Tawa topple OBU to leave no unbeaten teams in Swindale Shield

Above: No way through for OBU midfielder Malo Tevita-Manuao today in a tight fixture at Lyndhurst Park. Photo: Andy McArthur.

• By Steven White & Scott MacLean

There are now no unbeaten teams in the 2026 Wellington Premier Swindale Shield competition, following Tawa’s 31-26 win over Old Boys University in the fifth round set of matches played in fine, sunny conditions on Saturday.

This result (more on this game below) and other fifth round results mean it is tight at the top of the standings, as well as further down in what is already shaping to be a tight battle for spots in the Jubilee Cup in July.

OBU are still the competition leaders on 22 points, but Tawa and HOBM are just behind on 20 and Petone on 19 after a dominant 57-13 win over Wainuiomata over the hill for the Darren Larsen Cup.

Hutt Old Boys Marist bounced back from their defeat to OBU last week with a Father Cleary Shield 37-14 win over Marist St Pat’s whose campaign has appeared to have stalled with back-to-back defeats.

The Upper Hutt Rams head the mid-table contenders on 15 points, holding on to beat the Wellington Axemen at Hataitai Park for the Hinaki-Mei Axe 37-33 in the closest result of the afternoon. The Rams leapt out to a 25-5 halftime lead but the Axemen came back to make it a close-run win for the visitors.

Paremata-Plimmerton earned their second successive win at home at Ngati Toa Domain, beating neighbours Northern United for the Ivan Hardgrave Trophy 31-20. They are on 14 points but have a game in hand with their re-scheduled third round fixture against Avalon set down for Wednesday 13 May.

Wainuiomata remain on 14 points, alongside Oriental-Rongotai who shrugged off their slow start to the season with a 49-17 win over the Johnsonville Hawks at Helston Park for the Ash Pointon Cup. More on this game below.

MSP are becalmed on 10 points, ahead of Northern United on 9, Johnonsville on 6 and Avalon on 1 (with their game against Paremata-Plimmerton in hand).

Pōneke have levelled with MSP following their 36-22 win over Avalon at Fraser Park.

Perfect conditions greeted the teams at Fraser Park as Avalon and Poneke sought to get their first win of the season, but in the end it was a 36-22 win for the visitors. Avalon started the brightest, so it was somewhat against the run of play that Poneke scored first through No.8 Bede Brown. Site Timu then shanked a penalty attempt for the home side, and their early woes deepened when lock Sam Tonise headed to the bin. Despite that, Avalon got parity when Timu pounced on an error by Poneke fullback Maiterangi Arahanga and took a somewhat deserved lead through a penalty. Poneke were next to see yellow, but it seemed to lift them as captain Isaac Moe Jenkins profited off an intercept by replacement winger Taine Regeling, and then a minute later Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu crossed in the opposite corner.

The second half opened with Avalon throwing everything at Poneke, but couldn’t get any reward. Instead Poneke pushed the lead out with a second try to Moe Jenkins and an impressive driving maul for Maea Temu-Schmidt. Avalon got a response through Tonise before Moe Jenkins completed his hattrick, but there was enough time for Wolves skipper Matt Andrews to profit from a perhaps messy situation to get on the scoreboard.

Over the hill on Wainuiomata’s Old Timers’ Day, visitors Petone made a fast start and never really let their foot off the gas.

It was 7-6 to Petone early, before wing William Davis-Lenz added to Losi Filipo’s first try and then Hurricanes Ngane Punivai scored a double at it was 26-6 with a bonus point at halftime.

Petone quickly extended this lead as Wainuiomata scored through flanker Elijah Solomona, who later left the field injured, but Petone sailed home in the final quarter to win convincingly.

First-five Jacob Waikari Jones scored two tries and kicked six conversions for 22 points for Petone.

Tawa won their fourth consecutive match with a classic 31-26 victory over Old Boys University – ending the students’ unbeaten start to the season.

