The engine room – 10 instances of storming games by tight forwards in Jubilee Cup finals

The Jim Brown Plate has been awarded to the Player of the Jubilee Cup Final since 2004. It has been awarded to tight forwards on seven occasions. A recap of those winners and their performances below, as well as some other picks. 

Jubilee Cup finals are often decided by a big play in the backs or a swashbuckling loose forwards performance – but here are 10 instances of (mostly) props or locks who have memorably turned it on in finals in the past two decades or so.

Included below are no fewer than seven Jim Brown Plate Player of the Final recipients, including a couple of big shifts off the bench.

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2004: George Ape (Northern United): In 2004 Northern United won the first of four Jubilee Cup titles in the space of seven years, after winning their first Swindale Shield in 2003. Former captain George Ape was on the Norths bench when they went up 17-8 at halftime and 20-8 soon after in the decider against Poneke. But the red and blacks came roaring back into the final and closed the gap to 20-18 with 15 minutes to play. Norths needed a spark and they got it from Ape who came off the bench as a front rower and had a fourth-quarter blinder, making several big runs and lifting his flagging side. Norths held on to win by two points. ________________________________________________________________

2008: Chris Middleton (Northern United): The first player in this list to have won the MVP award of the final. Norths and Marist St Pat’s famously drew 10-10 and there was provision for extra time then so it was shared. On a bitterly cold day, future firefighter Middleton lit up Wellington Stadium with a strong all-round individual performance. MSP had led 10-0, but Norths came back to draw level and Middleton came up with a big lineout win in the corner that led to the equalising try by reserve hooker Sio Thomas, channeling George Ape above.

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Andy Leslie presents Norths lock Chris Middleton with the Jim Brown Plate in the pouring rain in 2008.

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2011: Donal McNamara (Oriental-Rongotai): The Ories’ captain and loosehead prop led from the front when they won their first Jubilee Cup. A superb all-round team effort and some breathtaking tries were keys to victory. Ories ran in five tries to blitz two-time defending champions Northern United. In an exhilarating 20 minutes of play either side of halftime, Ories came from 13-6 behind to score four tries and take the game away from Norths. With barely 10 minutes up on the scoreboard clock in the second half, Ories had scored their third and fourth tries and kicked a penalty to open up a 33-13 lead and it was effectively game over. Afterwards, McNamara was quick to give praise to his team in general, but he had a terrific game and deserved to be the first of his team to get his hands on the cup itself at the presentation.

HOBM captain Nick Risdon wishes McNamara well for the following week’s final after their 2011 semi-final. 

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2012: Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Marist St Pat’s): The 2012 Jubilee Cup final was played on a rain-soaked Hutt Recreation ground. It featured no less than five capped internationals and an array of grizzly club veterans. The game itself was a desperate struggle, won 11-8 by Marist St Pats over Oriental Rongotai. was outstanding youth that was the talking point after this final. Ories 19-year-old openside Ardie Savea was outstanding in a lost cause, but the Jim Brown Plate was awarded to prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Always strong in the scrum, the 21-year-old Allen had his renowned running game suppressed by the conditions. However his work in tight was tireless.

Jeff Toomga-Allen, the week before in MSP’s 33-6 Jubilee Cup semi-final win over Norths.

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2013: Taniela Koroi (Tawa): A passionate Tawa completed the Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double by beating Oriental-Rongotai 26-21 in a tight and willing final. It was Tawa’s first Jubilee Cup since formation in 1947.Captain and tighthead prop Taniela Koroi raised the coveted Trophy aloft at the end on behalf of his team, his club and fans and all supporters of grassroots sport. Like he did in early June when he celebrated the first round title, Koroi thanked god, thanked his club and praised his teammates for capping off a wonderful year for the Lyndhurst Park club. Koroi himself had another storming game in the decider that had plenty of twists and turns and was one of the best on the field all afternoon.

Koroi in front holding the Jubilee Cup up high in the team celebration shot at the end. 

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2014: Steven Bradshaw (Hutt Old Boys Marist): The 2014 Jubilee Cup final was the Battle of the Hutt Valley. The Hutt Old Boys Marist – Wainuiomata final lived up to its billing, with both sets of forwards locked in a titanic struggle throughout. It could have gone either way, but a solitary penalty was all that separated the sides and HOBM won 14-11. At the heart of HOBM’s effort was lock Steven Bradshaw who was on fire. Playing alongside his All Black locking partner Jeremy Thrush, Bradshaw was a decisive figure in several of the game’s key moments.

Steve Bradshaw with the plate in 2014.

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2018: Alex Barendregt (Old Boys University): From losing Premier Reserve finalist to Jim Brown Memorial Medal winner – Alex Barendregt couldn’t even dream up that reality in an Amsterdam coffee shop. The Billy Goats loosehead, affectionately known as “Dutchie”, became the only prop since All Black Jeff Toomaga-Allen in 2012 to win the player of the match in the Jubilee Cup final. Old Boys University beat Norths 37-31 at the Petone Rec. The former Netherlands international produced a lion-hearted shift in the tight and he made several eye-catching big plays in general play.

Alex Barendregt with the Jim Brown Plate in 2018.

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2021: Hemi Fermanis (Tawa). Tawa halfback Kemera Hauiti-Parapara, lock Hemi Fermanis and openside flanker Weston Sao were all in top form in the 2021 Jubilee Cup final as Tawa leapt to an 18-0 halftime lead and went on to beat Marist St Pat’s 36-7. Fermanis won the Player of the Final award as Tawa won their third Jubilee Cup final since 2013.

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2022: Boston Hunt (Northern United)

Norths lock Boston Hunt won the Jim Brown Memorial Medal as man of the match in the Jubilee Cup final against Petone . Norths won a cliffhanger of a contest 23-20 to capture Wellington club supremacy for the sixth time and complete the male/female championship double for the fourth time. Hunt was a reliable regular and ultimately featured in 15 of 17 games in 2022 and saved possibly his best game to last.

2024: Gareth Ward Allen (Old Boys University)

Old Boys University won a Jubilee Cup final for the ages on Jerry Collins Stadium. OBU won 27-21, holding off waves of Tawa attack on their own goal line right up to the fulltime whistle, winning their fifth championship title since their first in 2015 and doing the Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double. As well as gargantuan defence on their own line, OBU won the game at the other end a few minutes earlier with a spectacular try – that was started on halfway when loosehead prop Gareth Ward-Allen made the run of his life up towards the posts and the next phase they scored.

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2025: Harry Press (Hutt Old Boys Marist)

Stop the Press. Harry Press became the first hooker in a Jubilee Cup final to pocket the Jim Brown Memorial Medal as the showpiece event’s most valuable player. He landed his darts with the efficiency of Phil Taylor – and following an hour of close-quarter niggling, tackling, ushering- exploded with a couple of Herculean rushes.

After leading 10-0 early and then 10-7 at halftime, Press and the Eagles scored three tries as good as any seen in Jubilee Cup deciders to take a 29-14 lead with over 10 minutes to play and there was no coming back for Tawa and the final scored was 29-22.