Club, college and representative rugby all being played this weekend

Action from last week’s Colts semi-finals semi-final between Poneke and Norths. Poneke are back at home tomorrow hosting Old Boys University in the Division 2 decider. Photo: Bob O’Neill.

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

It’s the club rugby Colts finals, the start of the National U85kg Knockout Cup competition, Reserve Grade quarter-finals and Presidents Day tomorrow – and that is just club rugby.

The last round of the college Premiership and Premier 2 seasons is tomorrow, while the representative gets underway as well, with the Wellington U20s playing away and the Te Upoko Wellington Māori side at home on Saturday and the Wellington Lions playing on Sunday.

More below in our first club/representative combined preview of the year.

Club

While the Premier grades finished up last weekend, there are three grades still going.

Colts

The two age-grade finals take place a 9-iron apart from each other in the eastern suburbs, and we took a look at the Division 1 final yesterday at https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2026/07/30/msp-and-petone-meeting-in-colts-division-1-decider-this-saturday/. Petone go looking for a sweep of the main titles in the John E Kelly Cup championship, but to do that will have to overturn last week’s defeat to Marist St Pats. That win secured MSP hosting rights, and they’ll want to make it count.

Over on Kilbirnie Park, Poneke hosts Old Boys-University in the Vic Calcinal Memorial Cup decider. This final should also be close and both teams are coming off a pair of wins with Poneke beating the Upper Hutt Rams 27-10 and then Northern United 25-19 and OBU pipping Paremata-Plimmerton 24-21 and again 27-10 in last Saturday’s semi-final.

Poneke were fifth at the end of the first round Paris Memorial Trophy competition with four wins and four losses and OBU were seventh with two wins and six defeats. Poneke won 26-17 when they met at the end of the Paris Memorial Trophy first round on 13 June and their scheduled second round match on 11 July was cancelled owing to the referees strike.

Reserves

The ever-popular Reserve Grade enters their playoffs. The top seven teams contest the John Davies Cup, and as winners of the Mike Copeland Cup and top qualifiers, the Poneke Ruffnuts get the week off. The three knockout matches see the Johnsonville Cripples welcome the Upper Hutt Thirsty’s to Helston, the OBU Righteous Pink Ginners host Stokes Valley at Nairnville, and the Pare-Plim Punters and defending champions Wellington clash at Ngati Toa Domain.

The two Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup matches see the Mixed Veges take on the Petone Brotherhood in the Ian Galloway cage, and the MSP Internationals and Wainuiomata Legacy take to Evans Bay after the Colts final finishes.

Presidents

The Presidents grade finishes up tomorrow, with all 10 teams being hosted by Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngati Toa Domain.

Under 85kg National Club Cup

Other club teams haven’t disappeared from the landscape just yet, with tomorrow seeing the first round of the National Under 85kg competition. Ten Wellington clubs have entered (a record for the region); all eight that fielded an 85s team this season plus MSP and Petone.

Three matches are being played in Wellington tomorrow.

Last year’s National runners-up Poneke have a tricky start as they head to Helston to face Johnsonville at 1.00pm. Elsewhere the two clubs that contested the Division 2 final two weeks ago, HOBM and OBU, meet again only this time at the Hutt Rec at 1.00pm, while Pare-Plim and Wellington take to Ngati Toa Domain at 3.00pm.

Petone are also drawn to play this weekend, facing Taranaki’s Tukapa and meeting in Bulls for their match. Tawa and MSP meet next weekend, while Eastbourne have a bye into the second round.

College

Little drama in either of the top two grades as the four semifinalists in each have already been found, but there could be some jockeying for position.

In the Premiership, the feature clash is out north of Masterton where leaders Wellington College (32) take on second-placed Rathkeale (29). Wellington is already certain of home semi-final, but would want to nail down top spot anyway, while Rathkeale could finish up anywhere from top to fourth. That’s because Town (29) are at sixth-placed Hutt International, while Silverstream (27) will be the warmest of favourites against winless Mana. The remaining matches have Wairarapa College hosting Rongotai, and Scots head to Lower Hutt to take on St Bernard’s.