In the last minute, Tawa repelled repeated attacks as the students pressed hard for victory, almost forcing the referee to blow the pee out of his whistle due to the hosts’ persistent infringements. Eventually, a fumble by OBU sent Lyndhurst Park into raptures.

Though the game was tied three times, Tawa deserved their victory, powered by a turbo-charged scrum, steamroller lineout, and bustling displays by Hurricanes forwards Vernon Bason, Hugo Plummer, and Matolu Petaia.

Petaia helped create Tawa’s fourth try, giving them a 28-21 lead they never lost. After a 100-meter intercept by OBU blindside Jonty Riley, OBU failed to secure the restart. Petaia stampeded down the right wing, caught desperately from behind five short. From the next ruck, Weston Sao pivoted past a would-be tackler and touched down close to the posts. First five-eighth Solomon Uelese kicked all four conversions and a penalty at 28-26.

Tawa No.8 George Risale again scored two tries. He is arguably the most damaging ball carrier in the competition, with openside Hemi Fermanis not far behind him.

While OBU held their own up front, they were much more dangerous when playing quickly and expansively. First five-eighth Jake Lawson scored two tries, and centre Ben Gordon and right winger Isaac Wong were elusive.

At Helston Park, visitors Oriental-Rongotai took a smash-and-grab win for the Ash Pointon Cup with a 49-17 demolition of Johnsonville in the battle of the birds.

Ories won eight tries to three, and had the game won at halftime when leading 28-5. Johnsonville came back into the game over the first 20 minutes of the second half, but nothing stuck for them and they failed to take their chances.

Ories then ran in two quick tries and the result was decided with almost 20 minutes to play.

Johnsonville finally scored their second try of the day after a two-minute build-up and some pick-and-go work by the forwards.

Ories then closed out the game with their final try to their right wing Chris Taulogo following a booming break by No 8 Mosese Bason.  Johnsonville then scored a consolation try but were unable to get a bonus point.

The Magpies had come out fizzing and took the game to the Hawks from the outset, opening the scoring in the northwest corner with a try to second five Skivi Va’a.

The Johnsonville forwards enjoyed brief success when they conjured up a try in the corner off a penalty and lineout. But the rest of the first half was all Ories.

The Ories loose forward trio, Sione Halalilo, David Leota-Johnson and Bason, were outstanding, while halfback Isaac Bracewell delivered consistent, swift ball to the backs with headgeared duo Daniel Tafili and Jordan Soli both prominent.

The next try came from a scrum in centre field with centre Tafili making a piercing run up the western sideline and passing to fullback Soli for the try.

Ories scored two more tries before halftime, the first by the forwards after a lineout and the second by Soli running back a kick in broken play.

Ories’ fifth try, scored in the second spell, was also Soli’s hat-trick try of the match. Together with his boot, Soli scored 24 points. Their sixth try was scored by our player of the match Halalilo who latched on to a short pass by fellow flanker Leota-Johnson to run 50 metres to the line.

This bonus point win puts the Magpies’ campaign firmly back on track after a slow start, while Johnsonville will regroup and will still take plenty of beating throughout the rest of the season.  Dynamic on attack, playing Jacob Walmsley at second-five might be looked at as well especially as centre and wing in this match Aukuso Tuitama and Finlay Sharp have been their midfield combination in previous games.

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Premier 2

Petone and HOBM maintained their joint-lead of the Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield with wins today.

Petone beat Wainuiomata 57-6 while HOBM accounted for MSP by 37-27.

Upper Hutt are third after thumping Wellington 67-7. After that Avalon beat Poneke 31-15, Tawa trounced struggling OBU 74-17, Ories defeated Johnsonville 40-29, while the Pare-Plim vs Norths result remains TBC.

The early game at Fraser Park saw a midtable stoush between Avalon and Poneke, and for the first half at least the two sides equalled each other out as a solitary try apiece saw them hit half-time at 5-all.

The turning point came early in the second half as Poneke saw yellow, and the home team ran in two tries in that time. Poneke responded through an intercept, but the hosts restored their advantage through a popular try to lock Maka Mulikihaamea, before Poneke scored their third when player/coach Tom Anderson was in space loitering on the right touchline. Avalon had the final say through Ben Wright to record a 31-15 win.

