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- By Steven White
Whilst it’s semi-finals time in Premier, Premier 2 and Women’s grades, it’s the finals of the 2026 U85kg second round competitions.
Both finals are being played in town with 2.45pm kick-off times. In the Division 2 Tony O’Brien decider, the OBU Scallywags host the Hutt Old Boys Marist Howlers at Kelburn Park, while in the Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield final, the Pōneke Wanderers welcomed the Tawa Ducks on to Kilbirnie Park.
The Division 1 finals pits the two teams that have been shading each other all season. Tawa are the two-time defending champions and recently won the first round JC Bowl for the third consecutive year, while no Pōneke team has won this trophy since 2009. As Pōneke player-manager Geoff Botherway exhorted in his pre-match comments below “It’s time to bring Paul home.”
The two teams have split their meetings in 2026, for two contrasting results. The first time they played was on 23 May at the venue for Saturday’s final, Kilbirnie Park, and Tawa won 48-17 in an eight tries to three win. In their second match on 20 June at Redwood Park, Pōneke prevailed 29-0 in a four tries to nil victory.
This is the 31st season of the Paul Potiki Shield being on the line, with Paremata-Plimmerton the inaugural winners in 1996. Pōneke teams have won this five times (2003 and a four-peat 2005-08), while Tawa have won four so far (2015-16 and 2024-25).
In the past, these U85kg finals have often been tight as a drum and often low scoring, epic affairs, such as when Tawa beat Pōneke 8-3 to win in 2015. But with just under 100 combined points in their two meetings this year, this could buck the trend and be an all-action decider.
Pōneke manager and player Geoff Botherway said that the Wanderers are going to have to be at the top of their game to topple Tawa.
“It’s going to take a near flawless performance to roll the ducks for a second time this season. Hanging on to the ball, sticking to our structure and staying disciplined will be key for us.”
“On the field we are three from three so we are trucking along nicely, said Botherway. “ The weeks off have caused some disruption but there are pros and cons, we’ve had a chance to rest a few sore bodies but lost players who are now no longer available for the final. But It is what it is.”
What are Pōneke’s strengths? “We’ve got strengths across the park, our forwards can bang with anybody and we’ve got a pretty special group of backs, with the skill and experience and to cause chaos.”
“Most people probably look at our team list and it’s Pasia Asiata’s name that stands out, and rightly so, but we’ve got some pretty handy guys alongside him, Benjamin Huntley has been defensively outstanding and his experience and leadership is invaluable, Jimmy-Lee Hongara and Alex Morrissey have also been massive for us this year. It’s tough to single out the forwards but a couple of the real workhorses include Lucas Carroll and Jasper Spenser as well as ‘Koro’ Pa Taikato. “
Pōneke will be looking forward to playing at home. “We will lift regardless, if there’s 10 or 10,000 there it’s on us to get the job done. But it certainly helps having the red and black faithful cheering us on and we expect a packed balcony on Saturday, led by our faithful disciple Adam Lodge.”
The Pōneke legacy in this grade is strong.
“We will be playing for everyone that has worn this jersey before us, our club has a history of succusses in this grade, but we haven’t featured in a Division 1 final since 2015 and not won one since 2008 so it’s time to bring Paul home.
“Whilst it hasn’t been discussed amongst the group we have a couple of older players that have played in this grade a very long time that we can’t expect to play forever so if this is the last dance for them it would be nice to send them out on a high.
“We also want to mention Paul ‘Hak’ Hakaraia. Hak has supported this grade for decades, he’s a legend of our club, a mainstay of this team and we love him, so we’ll be doing it for him too.”
Tawa Ducks co-coach and fullback Adam Preston that they will be fully focused on their title defence after a bumpy second round by their recent standards.
“The week off was nice, the second round didn’t play out as we would have liked,” Preston said. “A few guys being away and with other commitments and injuries – so we had to default once, which was unfortunate. We then came into a game at Redwood Park on a windy day where we weren’t as strong as we know we can be, and we happened to take a loss to a team that we knew after the game will never beat us again.
“Our focus going into this final is to keep playing the same style of Ducks footy that we always have, and bring that championship mindset to win the Competition.”
