Centurions Men’s and Pride win late as U18s competition underway and U20s concludes

Twin wins today for the Centurions Men’s and U18s sides, with the men winning a high scoring last-gasp thriller and the Laifone Kamoto-c U18s pulling away late in their match. 

• By Steven White and Scott MacLean 

UPDATED: The Wellington Centurions Men’s team and the Wellington Pride both won late today in their matches on both sides of the Cook Strait.

The Centurions beat Tasman B 64-59 in a whirlwind encounter at Blenheim – scoring two tries in the last five minutes including a last play try for victory to wrap up an undefeated campaign this year.

The Pride pulled away late with a try and penalty to defeat the North Harbour Hibiscus 34-24 in their opening Farah Palmer Cup match at home at Rugby League Park.

The Wellington Lions succumbed 28-42 to Tasman in Blenheim in the late game, to fall to a 0/6 record in their 2026 NPC campaign. Wellington led 14-7 at halftime, but the home team pulled clear in the second half with the wind in their favour.

The Hurricanes U18s competition got underway today, while the Hurricanes U20s concluded with the third and last round set of matches.

The Poneke U85kgs are playing their final against Silverdale at North Harbour on Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm. The St Pat’s Silverstream First XV is playing Westlake Boys’ High School in their 3 v 4 Top 4 match on Sunday at 11.50am.

We start our round-up this weekend with the match at Kilbirnie Park between the Wellington U18 Centurions and the Wellington Māori U18s, which resulted in a 53-21 win to the Centurions team.

In an eventful second half, the Centurions did well to pull away late in the game to win nine tries to three. Late tries to first five Decodah Silva, fullback Maka Vaihola and blindside flanker and captain Laifone Kamoto (his third of the match) gave them a comfortable win in the end.

However, the second half was far from plain sailing for them as they were twice reduced to 13 players, having been shown two yellow cards and a red card. Lock Kitiona Teleapa, centre Liam Phelps and then later replacement wing Ashton Hamer were shown cards that meant their side had find another gear. Additionally, the Centurions lost another back to injury during this period of the game.

The Centurions had led 29-14 at halftime and Phelps’ teammate, flanker and Māori captain Connar Gregor, raced through to score to make it 29-21, the end result far from decided at this point.

Earlier, the Centurions had scored three tries to build a 19-0 lead in as many minutes. Phelps scored the first try, running on to a pass from No. 8 Z’Kdeus Schwalger following a couple of big runs from props Julius Toimata and Donncha McNamara-Taele.

The second try was scored by Kamoto following a series of penalties and a quick tap inside the 22. The third was set up by some good team work and passing in general play, with halfback Blake Miscall crossing the line.

In the 24th minute, the Māori scored their first try following a penalty inside the 22 on attack and swift passing out to left wing Rico Poutama who scored in front of the pool.

Four minutes later, the Centurions ran in their fourth try from another penalty and lineout and phase play close to the line to make it 24-7.

The Māori then replied with a terrific try to halfback Jayden Williams who ducked under a lineout win taken by lock Benny Steinbauer and raced 20 metres to score untouched for 24-14.

Just before halftime, the Centurions crossed for their fifth try when they packed down an attacking scrum inside the 22 and Kamoto crossed for his second and a straightforward try.

Now with the wind, a reasonably easy victory might have been expected by the Centurions, but the Māori team started brightly, led by captain Gregor and No. 8 James Raemaki, and the Centurions’ discipline fell to pieces. They conceded several penalties in a row and finally referee Barry lost his patience and made the first of three visits to his pocket for cards.

Later in the half, having emptied their subs bench as well, the Centurions held their composure to pull clear. A try from a penalty and attacking lineout by replacement loose forward Ryder Sao set this in motion.

Next week, the Centurions are in Palmerston North to play the Manawatu U18s, whilst the Māori meet Hawkes Bay U18s.

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In the other Division 1 game, the tournament opener today, the Hawke’s Bay U18s beat the Manawatu U18s 27-12 in Palmerston North.

In U18s Division 2 openers, Whanganui beat Horowhenua-Kapiti 56-21 in Levin and Wairarapa-Bush beat Poverty Bay 56-0 in Napier.

At North Park, Petone, the Wellington Fijian Flyers beat Horowhenua-Kapiti Maori 64-17.

The Hawke’s Bay Junior Magpies beat the Manawatu U20s 54-14 to win the Hurricanes U20s Central Region Shield title.

This is their first win since 2012 and breaks the hold Wellington has on this for the past dozen seasons.

The Wellington U20s finished their campaign with a 64-26 win over the Hurricanes Heartland U21s at Evans Bay Park.

Nine individuals scored Wellington’s 10 tries, with tries to right wing Navrin Campbell (2), front rowers Heath Tuifao, Cazna Sale and Elijah Talalupe, lock Lachie Earl, fullback Max Reynolds, replacement loose forward Matt Andrews and replacement halfback Bentley Faulkner. First-five Eden Govind kicked seven conversions.

Farah Palmer Cup

Firstly, a mea culpa from your correspondent who got the opposition for the Pride completely wrong (quietly updated soon after publishing by the editorial staff). It was of course North Harbour they were up against at Rugby League Park, and not Tasman.

That done, it took a late try to skipper Keira Su’a-Smith and a long-range penalty from Arene Landon-Lane to secure the points for the home side in a 34-24 win, but one that probably won’t satisfy the coaching staff.

Playing with the stiff northerly at their backs the Hibiscus made the best start when lock Izzy East crossed, before Wellington replied through debutant hooker Amiria Ranapia.

Prop Rialani Onesuma-Tuilaepa restored the lead, and Harbour built on that after Su’a-Smith saw yellow for what referee Charlie Harris – on first-class debut himself – determined was a cynical infringement when midfielder Holly Williams crossed. Down 12, the Pride fought back with tries to Nia Sutherland and Su’a-Smith but conceded the half-time lead when they failed to clear their lines and Harbour eventually worked the space for Louisa Tubailagi to score in the corner.

The second half had far less scoring with the Pride ultimately holding Harbour scoreless, but the visitors had their chances only to be denied by the home defence. Wellington eventually levelled 15 minutes in through Merania Paraone, before 20 scoreless minutes was ended when Su’a-Smith skipped through and Landon-Lane to secure the win.

Heartland Championship

The form book went out the window in today’s round of matches in the Heartland Championship. In Levin, Horowhenua-Kapiti rebounded from their loss to Wairarapa-Bush to take down heavyweights and previously unbeaten Whanganui 19-17, but Wairarapa-Bush coughed up their chance, conceding the last three tries to lose 47-36 to Thames Valley in Thames.

It was a far from ideal start for the Bush, losing midfielder Levi Harmon to injury inside the opening three minutes and forcing a backline reshuffle. In an enterprising but not wholly accurate first 40 it was Rams-loanee Leon Tuiloma who opened the scoring in the corner. Thames Valley replied in the opposite corner before the all-action Lewis Bush – a back trapped in a props body – crashed over in the same place Tuiloma did. Continuing the tit-for-tat scoring Thames Valley scored, then the Bush through Hayden Cooper, and then the Swamp Foxes once again. That sequence would be broken when Valley ran in a long-range effort, before Tuiloma pounced for his second.

Down 24-28 at the break, Wai-Bush would go up 38-28 through two tries to winger Soli Malatai. But their hearts would be broken by a strong surge from the Foxes to run out winners.

Elsewhere, like Whanganui, South Canterbury fell today, thumped 55-22 by King Country in Te Kuiti, while East Coast recorded a stunning 66-43 win in Greymouth over West Coast. Mid-Canterbury were 43-35 winners at home over a spirited Buller, and Poverty Bay suffered a third defeat at home, going down 45-27 to North Otago.

Hurricanes U15s

Auckland champions St Peter’s College repeated as winners of the Hurricanes U15 Tournament this morning, downing surprise finalists John McGlashan College from Dunedin 48-7 in a result that didn’t completely reflect the match.

The southerners made a spirited start, but were the first to concede with just five minutes gone. They would actually take the lead as a well-worked move was finished off in the south-west corner of Silverstream #1, but that would be their high point as St Peter’s waves of big bodies began to overwhelm their rather smaller opponents. Three tries in a seven-minute burst effectively ended the match in terms of the title, but the “Johnnies” remained determined but could not find a way through the very solid blue and gold wall. A fifth try right on halftime only increased the damage.

To their eternal credit, McGlashan – who had Hurricanes assistant and Southland legend Jamie “Whopper” Mackintosh giving them a hand during the week – refused to break and held the Aucklanders to just three tries in the second half with two of those coming in relatively flukey circumstances. There was little doubt about the first of them though, brilliantly finished in little space in the left-hand corner, but he second was a kick that held up on the slope in that same location while the third and final try came off a shanked, desperate, clearing kick that left his teammates all offside and unable to do a thing about it.

St Peter’s were deserving winners and the benchmark side all week. John McGlashan probably played their final yesterday when they upset Kelston and the final score perhaps reflected that but was still unflattering to their effort.

Manukura took home the Division 2 title, drawing with Stratford High School but winning through scoring the first try.

In the remaining matches Kelston beat St Thomas’ of Canterbury 46-24 for third, Scots beat Feilding 31-29 for fifth, and Dilworth were 29-21 winners over an undermanned Silverstream (owing to the U15 Rugby League tournament) for seventh. Gisborne overran St Bernards 41-5, and Francis Douglas accounted for Hato Paora 32-17.

In the Division 2 subsidiary matches HIBS beat Aotea 28-15, Nelson College’s B-squad beat the Ngati Porou East Coast union team 19-17, and HVHS beat Whanganui’s Cullinane 66-15