Club and College Finals and Representative rugby all on the schedule this weekend

Above: The Wairarapa-Bush and Wellington Māori teams in the thick of the action last weekend. Photo: Hugh Pretorius. Wairarapa-Bush are away to play Poverty Bay in their Heartland Championship season opener, while the Māori are at Rugby League Park to meet the Wellington Centurions. More below.

• By Scott MacLean

The path is clear for a booming weekend of rugby in the wider Wellington region with lots on to watch and follow.

As always, check back here from Saturday evening and through the weekend and beyond for our rolling coverage and post-game content.

College

A big weekend with the conclusion of the local part of the College season. The feature game of the weekend is Sunday’s Premiership decider between Wellington College and Silverstream at Porirua Park at the interesting kick-off time of 11.40am – previewed here in depth by Adam Julian yesterday – but tomorrow sees seven grade and division titles decided, all happening at St Pats Silverstream.

In the Premier grades, the Silverstream 2nds go in search of yet another Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup crown as the unbeaten side take on their Town 2nds counterparts at 2.00pm. Stream had to work to subdue a plucky Kapiti side last weekend while Town were surprisingly comfortable winners over Aotea. Stream will be warm favourites here, having easily dealt with Town in their previous meeting.

The Premier 3 title for the Willie Leota Taonga will be played out between the top two qualifiers, the Wellington College U16 Gold side and Wainuiomata High’s 1st XV at 1.00pm.  Both endured pulsating semi-finals; College beat their Town counterparts 22-21, while Wainui had to rely on being the home side as they drew 15-all with Naenae and were holding out on defence when full-time was blown.

Premier 4 is for the Onslow Cup and also features a pair of 2^nd XV’s, with St Bernard’s facing Rongotai at 1.00pm.

The flagship Under 15 Division 1 final pits the same schools that will feature on Sunday, with unbeaten Silverstream facing Wellington College for the Father Gus Hill Cup at 11.30am. Silverstream were far too good for Town in their semi-final, while in contrast College had to hold on against a determined Scots side.

The Division 2 final is an all-Upper Hutt affair as Hutt International takes on Silverstream Blue, while Division 3 sees Hutt Valley High faces the Town Under 14 side.

The sole weight-restricted final is the Under 65kg decider for the Ina Hansen Cup. Silverstream feature here as well and they’ll take on Hutt Valley High at 10.00am. Stream beat St Bernard’s last week, while HVHS upset top qualifying Wellington College Black.

Away from Finals Day, there is also the Wellington region Co-ed Cup final at Aotea College at 1.00pm between the host school and Naenae College.

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Club

Just one club game remains in the season, and just one piece of silverware left to find a home. That is the John Davies Cup for the Reserve Grade champion, and that decider takes place on Kilbirnie Park at 2.30pm between the top two sides as the Poneke Ruffnuts face the Johnsonville Cripples. Steven White previewed that match here yesterday.

Under 85s National Club Cup

Kilbirnie Park will be a busy place tomorrow afternoon, as two of the remaining Wellington sides in the National Club Cup clash on #2 with Poneke facing Paremata-Plimmerton for a place in the last eight. Tawa are also, finally, in action as they hit the road to New Plymouth to take on Tukapa at Sanders Park with the Bantams having eliminated HOBM last week.

In other matches of note this weekend defending champions High School Old Boys from Christchurch faces rural upstarts Oxford, 2024 winners Pakuranga head into central Auckland to face Grammar TEC, and Karaka are at home against College Rifles.

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Representative

The representative weekend is already underway, though not in a good way with the Wellington Lions being thoroughly dismantled 7-47 in an insipid performance against North Harbour at the Stadium last night, which will only add to the questions around this season’s coaching and recruitment.

Tomorrow there’s three matches happening. Two of those are at Kilbirnie Park with the Under 20s taking on their Tasman counterparts on #1 at the earlier time of 11.15am  in what’s become an annual fixture, while on #3 the Pasifika U20s host the Manawatu 20s from 12.00pm The third match comes later at 2.30pm, as the Centurions will be warm favourites against Te Upoko Wellington Maori when they clash at Rugby League Park.

For our neighbouring provinces the Heartland Championship gets started. Horowhenua-Kapiti commence with a home match at the Levin Domain against King Country, while Wairarapa-Bush start out with two away matches, the first of which is in Gisborne against Poverty Bay. All these games kick-off at 1.00pm.

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Team lists (as supplied):

Wellington Centurions

1.Senio Sanele (Upper Hutt)
2. Kaleb Saxon (Petone)
3. Bradley Crichton (Norths)
4. Samuel Thomson (Petone)
5. Jack Riley (OBU)
6. David Johnson (Ories)
7. Luke Bidois (Tawa)
8. Connor Tuifao © (Petone)
9. Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson (HOBM)
10. Jacob Waikari-Jones (Petone)
11. Jacob Kennedy (Jville)
12. Caleb Robson (HOBM)
13. Tom Maiava (Ories)
14. Daniel Tafili (Ories)
15. Luke Kapene (Wellington)

16. Emmanuel Solomona (Wainuiomata)
17. Harry Rankin (Petone)
18. Conley Alexander (Petone)
19. Dawson Smith (Upper Hutt)
20. Esi Komaisavai (Pare-Plim)
21. Mitchell Shields (OBU)
22. Braydon Soi (Wainuiomata)
23. Archie Treadwell (Wellington)
24. Jade Langi (Upper Hutt)
25. Viliame Rarasea (MSP)
26. Finlay Hagan (MSP)