The Ducks have forged a strong record with 51 wins and four losses overall, while they scored over 700 points in the 2004 season and were that year’s Club Rugby Team of the Year.
“Our team is built on solid friendships, community, and a love of playing social footy with the lads on the weekend. Rugby is obviously about the 22 or 23 players that you have on the field, but when you’re out on that field and you can hear the Duck callers going off after a try, it really keeps that spark going. Although we have a few standout individual players, it’s really the fast and physical style of our play, as well as the team chemistry that makes us the Ducks.”
Ducks captain Troy Howe added:
“The flock will definitely be out in full force on the sidelines on Saturday – with duck callers in hand. They are the heart and soul of our team, and our unwavering support from our friends, family, and club, is second to none.
“On Saturday we’ll mainly be playing for our community – our supporters, our club, and our teammates on and off the pitch. There are a few boys from our squad that have earnt us the right to be in this final and they can’t be part of the squad for this weekend, and we’re really going to need to turn up for them.”
Following the final, both teams will be in action in the National U85kg Knockout Cup.
Pōneke will playing Johnsonville in the first round of games on 1 August, while Tawa are straight into the second round and will be playing Marist St Pat’s first-up.
About the Paul Potiki Shield
The Paul Potiki Shield was presented by the Poneke club in 1996 in the then new 85kg Restricted grade. Ories stalwart Tony O’Brien was responsible for establishing the grade, with the aim to “to bring enjoyment back into rugby for the skinny, smaller bloke.” Paul Potiki was a Poneke stalwart, a former member of the 22nd Infantry Battalion in WW2, taxi driver and a well-known Wellington identity.
Last 13 finals since our continuous records began:
2013: MSP beat Tawa 16-3
2014: MSP beat Poneke 6-3
2015: Tawa Titans 8 – Poneke Cavs 3
2016: Tawa Titans 16 – Johnsonville Terrahawks 5
2017: Wellington Axemen 20- Avalon Wolves 17
2018: Upper Hutt Rams 17 – Avalon Wolves 13
2019: Avalon Wolves 24 – Paraparaumu 11
2020: Upper Hutt Rams 30 – Eastbourne 14
2021: Avalon Wolves 16 – Johnsonville Terrahawks 3
2022: Johnsonville Terrahawks 37 – Upper Hutt Rams 5
2023: OBU Scallywags – 31 – Tawa Ducks 27
2024: Tawa Ducks 46 – OBU Scallywags 10
2025: Tawa Ducks 36 – Johnsonville 26
The Tawa and Poneke team/squads contesting the Paul Potiki Shield final (all names subject to change)
Pōneke Wanderers:
- Wilson Auld
- Jasper Spence
- Bootstrap Bill
- Jack MacGill
- Taia Ruri
- Pa Taikato
- Pasi Asiata
- Lucas Carroll
- Jimmy Lee Hongara
- Max Rodgers
- Andrew Eng
- Alex Morrissey
- Benjamin Huntley (C)
- Alex Blacktop
- Angus Cooper
- Sammy French
- Geoff Botherway
- Sam McLeod
- Hadleigh Cox
- Tony Smith
- Riley Sneith
- Tegan Sipili
- Coach : Tony Mathews
- Managers : Geoff Botherway / Jamie Bowers
- Physio : Keith Longworth
Tawa Ducks:
1. Troy Griffiths
2. Wiggy Bloomfield
3. Gus McKinnon
4. Nathan Wanders
5. Lachlan McKean
6. Ashton Harris
7. Lennan Griffiths
8. Troy Howe (C)
9. Anaru Anderson
10. Cullen Phipps
11. Marcus Dodds
12 Ryan Awatere
13. Ryan Preston
14. Daniel Fouhy
15. Adam Preston
16. Todd Bishop
17. Henry Maritz
18. Jared Woodgate
19. Hemi Waitaiki
20. Samuel Hutchinson
21. Aaron Kerehoma
22. Jayden Bedford-Grant
23. Matene Da Vanzo
- Coach: George Bloomfield / Adam Preston
- Manager: Tina Howe
- Assistant Manager: Squd Quacker
- Team physio: Oliver Curran & Rooter
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