Swindale Shield set to heat up in round three

Action from the UHR Rams – Petone match last week. The Rams are back home hosting Oriental-Rongotai whilst Petone are away playing Old Boys University. Photo: Andy McArthur.

• By Scott MacLean

Friday lunchtime edition – updates expected later this afternoon. Despite the forecast of bad weather for the first time this season, the Swindale Shield is set to heat up considerably in the third round with a number of big match-ups in store. Plus the second week of other club competitions will make for a mouthwatering afternoon to look forward to.

Draws & Results – visit https://stats.clubrugby.nz/ for these. Click on a fixture for teamlists and match details. Teamlists as received and subject to change.

Radio commentary  – online at teupoko.co.nz or by tuning into 87.5FM or 1161AM is Old Boys University v Petone from Nairnville Park.

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. It is still not too late to join, and 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.  There are prizes at the end, including by Dynasty Sports and others to be confirmed.

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Premier Swindale Shield

A return to the Hutt Rec might still be a week away, but with two bonus-point wins so far Hutt Old Boys Marist are flying high. The caveat so far is those wins have come against last year’s bottom two teams so far, and tomorrow they head to Porirua to face the third of the trio in Norths. But the home side will be buoyed by their win away at Johnsonville on Saturday and while the form book will be against them, they can be a dangerous outfit when they have their tails up.

The Eagles name an almost unchanged pack, with Mike Alaifatu replacing teenager Rupeni Raviyawa the only change. Captain Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson returns with Flynn Ruscoe getting a first Premier start for the year at fullback. The hosts side is TBC at time of publishing.

Tied with HOBM at the top at this early stage are their city brethren, Marist St Pat’s, after they accounted for Ories a week ago. Tomorrow’s visit to Evans Bay by Tawa is their third home game to start the season so they’ll want to cash in once more. We should know a bit more about the visitors after tomorrow as well. Are they the side that crashed heavily in the opening round or the one that showed up last week to edge out Pare-Plim.

MSP have a couple of personnel changes in the pack with Grecia McNamara-Taele and Viliame Rarasea coming in. In the back Sefo Aukustino, Finley Hagen, and Jacob Klingelsmith switch positions. The big news on the Tawa side is the return to Wellington of Kemara Hauiti-Parapara who will come off the bench. Tito Ioane joins fellow veteran Hemi Fermanis in the second row, and Randall Bishop starts his milestone 200^th game in his very familiar spot at fullback.

Nairnville Park is the stage of the clash of two unbeaten sides so far as Petone make the journey to face Old Boys-University. It’s been a similar start for each; plenty of razzle-dazzle in round one (albeit slightly delayed on the Goats part), before prevailing in grinds last time out. This clash will also tell us much about where their relative standings are.

OBU have rattled off a bunch of changes. Laurence Jarel-Lim returns at tighthead so Gareth Ward-Allen and Geordie Bean return to their more normal places in the front row. Mitchell Shields starts on the openside pushing Cody Quin and Jonty Riley elsewhere. Jake Lawson starts at first-five with Malo Manuao out one in his 50^th game for the Goats and Isaac Wong deputises at fullback for Hunter Kennedy. The Villagers are shorn of some firepower with both Riley Higgins and Losi Filipo unavailable; their places in midfield taken by Tom Carter and Jordan-Glen Bradbrook. Bustling flanker Braith Ingram is also unavailable, with captain Connor Tuifao switching to openside and former Wainuiomata player Kitiona Leitufia coming in at No. 8.

Paremata-Plimmerton run out onto Ngati Toa Domain for the first time this year, after a week scratching their heads how their Achilles heel – the late concession to lose – struck again last week against Tawa. They’ll be looking to rebound in front of their rowdy faithful as they face bottom-side Avalon who’s early signs of improvement were snuffed out by HOBM.

The Hammerheads have rattled off some changes. Amongst those Tony Coburn plays his blazer game at loosehead while Horowhenua-Kapiti rep Alby Hemopo debuts on the blindside. Esi Komaisavai is back at halfback, and Jono Ryan deputises for Nick Robertson at fullback who is away with the NZ U85kg side. Avalon’s side is yet to reach us.