Wellington Under 20s

1.Corban King (MSP)
2. Cazna Logovae-Sale (MSP)
3. Elijah Talalupe (Poneke)
4. Taniela Tuangalu (Wellington)
5. Archie Schrader (Petone)
6. Brandon Lo (HOBM)
7. Elijah Solomona (Wainuiomata)
8. Rupeni Raviyawa (HOBM)
9. Mike Brown (Poneke)
10. Advent Va’a (Ories)
11. Max Reynolds (MSP)
12. Jeremiah Tuhenga-Vaitupu (Poneke)
13. Brodee Tetevano (HOBM)
14. Navrin Campbell (MSP)
15. William Davis-Lenz (Petone)

16. Riley Browne (HOBM)
17. Niko Metuariki (Ories)
18. Hamish Huggins (Poneke)
19. Lachie Earl (OBU)
20. Tane Landon-Lane (Norths)
21. Kingston Hill (Petone)
22. Ele Lupe (Tawa)
23. Matthew Andrews (Avalon)
24. Makaio Ah Chong-Hoskings (OBU)
25. Fa’amavaega Lokeni (Wellington)
26. Axel Daken (Petone)
27. Bentley Faulkner (MSP)

Horowhenua-Kapiti

1.Brett Manaia (Loan – HOBM)
2. John MacNeilage (Paraparaumu)
3. Ted Northcott (Rahui)
4. Isaac Carter (Waikanae)
5. Michael Laursen (Foxton)
6. Massie Harvey (Foxton)
7. Lesen Huiarangi (Paraparaumu)
8. Mika Alaifatu (Loan – HOBM)
9. Kahn Fotuali’I (Foxton)
10. Ethan Woodmass (Foxton)
11. Leighton Ralph (Rahui)
12. Leka Tupuola (Loan – HOBM)
13. Connor Paki (Foxton)
14. Taine Hata (Waikanae)
15. Zane Ainslie (Loan – HOBM)

16. Brad Reilly (Paraparaumu)
17. Max Saunders (Paraparaumu)
18. David McErlean (Foxton)
19. Junior Sione (Wanderers)
20. Aaron Lahmert (Waikanae)
21. TJ Barnsley (Paraparaumu)
22. Himiona Henare (Wanderers)
23. Darren Falaniko (Wanderers)

Wairarapa-Bush

1.Stan Wright, Jr (Marist)
2. Leon Tuiloma (Loan – Upper Hutt)
3. Lewis Bush (Greytown)
4. Malakai Biumaiwai (Greytown)
5. Matt Masoe (Marist)
6. Isireli Biumaiwai (Greytown)
7. Marcus Ale (Marist)
8. Folau Finau-Vea (Loan – OBU)
9. Darryl Pickering (Carterton)
10. Hoera Stephenson (Loan – Havelock North)
11. Soli Malatai (Greytown)
12. Fiula Tameilau (Carterton)
13. Ethan Webster-Nonu (Loan – Pare-Plim)
14. Hayden Cooper (Marist)
15. Gracyn Evans (Greytown)

16. George Parkes (East Coast)
17. William Kloeg (Carterton)
18. Iherangi Namana (Carterton)
19. Charlie Gain (East Coast)
20. Van Prenter (East Coast)
21. Inia Katia (Carterton)
22. Archie Bennett (East Coast)
23. Harry Eschenbach (Martinborough)

Wellington College

1. Julius Toimata
2. Noah Sipeli
3. Harry Baddington
4. Benny Steinbauer
5. Tom Ward
6. Laifone Kamoto
7. Connar Gregor
8. Z’Kdeus Schwalger ©
9. Ben Willocks
10. Joe Barry
11. Tom Hughson
12. Ben Faitala
13. Taysian Davey-Tiotio
14. Liam Phelps
15. Cooper Werkhoven

16.Wynand Wolfhardt
17. Tupe Valu
18. Tomiteau Finau
19. Isaac Davey-Tiotio
20. Ike McGuinness
21. Kace Fata
22. TePeneamine Parai

St Patricks, Silverstream

1.Ryder Langi
2. Jahvaan Hunt
3. Vaitupu Vaitupu
4. Bronson Martin
5. Bezalel Fereti
6. Ryder Thompson ©
7. Issac Sanele
8. Val Tufui
9. Jakoby Marino
10. Fletcher Cooper ©
11. Troy Waldrom
12. Oakley Time
13. Shae Taitua
14. Payton Gleeson
15. Jaxon Ropitini

16. Cormac Sanson
17. Mea’ole Ma’i
18. Atonio Tupou
19. Donald Mar
20. Jesper Pedersen
21. Nathan Sale
22. Leeron Aunese

Wellington Pasifika U20s

1.Faimale Tagoai
2.TJ Robinson
3.Junior Tupou
4.Sio Tafili
5.Deziah Sau
6.Simeon Fa’atoafe
7.Wade Kafatolu
8.Andy Soanai (c)
9.Rome Katene
10.John Fitzgerald
11.Alipate Soro
12.Jarrell Sagote-Mears
13.Lui Perez
14.Diontae Marsh-Beddie
15.Adam Jansen Van Vutten

16. Xavier Sola
17.Solomona Vaka
18.Jeremy Kelly-Perez
19.Robin Taumoegaga
20.Saul Manueseuga
21.Kerej So’oa
22.Dyalan Johnson-Su’a
23.Asiah Johnson-Taiti