Pōneke Wanderers preparing for National U85kg Final on Sunday

• By Steven White

For the second successive year, the Pōneke Wanderers will be contesting the U85kg National Club Competition final, when they travel to North Harbour Stadium to play home team Silverdale in Sunday afternoon’s decider.

The Wanderers are in a good space and looking forward to the challenge of playing in the final and another chance of lightweight glory said No. 8 Sam Gard’ner, a veteran of over 160 combined Premier matches for the Wellington Axemen and Waikanae.

“The boys are ready and we look forward to heading up there and giving it our best shot of victory on Sunday,” said Gard’ner.

“We have had a great group of guys commit from day one for this competition and it has given us the opportunity to build each week, and we have played some tough opponents and have finished out some games which could have gone either way and we have pushed through.”

“We have proven to ourselves that if we get our attitude right, we can win anything.”

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Past Finals

• 2025: High School Old Boys Light Bears: 24, Poneke Wanderers: 19
• 2024: Pakuranga United Black Panthers: 23 v High School Old Boys Light Bears, Christchurch: 22
• 2023: High School Old Boys Light Bears, Christchurch: 45 v Takapuna Bombers: 17
• 2022: Southern Bush Pigs: 21 v University Debt Collectors: 19
• 2021: Southern Bush Pigs: 32 v Tukapa Bantams: 23
• 2020: Eden, Auckland: 27 v University Squids: 24

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The Wanderers beat Auckland’s Pakuranga 30-14 in this past weekend’s home semi-final to make the final for the second consecutive year.

In a closely fought, tense semi-final, No. 8 Sam Gard’ner burrowed over to score a clutch 70^th minute try that also buried the visitors’ challenge

“It was my first time playing against them and they are a sharp squad. We had to dig deep to hold the score down playing into the wind in the first half. Knowing we had the wind in the second half we knew we could finish the game out if we played well.”

“My try just came at a good time where we needed pressure relieved and then we got another chance at another three points to extend it.”

Max Rodgers stepped up and kicked the match-sealing penalty to close the game out.

Prior to that win, Pōneke had knockout victories over the Johnsonville Terrahawks (29-26), New Plymouth Old Boys (36-29), the Paremata-Plimmerton Piranhas (55-0) and Canterbury’s Darfield (22-7).

Pōneke will now head to North Harbour Stadium for this Sunday’s title decider where they’re sure to face a parochial home crowd backing local side Silverdale.

Silverdale have had wins over Auckland University (43-7), the Morrinsville Pukekos (29-24), Ponsonby (37-0), last year’s winner’s High School Old Boys (22-21) and Taranaki’s Tukapa (39-0).

Silverdale are 19-0 in 2026, outscoring opponents 705-171. They won the North Harbour championship for a third consecutive year, beating Massey 17-10 in the final before their Nationals run. Silverdale have won eight North Harbour championships since the competition began on the North Shore in 1985. Players to watch this year include openside and captain Brad Martin, centurion hooker Callum Reid, 50-game lock Matt Hughes, first five Jackson Epharims, and centre James Wright.

Gard’ner and Pōneke know that Silverdale will be a tough side to beat, especially playing at home.

“Our guys haven’t looked too much into each team week-to-week, we have just stuck to our formula – we will just go into this game and play our style of rugby and work together as a team as we have done every week.”

The Pōneke style is also the Wellington style – when in doubt take the direct approach.

“We are pretty good at working up the middle of the field, which has been a bit of a settler for us. When we find that we are getting ahead ourselves we find working it up the middle and retaining possession until we hear the call from our backs to create some quick ball for them to work their magic out wide.”

“If in doubt tighten it up a bit and let’s not force anything.”

Being the U85kg grade everything is done at speed. “You have got to have your support with you, if you take off on your own you get turned over unless you can hold your feet or bide some time for your support.”

The Pōneke side has a mix of experienced players, many of whom have played at a higher – or heavier – level.

Gard’ner’s good friend Ben Huntley out in the backs is a case in point. He is a Pōneke Premier double centurion and is now enjoying closing out his career in this grade.

Gard’ner himself played 97 Premier games in Wellington club rugby for the Wellington Axemen and some 70 for Waikanae, where he was player-coach at in their Premier Ramsbotham Cup squad this year.

It was Huntley who recruited Gard’ner to this team. “He asked me to come and play for this team last year. I had work commitments last year, so it didn’t work out. When he put it to me this year at Hilton Mexted’s engagement party I said yep, I think I will be pretty keen on that!”

Other players of note include Jimmy Lee-Hongara and Pasia Asiata, who is a Light Black, having toured twice to Sri Lanka with the New Zealand U85kg team.

As well as winning the final, making that team is another carrot for the players.

Pōneke’s plan on Sunday is to head up in the morning, play the game, then fly home that night. Win or lose, there will be a gathering at the Pōneke clubrooms on Sunday night for the team and supporters, which may or may not extend into the small hours and beyond depending on the work commitments of some of the players.

• Sam is the son of former Wellington lock Brendan “Compost” Gard’ner who played 79 games (six tries, 52 wins) for Wellington between 1976 and 1984, winning two NPC titles in 1978 and 1981. Brendan won the Jubilee Cup with Wellington in 1982 and later served as President of Wellington Rugby.

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Match details:

What: 2026 U85kg National Knockout Cup Final

Who: Pōneke Wanderers v Silverdale Procut Truffle Pigs

Where: North Harbour Stadiun

When: Sunday 6 September, 2.00pm

Coverage: Livestreamed on the All Blacks You Tube channel: