Sideline Conversions 27 July (some news and Information to start the week)

Monday morning edition – updates expected: Congratulations to all winners of the club finals on Saturday, now the club season turns to the ride its conclusion of the Colts and Reserve Grade competitions.

The Colts finals this coming Saturday at both at the Kilbirnie precinct, with Marist St Pat’s emerging as top qualifier to earn hosting rights for the finals. MSP will host Petone at Evans Bay Park (venue to be confirmed) for the Division 1 John E Kelly Cup and Pōneke will host Old Boys University in the Division 2 decider across the road at Kilbirnie Park. Both games are set to kick-off at 1.00pm.

There is three weeks remaining in the Reserve Grade Division 1 competition and a fortnight to play in Division 2, with quarter-finals in the former this coming Saturday and semi-finals in the latter.

The National Knockout Cup gets underway on Saturday too, with three games in Wellington, these being:

• Johnsonville v Pōneke, Helston park
• HOBM v OBU Scallywags
• Paremata-Plimmerton v Wellington

It’s Presidents Day this coming Saturday as well, hosted by Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngati Toa Domain.

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It’s the last round of college Premiership and Premier 2 this coming Saturday, ahead of the semi-finals next weekend. There is a Premier 2 catch-up game this coming Wednesday at 4.30pm at Lyndhurst Park between Tawa College and Kapiti College.

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Representative rugby gets underway this Saturday and the Wellington Centurions men’s team plays the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland squad in Masterton. This is the first of six consecutive matches for them in 2026, but just two are at home (15 August v Wellington Māori and 29 August v Manawatu Development).

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Tipping Competition

Final results for 2026 below.

If winner rhinotillexomania, runner-up Brownie1992 and also Nate W (leader after the first round) could get in touch with us to claim prizes please do so. Please email us at editor@clubrugby.co.nz or contact us with a message through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NZClubRugby/ or Instagram at @clubrugby

UPDATE – the winner has already been in touch!

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The All Blacks are being named today for South Africa – the mainstream media guys will be clamouring for this one.

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A solid representation of players with ties to Wellington in the Wairarapa Bush and Horowhenua-Kapiti Heartland Championship squads named in the past week.

OBU’s Folau Finau-Vea returns for a second season with “The Bush”, joined as loan player by Upper Hutt’s Leon Tuiloma who looks to cover both hooker and flanker. “Local” players include Lewis Bush (Upper Hutt), Marcus Ale (J’ville), Soli Malatai (Upper Hutt), Charles Mataitai (Avalon), and Wainuiomata 200-gamer Greg Lealofi after his season for champions Greytown. Levi Harmon (Poneke) is also back, this time as a loan player from Manawatu’s College Old Boys.

The HK contingent is led by Brandyn Laursen (HOBM) who is player-coach at Paraparaumu these days alongside Dane Coles, but also includes Jayson Aquila (Avalon) and Ted Northcott (Pare-Plim).

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Reports that Petone were partying hard on Saturday night – and perhaps still are – like it was 1907 after their “triple double” win on Saturday. All three of their teams in finals won their finals, after also taking out their first rounds.

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The Wellington Lions squad played their second pre-season match on Friday in coastal Taranaki. The match was played in sodden conditions beside the beach so not a lot could be gauged from the match with both sides trying different combinations and plays. Taranaki led 21-0 early in the second half but Wellington came back to score two tries and the final score was 21-14.

The Lions open their NPC campaign this coming Sunday against the Hawke’s Bay Magpies, who have have a quiet pre-season with just a couple of internal matches. The opener kicks off at Wellington Stadium at 5.05pm on Sunday. Kids go free, so match promoters will be hoping for a big crowd.

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Tane McMillan-Parata celebrated his 200th match for this club with the Hardham Cup win  – the first second round title for the club following their 2023 Swindale Shield victory.

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A shoutout to Smeagle the Eagle for braving the elements at Porirua Park and valiantly cheering his two teams on all afternoon. Smeagle’s constantly waving flag was also a good wind gauge for those in the stand.

