Easter Saturday start for Premier and Premier 2 club rugby in Wellington

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

And so it begins again, the 147^th season of club rugby in the nation’s capital.

It’s a staggered start to the season with only the Premier and Premier 2 underway tomorrow. The remaining club grades – Colts, Women’s, 85s, Reserve, and Presidents – start next week.

Tomorrow’s 100^th season of continuous radio broadcasts opens at Rugby League Park between Old Boys University and Johnsonville. Gordon Noble-Campbell will be joined on the airwaves by WRFU Vice-President Richard Boag. This can be found online at teupoko.co.nz or by tuning into 87.5FM or 1161AM.

Draws & Results – visit https://stats.clubrugby.nz/ for these. Long-time readers will recall we had a disaster this time last year with the ‘old’ website (these stats 2005-24 are back online but can’t be edited). The ‘new’ website has 2025 included and with 2026 set up and ready to go. It is a bit different but every Premier game and every Premier player (assuming the spelling of their name is correct) has their own event and profile page and if you click on a game for the upcoming weekend or one that has been played the teamlists are there. Any feedback appreciated. UPDATE over at the https://stats.clubrugby.nz/ page, is that it appears that on some mobile or smaller devices only one teamlist is displaying (a responsive website display error or code to add in), if so, we are aware of this and working on it! 

Tipping Competition – Visit https://www.faceyoursfears.com/games/WGTN2026/join     join to join this year’s second tipping competition or to sign in and play. It is a basic website and self-explanatory to explain how it works once there. We have added four rounds of your choice out of 17 weeks where you can tick a ‘wildcard’ box so your points double that round. Tipping for each round closes by lunchtime Saturdays. There are prizes at the end, including by Dynasty Sports and others to be confirmed.

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Premier Swindale Shield

IF this week’s draw seems familiar, it’s because it is; the same seven matchups got us underway in 2024. And if you’re looking for the recent-year tradition of the Jubilee Cup rematch in the opening round it’s not here as HOBM host Tawa this season and the Hutt Rec is unavailable owing to its regular maintenance period.

We start the preview out on Miramar peninsula, where Oriental Rongotai start their Swindale defence against the last team to win it for the first time; Paremata-Plimmerton. Ories swept all before them last year enroute to claiming the century-plus old prize, but a handful of key departures might have them slightly vulnerable. Conversely the Hammerheads appear to be an even stronger outfit that they were last year and even in their Swindale season, and nothing less than a win here would seem sufficient.

Paremata-Plimmerton will be handing debuts to former Pōneke fullback and scorers of some 92 Premier tries Nick Robertson and former Norths and NZ U20 No. 8 Jeremiah Avei-Collins, plus Floyd Rose from the bench. Esi Komaisavai starts his new season from the bench, ex-Wellington College wing Sam Meo returns from a season-long injury, and Mika Cooper-Finau gets the #10 jersey.

Moving west, the next stop is Hataitai Park where Wellington host Jubilee Cup winners Hutt Old Boys Marist, and where the Axemen will look for a better start than the 7-81 shellacking they took two years ago. Even with their immediate future as a Premier club secured, Wellington really needs to start turning out wins and dethroning the champs would send a strong message. HOBM, and club supremo Kent Harris, haven’t rested on their laurels and plugged the gaps of their departures with canny recruitment and internal promotion, and surely will be there once again.

Two players will be running out on home soil to play their 100^th match for the Axemen, midfielder Ben Tuiatua and flanker Tom Robertson.

Robertson starts off the bench, with Lions loose forward Cody Lokotui starting at No. 8 and with some star power at centre in former Lions captain and experienced professional player Matt Proctor at centre. Proctor and reserve forward Ami Paongo are the co-captains, with starting hooker To’e Lokeni the vice-captain.

The defending Jubilee Cup champions will bring a well-balanced team to the Graveyard with many players in their 22 that played in last July’s Jubilee Cup final. A strong bench blending youth and experience as well for the Eagles. Two new players from other clubs making their HOBM debuts are blindside flanker Luca Rees and centre Caleb Robson. Halfback Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson again captains the team.

Heading into the Hutt Valley, the first port of call is rather unusually, North Park owing to the Petone Rec not yet being ready, where the home Villagers take on Tawa. Petone must surely be targeting this season to end their title drought, and getting one over the runners-up would be a statement of intent. But that title defeat last July will surely fire the visitors again this season. This has all the makings of a real blockbuster.

Hooker Ryan Imrie runs out to play his 100^th match for Petone in their opener, the former Newlands College rake keen to make a winning start on North Park

Losi Filipo captains Petone’s first team of the year off the right wing, with Highlander Stanley Solomon back in town for the weekend and starting fullback and Wellington Academy first year player William Davis-Lenz making his first appearance on the left wing.

Six debutants in Petone’s team, mostly off the bench, but among them ex-Silverstream prop Heath Tuifao starts at loosehead. His brother Connor is missing from the loose forward lineup, which will be led by dynamic openside flanker Braith Ingram.

There is one finals rematch happening tomorrow, and that’s at the head of the valley when Hardham Cup winners Pōneke make the long trip out to Maidstone Park to face the Upper Hutt Rams who they beat in that final last season. It is a different looking Poneke side though, with several contributors having left Kilbirnie Park though they will be buoyed by beating New Plymouth side Tukapa fortnight ago. The Rams too have seen some departures but have a depth in playing numbers few clubs can match and perhaps will have too much for the visitors here.

Update: The Rams team has come in hot after lunch, with a side that is co-captained by fullback Todd Svenson and the returning Murphy Taramai, back at the Stone after several seasons playing off-shore. There are four debutants in the line-up. Expect props Senio Sanele and new NZ U20s player Alex Hewitt to get stuck in, along with others like loosies Pene To’o and Josh Mallon.

Visitors Pōneke have a number of new faces in their line-up, with their two most experienced players taking the field being captain and centre Isaac Moe Jenkins with 83 starts and impact halfback Jimmy-Lee Hongara with 68. Look out for prop Hamish Huggins to continue his good form from the end of last season, while starting halfback-first five combination Mike Brown and Carlos Hihi could be key to their chances tomorrow.

Over the Hill Road Wainuiomata and Avalon clash at the always-hospitable William Jones Park. Both sides will have different faces in charge this year; for Wainuiomata the Old Firm of Farani and Smith return, while Avalon have last year’s Harper Lock Shield-winning coach Siu Anae in his debut. The hosts have been boosted by the arrival of the Solomona brothers Emmanuel and Elijah and they should be welcome additions. Avalon have been the biggest recruiters of the summer in terms of numbers with many familiar with their new/old coach. If they can put it together at this level, they could be a handful.

Home side Wainuiomata will have five players on Premier debut, whilst right wing Renata Kotuhi runs out to play his 50^th match for the clubs. Fullback Campbell Cowie and lock Teru Time are the co-captains for the afternoon, whilst second-five Emmanuel and openside flanker Elijah Solomona are two brothers making their debuts. Emmanuel comes across from the Upper Hutt Rams and Elijah was last year’s Wellington college player of the year.

Openside flanker and new captain Matt Andrews will lead nine Avalon Wolves debutants out on to the field for the first time. Some of these are not new to Premier rugby, such as his loose forward partner Sam Tonise who is ex-Petone. Three of these new Avalon players will be in the front row and two in the midfield. Plenty of experience on the bench though, with players like Daley Ena, Tui Yandall, Ale Peni, Mark Savelio and Site Timu waiting to come on.

Flipping all the way across town, Johnsonville make the journey into Newtown to take on Old Boys-University at Rugby League Park. The pair represent two of the big unknowns going into the season with each having plenty of turnover making what to expect out of the gate an almost impossible proposition.

Hooker Geordie Bean captains the Goats for the first time this year. Their representative locks Jonny Falloon and Harry Irving are sure to provide plenty of ball for their backs, with halfback Jake Lawson in good form in pre-season and school leaver Hunter Kennedy at fullback.

Visitors Johnsonville field a forward pack led by prop Haamea Ahio, lock Anthony Pettett and flanker Serge Hollis. Some new faces in the backs, such as second-five Connor Fitzsimons and new first-five Kayd Parata from Norths, but experience and danger further out in centre Aukuso Tuitama and the two Jacobs, right wing Kennedy and fullback Walmsley.  Look out for a big game from Johnsonville halfback Thoma Takeuchi who has moved across to the Hawks this year.

Another big unknown is Marist St Pat’s, after another big offseason for the Red Machine’s international recruitment arm. They head out to Porirua Park to take on a Norths side that has plenty of questions themselves heading into the season and are already the wooden spoon favourites in the eyes of some. Do they have a big performance in them to start the season, or will MSP have figured themselves out hit the ground running?

Oris have a number of new, young players in the ranks to start the season. One player to look out for is Sase Va’a, hooker out of Kia Toa and Manawatu in recent seasons and brother of the two backs who have gone elsewhere. Herman Seumanufagai starts at blindside after being mostly a wing last year while Wellington Lions Sione Halalilo is at No. 8. Halfback Isaac Bracewell, second-five Declan Hay and tighthead prop Connor Lemon will be key players. Lemon is returning to Miramar this year after a stint with the Upper Hutt Rams.

MSP’s team named for this fixture has a mix of returning players and new ones. James Zino is captain and No. 8 and others such as Meinrad Fitisemanu, Chris Simone and former Counties-Manukau lock Viliame Rarasea follow him. Fabio Minelli is one new international player starting, at flanker, while First XV schoolleavers Ioane Aukusitino, Bentley Faulkner and Navrin Campbell are all on the bench. NZ U20 wider squad member Corban King start at tighthead prop.

Norths will be led by flanker Olano Aufoto, with his other flanker Ethan Lepou last year’s St Pat’s Town captain. Plenty of new-look players, but some familiar ones such as Waylon Baker, Jerome Va’ai and Reuben Ape-Tuputala.

As always, there’s a handful of interclub trophies in play:

• Upper Hutt and Poneke play for their Alby Makeham Shield, named for the Wellington representative halfback who played for both clubs in the 1950’s and 60’s, and earned the name “Kick it again” for the frequency he put boot to ball. Poneke hold this, while the Rams will also be putting the Bill Brien Challenge Trophy on the line.
• Wainuiomata and Avalon contest their Anthony Waldrom Cup. Waldrom Senior was a first-five for Wainuiomata while his two sons, Thomas and Scott, played their senior rugby at Avalon. Wainuiomata are the holders
• OBU and Johnsonville have their Bill Cavubati Kava Bowl up for grabs. One of the more recent trophies added, “Big Bill” was a cult hero who played for clubs, and can still be found roaming the Wairarapa. Johnsonville currently have possession of this.
• And lastly, the Maurice Standish Cup is the prize for Norths and MSP. Standish was a Jubilee Cup-winning player and coach for MSP, before coaching at Norths after moving to the northern city. MSP are the current holders.

All seven matches are at 2:45pm.

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Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield

With every club fronting a second side, the preceding matches each week will match the Premier contests that follow. Last season’s champions, Ed Chaney Cup winners Poneke are at Maidstone to face Upper Hutt, while the team they beat in that final, Petone, get their defence of the Harper Lock Shield underway at home against regular contenders Tawa. HD Morgan Cup winners Pare-Plim visit Ories at the Polo Ground with perhaps a repeat of last year’s semi-final epic on the cards.

In the remaining matches Norths host MSP, Johnsonville face OBU at RLP, Wellington welcome HOBM to Hataitai, and Wainuiomata and Avalon meet at William Jones.

All seven matches get underway at 1pm.

Colts

The age-grade was due to start tomorrow with 11 teams across two divisions. However, on Wednesday morning that was put on hold with the viability of several teams being sorted. As of now, it’s a “watch this space” on what happens next.

Elsewhere

It’s a week off in Horowhenua-Kapiti, but Wairarapa-Bush get their season underway. Like their Heartland brethren, they too have lost a team from their Premier ranks with Eketahuna making the difficult decision to step out for now. That leaves just three Premier contests each week, with their opening slate seeing Marist host neighbours Pioneer today, followed tomorrow by defending champions Greytown starting their 150^th season away at Martinborough and Carterton trekking out to Whareama to face East Coast, with Masterton Red Star having the bye. The ten-team Reserve Grade starts next week.

Manawatu’s second round of the Hankins Shield has a city derby between Old Boys Marist and College Old Boys and the Feilding one between Yellows and Old Boys-Oroua. Varsity head across town to face Te Kawau, and Kia Toa hosts Linton. Freyberg get Easter off.

Round three of Hawkes Bay’s Nash Cup was played last night with plenty of points scored. Defending champions Taradale and Napier OB Marist are undefeated; Taradale beat Napier Tech 22-19 while NOBM accounted for Havelock North 45-24. Sheridan Rangihuna’s Napier Pirates topped MAC 59-15, while Bridge Pa at least troubled the scoreboard but not much else as the strugglers were beaten 78-14 by Hastings.