Over at Helston Park is another one-win, one-loss, side. But it’s not the Hawks, rather visitors Wellington who finally broke their non-Avalon duck against Poneke, and having tasted success will be keen for more. For their part, Johnsonville face an early make-or-break point after two opening losses. A third is a very large dent in their Jubilee playoff ambitions, a win keeps that from happening.

Johnsonville captain Ha’ameo Ahio plays his 150^th match for the Hawks. He’ll lead a side with a number changes, with Serge Hollis switching to blindside with Billy Peoples starting at No8. Niall Delahunt starts at first-five and Finlay Sharp makes his first appearance for the year at centre replacing Hurricanes squad member Josh Timu. The Axemen make a couple of changes to that winning side. Jack Laurenson comes in at lock, while Siose Lokeni is on the right wing. The powerful combination of Ben Tuia and Matt Proctor continue in midfield, and their contest with Sharp and Aukuso Tuitama is intriguing.

Down at Kilbirnie Park Poneke are at home for the first time this year with their opponents Wainuiomata on their first excursion away from William Jones. Last Saturday’s second-half collapse at the hands of the Axemen would have been galling for the Poneke faithful, and Ross Bond’s charges will need to show an immediate response. The visitors will be disappointed in missing out to OBU, but given their opponents struggles so far will fancy themselves here.

Poneke bring in Moses Tuifao-Galuvao and Elijah Talalupe for the front row with Nathan Marsh on the openside. Maiterangi Arahanga gets first start at fullback, and there’s three potential debutants on the bench. Mike Sa’u and Dion Leolofi start up front for the visitors, but there’s an interesting change in backline where Emmanuel Solomona will wear the #10 jersey and allowing Renata Kotuhi to come in at centre.

The sole match in the Hutt Valley is all the way out at Maidstone Park, where Oriental Rongotai make the longest trip you can in Wellington club rugby to take on the Upper Hutt Rams. The Swindale holders must be wondering if they’ve somehow angered the rugby Gods as they’ve narrowly lost their opening games, while the Rams will be keen to regain the attacking pomp they had in their opener against Poneke.

The home side shift co-caption Todd Svenson to fullback in place of brother Scott, with Liam Slight and Rory Brattle installed on the wings and Kaide McCashin at halfback. Josh Mallon and Francisco Wolfgramm come into the pack. The visitors team list remains MIA.

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As usual, there’s a number of interclub trophies in play tomorrow:

• OBU and Petone contest their Marc Verhoeven Memorial Trophy. Nicknamed “Alby”, Verhoeven captained both Petone and the Wellington representative side, winning Jubilee Cups with the former, before he switched to the newly-formed Harlequins (OBU’s original name after the merger). A much-respected character, his death in Sydney in 2011 aged just 50 was both untimely and shocking. The Villagers hold it from their one-point win on the Rec last year.
• Poneke and Wainuiomata play for their Hakaraia Trophy, commemorating Paul Sr and his son Peter. After war service with the Maori Battalion, Paul Hakaraia turned out for Poneke until he moved to Wainuiomata and was heavily involved in the club until his passing. All five of his sons played for Wainuiomata with Paul Jr and Peter playing for Poneke; Peter was lost in a diving accident off Island Bay in 2007. Poneke are its current holders.
• The prize for the Upper Hutt and Ories is the Bob Lendrum Cup. Lendrum joined Oriental when he arrived in Wellington and became a provincial rep. After a period in Fiji where he coached the national team, he returned and settled in Upper Hutt and became a city councillor. At the time of his passing in 2021, he was a Life Member of both clubs as well as the Centurions. Ories hold this, while Upper Hutt will be defending the Bill Brien Challenge Cup.
• Johnsonville and Wellington play for their Mick Kenny Memorial Cup. A Johnsonville player before World War II and an Axeman after it, Kenny’s enduring contribution to Wellington rugby was putting forward a services trophy that he had played for and won during the conflict – the Harper Lock Shield – into club play. Johnsonville are the holders.