The OBU women’s team were seen with a mascot as well, possibly named ‘Irene the Impala’.

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Most tries in Wellington club rugby finals? We will have to check this, but probably Ayesha Leti-L’iga, with another two tries in Saturday’s Women’s Division 1 final:

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Is it time at the end of this season for the Ranfurly Shield to have a major overhaul?

Yes its been going since 1904 and Wellington were its first winners but in our opinion its been in need of a revamp for a number of years now. Last week saw the annual NPC side versus Heartland team thrashing masquerading as a challenge, with Otago beating Mid Canterbury 78-14.

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Meanwhile in South Canterbury club rugby it was a 104-minute final on Saturday, with Harlequins beating Temuka in the 24th minute of golden point extra time.

This reminds us of a story Dave Loveridge recounted in his book whilst playing in a Taranaki final. A similar situation and the match ended when it was dark.

What is the longest game that has been played in New Zealand?

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Petone lock Jonathan Bailey, who played his 50th senior game in Petone’s 18-10 Jubilee Cup final win against Hutt Old Boys’ Marist, is headed to Thomond RFC in Limerick during the off season.

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Ma’a Nonu moves on to his next role soon with the Sharks in South Africa. Primarily in a ‘mentorship’ role, but the chances of him continuing to play will be high! read more at: https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/sharks-sign-blacks-legend/

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Hutt Old Boys Marist Premier halfback Kian O’Connell tested as the fastest sprinter in the Wellington Academy this year, running 10.8 seconds for the 100 metres.

Fizz Paulo went to Holy Family School, about 400m from Jerry Collins Stadium.

Noah Krijnen has the Dutch National Rugby team interested in him. He is affectionately called the White Rhino.

HOBM’s Sala Soloa played for the Premier 2 winning team a decade ago.

Ratu Valegatu scored 28 tries in the second division. Phelan Rona scored six tries against Old Boys University.

Petone finished the season with a 14-2 record. They had the best attack and defence. The first Petone team to win the Jubilee Cup in 1930 had a 12-3 record. Their last winning team in 2005 had a 14-6 record. In 1993, Petone was 19-1 and also won the Hardham Cup.

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Why is the Wellington Lions coach selecting the Jim Brown Memorial Medal winner when he withdraws players from club finals and has overlooked club rugby with most of his NPC selections?

And yes Cam Ferreira was a deserved winner of this year’s Jim Brown Medal – this point was raised before kick-off on Saturday. We can think of at least instance in the recent past where the actual player of the final was overlooked for the second best player on the day for apparent reasons to some because he didn’t make the Wellington Lions squad and the selector for this was a Lions coach.

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The Porirua weather was possibly only worse on the First XV Premiership final day in 2022 when St Patrick’s College, Silverstream beat St Patrick’s College Wellington 28-14. It was bitterly cold during the 2016 Jubilee Cup final in Porirua, which Tawa won 24-20 against MSP.  In the 2012 Jubilee Cup final at the Hutt Rec, won by Marist St Pats 14-8 over Ories, there was a torrential downpour. For OGs, it was colder still on Finals Day in 2008 when it snowed that weekend.

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Trojan shifts from Emma Paisley and Lucy Barry organising finals day for Wellington rugby. Referee Ethan Jefferson was a late replacement for an ill Nathan Pinder for the Hardham Cup final. Bradley Parkin, 16, did a fine job while often shivering in the chill, officiating the Tia Passi Cup final. Sam Landers, a doctor from Taranaki who studied in Otago, had a fine week officiating the epic Town v Stream traditional on Wednesday and the Ed Chaney Cup final.

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Despite beating St Peter’s Cambridge 32-28 in the last round of the Central North Island competition, Feilding High School, National Top Four runners-up in 2025, have been below par in 2026, missing the semi-finals of the Taine Randall Cup for the first time since 2021.