In the curtain-raiser at Helston Park, Ories came home strongly to beat Johnsonville. After a lively first half in which both sides scored three tries, Johnsonville led 24-20 at the interval.

Ories then struck back with two tries and a penalty to make it 35-24. Johnsonville finally scored again with several minutes to play, but Ories closed out the match in style with a popular try to veteran centre Paulo Aukuso who scored under the posts off an attacking scrum in front of the clubrooms.

Women’s

The Big Three continued on their way in the Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy. Ories were 56-17 winners over Poneke, Petone beat Wainuiomata 65-5, and Norths were defaulted to by Stokes Valley earlier in the week.

In a very special milestone, Black Ferns wing Ayesha Leti-L’iga played for Ories today. She scored four tries, to take her career tally to 202 Women’s Premier club rugby tries in 82 games played.

In the other matches Avalon came out on top over Pare-Plim 31-22, and the scoreboard was spinning as OBU topped Wellington 82-29 with halfback Baylee Meroiti scoring five of 14 tries.

Colts

Petone held their lead in the Colts Paris Memorial, but only just as they had to work hard to overcome Poneke by 22-19. HOBM kept pace winning 41-28 over MSP, while Tawa defeated OBU in a close one 24-19. In the fourth match of the day, Pare-Plim got their first win, 38-17 over Norths.

Under 85kg JC Bowl

The match of the round between unbeaten pair Pōneke and Johnsonville at Kilbirnie Park, Johnsonville win 17-0.

At the other end of the standings, Wellington defeated Eastbourne 46-0, the Tawa Ducks took flight in beating HOBM 69-7 and the Paremata-Plimmerton Piranhas defeated the OBU Scallywags 32-17.

College

There was an upset of note in the “Top 8” section of College Qualifying today as Hutt Valley High School beat Hutt International Boys’ School 36-21 and booked their place in next week’s matches for an automatic place in this year’s Premiership.

Elsewhere, Wairarapa College blitzed Paraparaumu 68-0, Scots showed they could be back in trouncing Tawa 83-10, and St Bernards will make Rongotai go the long way around with a 19-10 win.

In the “Second 8” matches Kapiti beat Taita 59-24, Porirua were 44-28 winners over Newlands/Onslow, Mana beat Naenae 38-19, and Aotea thumped neighbours Bishop Viard 65-3.

In Palmerston North, Napier Boys’ High School trounced St Pat’s Silverstream 52-12, in Tauranga the home team beat Wellington College 35-19 and St Pat’s Town beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 35-26.

Elsewhere

Foxton remain in charge in Horowhenua-Kapiti after they beat Rahui 53-21 under the Playford Park lights last night. Today’s two matches saw big wins for the visiting sides; Levin Wanderers eclipsed Waikanae 50-21, and Paraparaumu trounced Levin COB 59-10.

In Wairarapa-Bush the unbeaten pair were expected to win, and duly did. Greytown crushed Pioneer 82-0 while Carterton had to work to get past a plucky Masterton Red Star by 43-27. The focus otherwise was in Martinborough, where Marist established they’re a team to watch as they beat the home side 37-29. East Coast had the bye.

The leading quartet all flexed their muscles in today’s Hankins Shield matches in the Manawatu. Varsity remained unbeaten with a 48-0 win over Linton, while Kia Toa joined them at the top with a 78-17 trouncing of Freyberg. Feilding Yellows were 76-12 victors over strugglers Te Kawau, while Old Boy Marist were 43-12 victors over Feilding OB-Oroua. College Old Boys had the bye.

Close results were the order of the day in the last matches of the first round in Hawke’s Bay. Napier OB Marist kept their unbeaten record intact before lifting the Nash Cup but only just, pushed 36-33 by Napier Tech. Havelock North edged out Pirates 36-35, while Taradale prevailed 27-24 away at Hastings. At the bottom of the table MAC kept Bridge Pa winless by 46-10.