerton were down to host Whanganui club Kaierau but this was cancelled.

The Wainuiomata Premier 2s play Masterton Pioneer at William Jones Park in their annual fixture. Other grades in Wellington kick-off the following weekend and there are accordingly several pre-season fixtures amongst each other.

The Wellington College Second and First XVs play their Feilding High School counterparts at Rugby League Park. at 10.00am and 11.30am respectively.

The opening round of the Manawatu Hankins Shield and the second round of the Horowhenua-Kapiti Ramsbotham Cup is tomorrow, while Wairarapa-Bush start next weekend.

The Hurricanes Hunters Development team are also in action, playing their Blues counterparts at the stadium at 2.00pm. This is a curtain-raiser to the Hurricanes-Reds Super Rugby fixture at 4.35pm.

Games this weekend (all matches listed below subject to change):

Wellington Premier teams:

• Tawa v Linwood, Lyndhurst Park, 1.00pm
• Tawa v Johnsonville, Lyndhurst Park, 2.45pm  CANCELLED
• Oriental-Rongotai v Old Boys University, Rongotai College, 2.45pm
• Upper Hutt Rams v Marist St Pat’s, Maidstone Park, 12.00pm (Colts, Prem 2s then Premiers from that time in an 8 x 20 minute fixture)

Wellington non-Premier teams:

• Poneke Women v Taihape Women, Evans Bay Park, 11.15am
• Poneke U85kgs v Old Boys University U85kgs, 1.00pm
• Old Boys University Colts v Poneke Colts, Ian Galloway Park, 12.00pm
• Poneke Ruffnuts v Wellington Axemen Premier Reserves, Ian Galloway Park, 2.00pm
• Paremata-Plimmerton U85kgs v Wellington U85kgs, Ngati Toa 2, 11.ooam
• Oriental-Rongotai Premier 2 v Old Boys University Premier 2, Rongotai College, 1.00pm
• Wainuiomata Premier 2 v Pioneer Masterton, William Jones Park, 2.00pm

Wellington school pre-season matches (First XV games):

• Tawa College v Porirua College, Lyndhurst Park, 10.30am
• St Pat’s Silverstream v St Pat’s Town, Maoribank Park, 12.30pm
• Naenae College v Aotea College, Naenae College, 11.ooam
• Rongotai College v St Bernard’s College, Rongotai College, 1.00pm
• Taita College v Newlands College, Taita College, 12.00pm
• Wellington College v Feilding High School, Rugby League Park, 11.30am

Horowhenua-Kapiti Premier Round 2:

• Paraparaumu v Rahui, Paraparaumu Domain, 2.45pm
• Waikanae v Foxton, Waikanae Park, 2.45pm
• Levin Wanderers v Levin College Old Boys, Levin Domain, 2.45pm.

Manawatu Senior A Hankins Shield Round 1:

• Varsity v Kia Toa, Massey 4, 2.45pm
• College Old Boys v Freyberg, CET 3, 2.45pm
• Linton Lions v Feilding Yellows, Linton 1, 2.45pm
• Te Kawau v Old Boys Marist, Rongotea, 2.45pm
• Feilding Old Boys Oroua – Bye