Matchday scoring highlights: Horowhenua-Kapiti (73) v Te Ūpoko O Te Ika – Wellington Māori Rugby (31)

The two teams met at Porirua Park on Saturday in fine but breezy conditions, in their opening fixtures of the 2026 representative rugby season.

Players in both sides were coming off hard-fought, committed campaigns with their club teams spread throughout the Wellington and Horowhenua-Kapiti competitions.

Horowhenua-Kapiti made a bright and breezy start to the game and to their season, but the Te Ūpoko O Te Ika – Wellington Māori Rugby side found their feet and replied with some enterprising play of their own. The visitors ran clear with the result, with a burst of scoring in the second half, scoring three tries in five minutes, and then scored their 11th and last try of the day on fulltime.

Horowhenua-Kapiti play their second and final pre-season game this coming Saturday against the Manawatu Development squad in Palmerston North, where they will welcome their allotted loan players to their team for the first time this year. Te Ūpoko O Te Ika host Wairarapa- Bush at Maidstone Park. The following week, Horowhenua-Kapiti return home to host King Country at Levin in round one of the Heartland Championship.

Scoring highlights of that game here below: