NPC Number Crunching: Wellington Lions v Canterbury

The Wellington Lions still remain winless after the first seven rounds of this season’s competition. They are only two losses short of equalling the record nine they lost in a row at the start of 2014.

Having lost their final two matches in 2025 the Lions have now gone nine matches without a win and are just one short of their record 10 defeats in a row between 2013 (lost the final match) and 2014.

However, the Lions have established a new record for most consecutive losses in away matches. All four matches played away this season and the final four last season means they have gone eight straight away matches without a win. That is one more than the old record of seven which occurred when they lost their final four matches in 1991 and the first three in 1992.

The Lions record in all away matches is: played 262, won 138 (52.7%), lost 116 and drawn eight. Wellington and Canterbury have met 58 times in the NPC. Both sides have won 28 matches apiece, with two draws.

At the end of this match Canterbury had taken their aggregate points scored against Wellington to 1414 to place them ahead of Waikato (1402 points) for most points scored against the Lions.

Canterbury also finished the match having scored a total of 174 tries: a new record against the Lions beating the 173 scored by Waikato.

Canterbury has hosted Wellington 30 times for 19 wins, nine losses and two draws.

Wellington had won the previous three matches away to Canterbury.

The Lions played their first match at Canterbury’s new ground, One New Zealand Stadium. This is the fourth venue at which Canterbury has hosted the Lions after AMI Stadium, formerly Lancaster Park, (21 matches), Apollo Projects Stadium (seven matches) and one at Rangiora Showground Oval.

Wellington conceded 66 points for the second time in a match: both times to Canterbury. They had lost 17-66 at Christchurch in 1995. Canterbury now holds the record of three of the four highest scores against the Lions. Otago is at the top (82-10 in 1998) followed by Canterbury’s 73-7 in 1997, 66-17 in 1995 and now 66-19 this season

The Lions have conceded 50 or more points in a match 14 times including three times in 2026. This is a new record for a season bettering the two times, in successive matches, against Manawatu and Taranaki in 2016.

In this match the Lions conceded 10 tries. That number has only been exceeded twice: in 1997 Canterbury scored 11 tries and in 1998 Otago scored 12 tries. The latter occasion was 28 years ago.

The Lions have conceded 53 tries so far in 2026, a new record for a season and the first time they have passed 50. In 2014 and 2025 they had 49 tries scored against them, both times in 10 matches.

Canterbury had scored 40 points by halftime in this match but I have not had a chance to confirm if that is the most points conceded by the Lions in the first half of any match. I suspect it is.

By a strange coincidence the Lions have scored 14 points in the second half of each of their last four matches.

The Lions made two changes to their starting XV from that which started the previous match against Tasman. Both changes were in the backs.

At the end of this round Wellington remained planted at the bottom of the Standings in 14th place.

Canterbury retained the Harry Saundercock Memorial Trophy.

Matt Proctor scored the Lions first points with a try in the 39th minute. It was his 15th in 65 appearances. His first-ever try was also against Canterbury in his fourth match in 2012, his debut year

Jake Turnbull’s try was his first, in his seventh match.

Jake Turnbull.

Losi Filipo has scored 18 tries for the Lions in 40 matches. He now has four tries against Canterbury including a double at Christchurch in 2023 and one at Porirua last year. One of Filipo’s tries was scored against South Canterbury in a pre-season Ranfurly Shield match in 2023.

Losi Filipo.

Callum Harkin’s four points took his tally in 24 matches to 93, 18 of which have been scored against Canterbury. Harkin kicked a 50/22 in the 35th minute.

Callum Harkin.

Stanley Solomon appeared for the first time this season and took the number of players to have taken the field in 2026 to 33.

Wellington Coach Trent Renata scored a try for the Lions against Canterbury in their 2019 Semi-final match in Wellington.

Corey Kellow scored his second try for Canterbury against Wellington.

Dallas McLeod scored a double in the match to take his total number of tries against the Lions to four.

Louie Chapman, Kurtis Macdonald and Jone Rova all scored their first try against the Lions.

George Bell’s try was his second against Wellington.

Ngane Punivai scored his fourth try against the Lions.

Xavier Treacy scored two tries, his first against the Lions.

In recent years it has been uncommon for two Canterbury players to each score more than one try in a match against Wellington. It was back in 1997 when it last happened: in their 73-7 win at Christchurch.

Afato So’oalo scored three tries and Darryl Gibson scored twice. Two years earlier Gibson had scored two tries as did Simon Forrest in their side’s 66-17 victory.

James White kicked 10 points to add to the 11 points he scored against the Lions in 2024 and the four points scored last year.

Andrew Knewstubb contributed six points to the score.

Before this season Maggie Cogger-Orr had never refereed a match which involved the Lions. She has now controlled two of their last three matches.

The Wellington Lions have played 530 NPC matches for 330 wins (62.3%), 188 losses and 12 draws. They have failed to win exactly 200 matches.

This coming Saturday in Round 8 the Lions host Northland at Hnry Stadium. The two sides have previously met 37 times: Wellington has won 29 matches to Northland’s eight. Northland has won the last two encounters including the most recent match hosted by the Lions at Porirua in 2022.

Northland is the current holder of the Ranfurly Shield but unfortunately this will not be a challenge match.