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Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield

Four sides here are unbeaten after the opening two rounds, all with the maximum 10 points and all looking to put some space between themselves and the chasers. HOBM are away against Norths, Petone are at Nairnville to face OBU, MSP host Tawa, and Pare-Plim welcome Avalon to Ngati Toa. In the remaining fixtures one-win sides Wellington and the Upper Hutt Rams are at Johnsonville and at home to Ories respectively, while we wait and see if Poneke can front this week at home against Wainuiomata.

Premier Women Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy

Round two on the Women’s grade has something of an air of inevitability about it with the “Big Three” all warm favourites in their matches. Petone head out to Ngati Toa to face Paremata-Pimmerton, Norths host Wainuiomata, and Oriental Rongotai are at home for the visit of Old Boys-University. Where there is intrigue is amongst the relative minnows as first-up winners Wellington and Poneke meet at Hataitai, and the local derby in the Hutt Valley as Avalon hosts Stokes Valley.

Colts Paris Memorial

A chance here for three of last weeks winners to put a break on the field after two rounds. Tawa will look for finals revenge when they visit Upper Hutt, MSP host Pare-Plim, and Petone visit the Ian Galloway cage to face OBU. The fourth winner last Saturday, Poneke take their bye, with perennial contenders HOBM in action for the first time this year when they head to Porirua to face Norths.

Under 85kg JC Bowl

Just one match between first-up winners in the weight-restricted grade, with Poneke welcoming HOBM to Kilbirnie. Elsewhere Johnsonville and Tawa will be favourites to make it two-from-two when they host Pare-Plim at Newlands Park and Wellington at Lyndhurst respectively, while the OBU Scallywags sail across the harbour to take on Eastbourne at HW Shortt.

College

Perhaps the biggest game in town tomorrow isn’t a club one, but rather on the northern slopes of Mt Victoria. Led by this year’s captain Zk’deus Schwalger, Wellington College celebrate their 150^th Anniversary by taking on traditional rivals and the school where the game of rugby was first played in New Zealand; Nelson College. The match, which is being televised on Sky and kicks off at 1.30pm, should be a useful barometer for where both stand going into their seasons.

Other preseason 1^st XV rugby sees Rongotai hosting Porirua (11am), Aotea taking on Kapiti (11am), and Bishop Viard welcoming Naenae (12pm). The Wellington College and Silverstream U15 sides provide the curtainraiser to the TV game, while St Pats Town host Hastings Boys’ High for both U15 and 2^nd XV matches.

Elsewhere

Fourth round of action in Horowhenua-Kapiti’s Ramsbotham Cup. Champions Foxton head down to the Domain to face Levin College Old Boys, Rahui are at home to take on Levin Wanderers, and the Old Firm battle resumes when Paraparaumu hosts Waikanae.

Week three in Wairarapa Bush sees Carterton host Pioneer, Marist head to Whareama to face East Coast, and Masterton Red Star and Martinborough will look to bounce back from defeats by Greytown – who have the bye – when they meet in Masterton. The popular Senior Reserves grade gets underway tomorrow as well; in that former Premier club Eketahuna hosts Martinborough, Greytown are at East Coast, Carterton welcome Marist, Gladstone entertain Pioneer, and Tuhirangi head away to face Masterton Red Star.

In the Manawatu unbeaten leaders Feilding Yellows have the bye, so also unbeaten Varsity have the chance to join them at the top when they host minnows Feilding Old Boys-Oroua. Kia Toa hosts Old Boys Marist in a Palmy derby, across town Linton takes on Freyberg, and struggling pair College Old Boys and Te Kawau meet on the Arena backfields.

Napier Old Boys Marist will look to maintain their lead and unbeaten start when they visit MAC in the Hawke’s Bay competition, while Taradale should rebound from their loss last Saturday as they host strugglers Bridge Pa. Havelock North and Hastings meet in one derby, while another sees Sheridan Rangihuna’s Pirates visit his old team Napier Tech.