Pōneke And Johnsonville teams to meet in Reserve Grade decider on Saturday

• By Steven White

The last club final of the year could be one of the most fervently supported and hotly contested of the season.

The Pōneke Ruffnuts and the Johnsonville Cripples meet at Kilbirnie Park to decide this year’s Reserve Grade Division 1 John Davies Cup champion.

There have been 11 editions of the John Davies Cup, and the Ruffnuts have won four of them including the first two in 2015 and 2016, and they last win in 2023.

Johnsonville will be hunting their second title in this time but their maiden win for this trophy under its current competition structure. Johnsonville won the grade in 2018 but the John Davies Cup was presented to the winner of Division 2 that season and Johnsonville were presented with the Paul Donoghue Memorial Cup.

This year’s Reserve Grade season has been stop-start and disruptive to all teams, with multiple byes, defaults and the referee’s strike on 11 July.

Both teams have struggled for the consistency of just getting on the field and playing regularly. Pōneke have taken the field just eight times so far this year since the start of April, Johnsonville 10.

Pōneke and Johnsonville met on 13 June at Pukehuia Park in Newlands in their first round Mike Copeland Cup round-robin game, with Pōneke winning 29-24.

That win meant that Pōneke finished top and unbeaten with a 9/9 record and Johnsonville were second with eight wins and that one loss.

The Ruffnuts are also celebrating their 30^th anniversary, so to win the final and do the first round-second round double in 2026 is plenty of motivation, said team spokesperson Antz ‘The Commissioner’ Carter:

“With a mixture of highly experienced players and those fairly new to rugby, the Ruffnuts team have succeeded in creating an environment where we all belong. This season also provided an opportunity for a core group of players, who have known and grown up with each other since pre-school, to connect/re-connect and play a season together.”

Leading into last week’s semi-final the Ruffnuts had not had a game for 5 weeks. “If it weren’t for the very much appreciated club rugby spirit and kind acceptance of the OBU 69ers to play an unscheduled non-competition game the week prior to the semi-final, the Ruffnuts would have gone into the play-offs very underdone.”

“The semi-final against Wellington was a very physical and keenly contested event with the score only 10-nil to the Ruffnuts at halftime. Typically, the end score [41-7] did not reflect the game on the field, but it certainly allowed the team to shake off any cobwebs – or have them knock out of us – and get back into it groove.”

Johnsonville team spokesperson Andrew Mitchell said that the Cripples have been in good form over the past fortnight in their second round quarter-final and semi-final wins.

“The Cripples beat Upper Hutt 33-22 in the quarter finals, to set up a fantastic semi-final against OBU, which they only just beat a few weeks prior by 2 points, “Mitchell said.  “The boys started strong, with passion and commitment, they knew that the patterns and structures that they worked on during the season would get them through. Then within the first ten minutes their co-captain and 14-year Cripples team veteran, reaching out to score the opening try, snapped his ankle.”

“The resilience and passion for their downed teammate shows what this brotherhood is about. The boys’ defensive attitude and willingness to get the win for their fallen brother shows exactly what the Cripples are all about, Brothers First!”

“The team has been improving immensely throughout the season, with a few old heads regrettably being forced into retirement, the new greenhorns have stepped up. One of the biggest strengths that we have seen as a team is that if one of the players needs to come off we lose nothing with the next player coming on with the same determination and and commitment to their brothers and make their imprint on the game.”

The Ruffnuts have fielded a diverse playing group of new and returning players. “All have found a connection and belonging to the environment, community, style and approach the Ruffnuts family have maintained over its 30-year history,” said Commissioner Carter.

Four players to look out for in the Ruffnuts are first-five Wiki Taankink, who has also scored 25 tries so far this season, well-known Pōneke club No. 8 James ‘Rockitt’ Mose, wing/fullback Marcus Nguyen from the USA and prop Steve McLaren, making a rugby revival after several injury-plagued seasons.

Mitchell thanked the support of the Johnsonville club heading into the final.

“The support the club has given us throughout the season has been immense. If we are playing at Helston Park, Pukehuia Park or an away game. I know the boys and myself have heard ever word, and I know they try even harder for it.”

“This weekend we play to win! Not only for ourselves, our club, our supporters and our past players – 41 years and still going – but our captain and halfback DK who unfortunately can’t be on the field this weekend.”

Said the Ruffnuts’ Carter: “The Johnsonville Cripples are longtime foes and have an equally long club rugby history. It is somewhat fitting we face them again in a final.

“We are blessed to have a 30-year history and the shoulders of former Ruffnuts players and families to stand on. It is this rich history and the celebration of the Ruffnuts 30th Anniversary that will provide much of the motivation for this weekend’s final.

“We are hoping to have support from OG Ruffnuts, families, club and community this Saturday. It would be amazing for the team to run out to a huge crowd supporting both teams.”

Longtime coach, mentor, and former player, Carter will be stepping down after Saturday’s final having led and co-ordinated the Ruffnuts team for the better part of the last 10 years. Originally coming to the Ruffnuts to play with family around the mid-2000’s, his focus on providing an accessible, principled and inclusive environment has been key to the Ruffnuts successes. A win in this weekend’s Final would be a great way to say ‘Thank you’.

The team is also dedicating this game to John Davies, whom the cup is named after. “A wonderful Pōneke man and longtime supporter of our team. We know he hasn’t been well over the past few months and continue to send prayers and alofa to him and his family as we look to take the cup this weekend named after him.”

MATCH DETAILS

What: Reserve Grade Division 1 Final, for the John Davies Cup
Where: Kilbirnie Park #1
Who: Poneke Ruffnuts v Johnsonville Cripples
Match Officials: Andre Anderson (referee), Dan Jacobs and Adam Broster (ARs)
When: Saturday 15 August, 2.30pm

About the John Davies Cup

John Davies is a Life Member and Past President of Pōneke and a Past President of WRFU. He is a Professor Emeritus at the School of Management at Victoria University of Wellington. The Cup has been played since 2015.

Past Winners:

• 2015 Poneke Ruffnuts
• 2016 Poneke Ruffnuts
• 2017 Upper Hutt Rams Thirstys
• 2018 Upper Hutt Rams Thirstys (presented for Division 2, Johnsonville won the Division 1 final for the Paul Donoghue Memorial Cup)
• 2019 Poneke Ruffnuts
• 2020 Not Played For – covid
• 2021 Oriental Rongotai J8s
• 2022 Oriental Rongotai J8s
• 2023 Poneke Ruffnuts
• 2024 Upper Hutt Rams J8s
• 2025 Wellington

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