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The epic 38-36 win by St Pats Town over St Pats Silverstream at Evans Bay Park on Wednesday featured a winning try scored by Wellington Under-16 openside Raphael Mettrick, his second of the 22nd win against Town in the annual Old Boys Cup since 1987. Remarkably, his father Geoff Mettrick kicked the winning penalty for Town in the same fixture in 1987, the only points in Town’s first win at Silverstream since 1975. Silverstream won 19 of 24 games in 1987. Geoff Mettrick played four seasons in the Town First XV from 1985 to 1988. In that span, Town won 75 out of 89 games, including an unbeaten season in 1986. In 1987 Geoff scored 143 points, his promise curtailed by a back injury. It was far from the end of the Mettrick legacy at St Pat’s Town. Geoff’s oldest sons Francis (2020-22) and Dominic (2023-25) also played in the backs for the Town First XV. Their grandfather, Geoffrey’s father, Keith Mettrick, was a Wellington representative and Oriental Rongotai stalwart. The gym at the Polo Ground is named after Keith, whose brother Neil was another long-serving Magpie. For two decades from 1980 to 1999 Keith’s brother Alan Mettrick was a leading referee.

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Antonio Prim (15 wins in 21 Tests) was an interested spectator in Lisbon during the Hardham VC Memorial Cup final. The Portugal prop who played for the Wellington Axemen in 2024 recently started for Os Lobos in their first-ever 32-28 win over Tonga in the World Rugby Nations Cup. Prim helped Wellington snap their 43-game losing streak between 2022 and 2024. He reflected on his time in New Zealand.

“It was a short stint but a memorable one. The Kiwis’ love and care for the game are unique, and, personally, it was good timing after not being selected for the World Cup. I fell back in love with the game and was able to receive some great coaching from the Wellington Centurions and Wellington Lions.”

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Super Rugby Aupiki’s player of the season will be officially crowned at the New Zealand Rugby Awards in December. Almost certainly Kaipo Olsen-Baker will join Luka Connor (Chiefs Manawa, 2022), Lucy Jenkins (Matatū, 2023), Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues, 2024), and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Blues, 2025) as the fifth Aupiki MVP. The Black Ferns No.8 was dynamite, scoring in every round-robin match and finishing the competition with a leading eight tries in seven appearances. Olsen-Baker ranked top tackler with 136, 18 ahead of teammate Elinor-Plum King, who was two ahead of lock Laura Bayfield. She made the most carries with 108, the only player to crack a century. She also ranked in the top ten for clean breaks (6) and defenders beaten (26). Olsen-Baker is a force of nature, arguably the best women’s rugby player on the planet. Despite her brilliance, the Blues defended their title with a 28-21 win in the final in Christchurch.

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Zach Hughes, 14, scored nine tries and kicked 12 conversions for a staggering 69-point haul in a 111-12 win by his James Hargest College Junior Boys team against Maruawai College in Gore on Saturday.

​Hughes’ tally might be the highest by any individual in a schoolboy match in the South Island. In 1992 future All Black Jeff Wilson scored nine tries and kicked 15 conversions playing for Cargill High School against James Hargest College. Wilson’s 66 points came days before the four-point try changed to five points, and under current calculations he would have scored 75 points.

​In 1987 Darren Little did score 75 points (9 tries, 15 conversions) for the Dilworth 3rd XV against the Auckland Grammar School fourth grade team.

​In 2014 Matt Whaanga, later an Otago, Southland and Highlanders representative, scored ten tries and kicked five conversions for a 60-point haul for South Otago High in their 70-5 thrashing of James Hargest College. ​

In 2012 Otago Boys’ Ben Miller scored 50 points on his First XV debut in a 135-0 defeat of James Hargest.

Japan’s Toru Kurihara holds the world record for most points in a Test match with 60 (6 tries and 15 conversions) against Chinese Taipei on July 21, 2002.

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Photos website

View and bookmark the photos website at https://clubrugby.smugmug.com/2026

More photo galleries being added today/tonight.