Wellington First XV teams of the past three decades

The First XV Premiership trophy reaches for the sky during last year’s final between winners St Pat’s Silverstream and Wellington College.

The 2026 First XV Premiership starts this week, with the annual Wellington College – St Pat’s Town traditional fixture on Wednesday getting it underway. Kick-off at Wellington College is 12.30pm.

Ten years ago we published an article looking at First XV teams of the previous two decades, 1996-05 and 2006-15 – paper teams with notable players who went on to higher honours in club, provincial or international rugby.

As such, this has been updated below to include the most recent decade, 2016-25.

There are actually two teams selected. The first is based on two criteria: including all past 10 College Sport Wellington Rugby SPOTYS winners in the line-up (these players are bolded) and including many players to have gone to be selected in higher teams post-school and not necessarily what they achieved whilst at school (for example Hugo Plummer and Kyle Preston).

The second includes a line-up of players who missed out because of the above criteria and a number of others to have enjoyed a memorable school career or gone on to higher honours or both. It is acknowledged that there is still a large group to have ‘missed’ this team and could fill a third one with distinction.

Also, it is noted that we haven’t included any players out of the two Wairarapa schools now playing in the First XV Premiership, nor the two Kapiti schools who have done so in recent years. perhaps we should have as in recent times several prominent players have come out of these hallways (for example current NZ U20s lock Johnny Falloon).

Finally, these paper teams are completely unofficial and merely the consensus opinion of a handful of regular contributors on this website.

Teams below

2016-25

1. Xavier Numia (St Pat’s Town – Oriental-Rongotai)
2. Penieli Poasa (St Pat’s Town – Oriental-Rongotai)
3. Siale Lauaki (St Pat’s Town – Northern United)
4. Hugo Plummer (Onslow College – Tawa)
5. Naitoa ah Kuoi (Wellington College – Marist St Pat’s)
6. Taine Plumtree (Wellington College – Old Boys University)
7. Peter Lakai (St Pat’s Silverstream – Petone)
8. Toby Crosby (St Pat’s Silverstream – Upper Hutt Rams)
9. Kyle Preston (Tawa College – Tawa/Old Boys University)
10. Stanley Solomon (Wellington College – Petone)
11. Jacob Kennedy (Wellington College – Johnsonville)
12. Riley Higgins (St Pat’s Silverstream – Petone)
13. Billy Proctor (St Pat’s Town – Marist St Pat’s)
14. Ropati So’oalo (Aotea College – Northern United)
15.Roderick Solo (Scots College – Oriental-Rongotai)

RESERVES
16. Jericho Wareringa (St Pat’s Silverstream – Hawke’s Bay)
17. Senio Sanele (St Pat’s Silverstream, Upper Hutt Rams)
18. PJ Sheck (Porirua College – Johnsonville/Tawa)
19. Elijah Solomona (St Pat’s Silverstream – Wainuiomata)
20. Iona Apineru (St Pat’s Silverstream – Petone)
21.Harry Irving (Scots College – Old Boys University)
22. Thompson Tukapua (St Pat’s Silverstream – Petone)
23. Ietitaia Campbell (Scots College – Upper Hutt Rams)

2016-25 – a second team

1.Luke Chisholm (St Pat’s Silverstream – Old Boys University)
2. Toby Mallon (St Pat’s Silverstream – UHR/Paremata-Plimmerton)
3. Corban King (Wellington College – Marist St Pat’s)
4. Jack Riley (Wellington College – South Island)
5. Maea Tema-Schmidt (Scots College – Pōneke)
6. Dominic Ropeti (Scots College – Oriental-Rongotai)
7. Sione Halalilo (Scots College – Oriental-Rongotai)
8. Keelan Whitman (St Pat’s Town – Marist St Pat’s)
9. Esi Komaisavai (Rongotai College – Norths – Paremata-Plimmerton)
10. Eli Moata’a (Porirua College – Northern United)
11. Sean Carter (HIBS – South Island)
12. Malachai Osman (Tawa College – Hawke’s Bay)
13.Ethan Webster-Nonu (Scots College – Oriental-Rongotai – Paremata-Plimmerton)
14. Reon Paul (Rongotai College – Northern United – BoP)
15. Sione Baker (Mana College – Paremata-Plimmerton)

RESERVES
16. Malachai Suniula (Tawa College – Tawa)
17. Ioane Aukustino (St Pat’s Town – Marist St Pat’s)
18. Tom Devery (Hutt International Boys’ School – South Island)
19.Drew Berg-McLean (St Pat’s Silverstream – HOBM/Hawke’s Bay)
20. Josh Southall (St Pat’s Silverstream – Petone)
21. Pyrenees Boyle-Tiatia (Scots College – Waikato)
22. Rocco Berry (St Pat’s Silverstream – rugby league)
23. Junior Time-Taotoa (Porirua College – Northern United)

The next two teams going back the previous two decades were published 10 years ago, so below is a re-print of what was chosen then – but there have been a couple of tweaks made.

2006-15

1. Reggie Goodes (Wellington College – Poneke)
   2. Asafo Aumua (St Pat’s Silverstreram – Avalon)
   3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen (Wellington College – Marist St Pat’s)
   4. James Blackwell (Wellington College – Petone)
   5. Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Wellington College – rugby league)
   6. Brad Shields (Taita College – Petone)
   7. Ardie Savea (Rongotai College – Oriental-Rongotai)
   8. TJ Ioane (Wellington College – Old Boys University)
   9. TJ Perenara (Mana College – Northern United)
   10.Lima Sopoaga (Wellington College – Old Boys University)
   11.Julian Savea (Rongotai College – Oriental-Rongotai)
   12.Jackson Garden-Bachop (Scots College – Northern United)
   13. Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Scots College – Wainuiomata)
   14. Peter Umaga-Jensen (Scots College – Wainuiomata)
   15. Buxton Popoalii (Wellington College – Northern United)

RESERVES
16. Leni Apisai (Aotea College – Wellington College – Northern United)
17. Alex Fidow (Scots College – Oriental-Rongotai)
18. Joe Latta (Wellington College – Poneke)
19. Christian Lloyd (Upper Hutt College – Upper Hutt)
20. TJ Va’a (Scots College – Wainuiomata)
21. Wes Goosen (Wellington College – Old Boys University
22. Sean Treeby (Tawa College – Tawa)
23. Alapati Leiua (Porirua College – Northern United)

1996-2005

1. John Schwalger (Bishop Viard College – Northern United)
   2. Dane Coles (Wellington College – Marist St Pat’s – Poneke)
   3. Neemia Tialata (Wellington College – Petone)
   4. Jeremy Thrush (Hutt Valley High School – Hutt Old Boys Marist)
   5. Ross Filipo (Hutt Valley High School – Petone)
   6. Jerry Collins (Captain, St Pat’s Town – Northern United)
   7. Rodney So’oialo (Mana College – Wests Roosters)
   8. Victor Vito (Scots College – Marist St Pat’s)
   9. Tomasi Palu (Wellington College – Northern United – Old Boys University)
   10. Fa’atonu Fili (St Pat’s Town – Marist St Pat’s)
   11. Roy Kinikinilau (Rongotai College – Oriental-Rongotai)
   12. Tamati Ellison (Mana College – Northern United)
   13. Ma’a Nonu (Rongotai College – Oriental-Rongotai)
   14. Gerrard Fasavalu (St Pat’s Town – Northern United)
   15. Cory Jane (Heretaunga College – Upper Hutt Rams)

RESERVES
16. Motu Matu’u (Rongotai College – Oriental-Rongotai)
17. Tim Fairbrother (St Pat’s Silverstream – Upper Hutt Rams)
18. Ross Kennedy (Wellington College – Old Boys University)
19. Thomas Waldrom (St Pat’s Silverstream – Avalon)
20. Nick Risdon (St Bernard’s College – Hutt Old Boys Marist)
21. Jonathan Bentley (St Pat’s Silverstream – Hutt Old Boys Marist)
22. Michael Hobbs (Wellington College – Old Boys University)
23. Willie Lafaele (Mana College – Tawa)