In Premier 2, the eagerly-anticipated clash between leaders the Silverstream 2nds (37) and Aotea (35) isn’t happening, with illness ravaging the Porirua school this week. The Town 2nds (32) could overhaul, but are in a 3^rd vs 4^th matchup with Kapiti (27) up the coast. Those four are already locked into the playoffs after Kapiti beat Tawa midweek in a catchup match, so for the remainder its tomorrow and maybe one more next week. The Wellington College 2nds host Hutt Valley HS, Porirua visit the Silverstream 3rds, and Tawa chase their first win against Paraparaumu.

Representative

Straight into representative play for some, with three Wellington teams in action this weekend.

Tomorrow the U20’s hit the road for Taihape where they’ll take on their Waikato counterparts in what’s become something of an annual fixture, while much closer to home Te Upoko Wellington Māori provide the first opposition for the Horowhenua-Kapiti Heartland side at Porirua Park at 2.00pm.

There was one other match scheduled for tomorrow with the Wellington Centurions heading to Memorial Park in Masterton to face Wairarapa-Bush, but this has been cancelled with the flu running rampant through the Bush squad.

Sunday sees the Wellington Lions return to the Stadium for their NPC opener, taking on Hawke’s Bay in a 5.00pm kickoff.

The Lions have selected an intriguing side to set the stands aflutter for their first match to start the 50th season of the NPC. There are a number of new selections, many of whom local fans and supporters know little about and have never seen play.

Lions teams have traditionally excited through their backs, but a win on Sunday could come via the forwards where by far the most experience lies. In terms of local players, James O’Reilly starts at hooker with Hurricanes locks Caleb Delany and Hugo Plummer at lock. Delany is the captain. Moana Pasifika’s Dominic Ropeti and Hurricanes duo Du Plessis Kirifi and Matolu Petaia make up the starting loose forwards.

Petone halfback Logan Henry plays inside Hurricane Callum Harkin and Petone’s Losi Filipo is on the right wing. Cameron Burgess is a former St Pat’s Town player and returned home and to MSP this year where he played six club rugby fixtures so even he is somewhat of an unknown outside his club and circle.

It’s a 6/2 forwards split on the bench, again providing some indication of where the Lions might look to win this one.

A handful of well-known players are not playing, with Brad Shields and Stanley Solomon already known to be on the injured list, but the omission of former All Black Julian Savea with seemingly no explanation is curious. The player known as the Bus appeared to get through the full game last Friday against Taranaki unscathed so supporters will hope he returns soon.

The Magpies haven’t exactly named a vintage side either so this one could be close.

The Manawatu Turbos head to Northland to play their first match. TK Howden captains their side with five debutants and former St Pat’s Town lock and Northland player Rory Woods at openside flanker and Hurricane Brayden Iose at No. 8. A strong midfield, with former Hurricane Ngani Laumape and Kyle Brown teaming up there. Ories outside back Pena Va’a is in the squad but is out with a hamstring injury for a few weeks.

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Teams (as advised or seen)

Wellington Lions

1. Jake Turnbull (Import)
2. James O’Reilly (HOBM)
3. Samuela Tawake (Import)
4. Caleb Delany (captain – OBU)
5. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
6. Dominic Ropeti (Ories)
7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (Norths)
8. Matolu Petaia (Tawa)
9. Logan Henry (Petone)
10. Callum Harkin (OBU)
11. Reo Matsushita (Japan)
12. Divad Palu (Import)
13. Jackson Ropata (Import)
14. Losi Filipo (Petone)
15. Cam Burgess (MSP)

16. Peniali Poasa (Ories)
17. Geordie Bean (OBU)
18. Alex Hewitt (Upper Hutt)
19. Kenki Yanagawa (Japan)
20. Sione Halalilo (Ories)
21. Murphy Taramai (Upper Hutt)
22. Riley Williams (Import)
23. Piri Paraone (Petone)

MSP Colts

Poneke Colts

Poneke U85kgs

Johnsonville Reserve Grade-U85kgs