U16s tournament underway, Pride chasing home semi and Heartland Championship heats up

• By Scott MacLean

The 15s season is winding down, but it is far from over. There are a number of teams in action this weekend for Wellington and lower North Island supporters to follow.

Representative

The season is rapidly coming to an end, with more teams having reached their finish line for the year.

Of the teams still going, one finishes up this afternoon at Evans Bay as the U18 Māori Boys take on Tasman at 3.00pm.

Tomorrow is highlighted by a doubleheader at Lyndhurst Park. First up are the Wellington U16 Girls at 11am, followed by the Wellington U16 Boys at 1.00pm with both against Manawatu opposition.

The Wellington and Manawatu U16s Boys are playing their opening match of the 2026 HYRC’s U16 competition. The other Division 1 match tomorrow is in Napier between the Hawke’s Bay A and Hawke’s Bay Development teams.

The U16 Division 2 games tomorrow see Wairarapa-Bush hosting Whanganui and Poverty Bay and Horowhenua-Kapiti meeting in Napier. The tournament-proper is at Whanganui Collegiate between Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 October.

The Wellington U16 Māori Boys are also in action tomorrow with the second of their two matches this week against a team from the Brothers Academy in Melbourne; this is at Evans Bay at 11.00am.

Heading out of town are the U18 Co-ed Schools Boys, facing Taranaki in Patea, and both U18 girls sides. The U18 Girls are in Palmerston North against Manawatu, with the Centurion U18 Girls taking on Hawke’s Bay in Pahiatua.

Sunday the focus shifts to the Cake Tin for a doubleheader there. The Wellington Pride can lock up home advantage for the Farah Palmer Cup Championship playoffs with a win over Tasman but will need to be wary of the regular strugglers after they tipped over Hawke’s Bay – who beat the Pride – last weekend. It’s a largely unchanged side for the Pride, with Lynda Rabeni-Vatuloka, Sophia Ropeti, and Ivana Samani all coming into the starting XV.

Following is the Lions clash with Waikato and the last chance for the men to get a win on home soil for the year in a trying campaign. Injuries and form have dictated another round of changes, the most intriguing of which has Stanley Solomon at first-five and Callum Harkin at fullback.

Heartland

Plenty to play for in the penultimate round of the Heartland Championship. Both neighbouring provinces are at home; Horowhenua-Kapiti (22) are one of six sides on 21, 22, or 23 points and chasing a Meads Cup playoff place and they face one of those other teams when they take on North Otago (22) at the Levin Domain at 1.00pm. Across the hills, Wairarapa Bush (15) play the first of two matches on the Memorial Park turf to finish the regular season, and their hopes of a Meads Cup berth depends on taking maximum points from both of those though the first comes against Whanganui (22) at 1.00pm.

Elsewhere leaders King Country (27) are at home in Taumarunui against Buller (13), South Canterbury (21) have a big clash away at Thames Valley (22), and defending champions Mid-Canterbury (23) head over the Alps to face West Coast (5). The sixth match is the local derby in Ruatoria between East Coast (6) and Poverty Bay (8).

Teams (as supplied):

Wellington Lions

1.Jake Turnbull (Import)
2. James O’Reilly (HOBM)
3. Siale Lauaki (Norths)
4. Matolu Petaia (Tawa)
5. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
6. Dominic Ropeti (Ories)
7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (Norths)
8. Rupeni Raviyawa (HOBM)
9. Logan Henry (Petone)
10. Stanley Solomon (Petone)
11. William Davis (Petone)
12. Losi Filipo (Petone)
13. Matt Proctor (Wellington)
14. Jackson Ropata (Import)
15. Callum Harkin (OBU)
16.Penieli Poasa (Ories)
17. Sekope Lopeti-Moli (Import)
18. Alex Hewitt (Upper Hutt)
19. Kenkichi Yanagawa (Japan)
20. Murphy Taramai (Upper Hutt)
21. Riley Williams (Import)
22. Cam Burgess (MSP)
23. Reo Matsushita (Japan)

Wellington Pride

1.Keiana Roffey (Poneke)
2. Valini Vaka © (Ories)
3. Faythe Finau (Norths)
4. Eva Maora (Petone)
5. Jackie Patea-Fereti (Petone)
6. Lourdes Faifua (Petone)
7. Paige Lilo (Norths)
8. Lynda Rabeni-Vatuloka (Petone)
9. Milly Mackey (Petone)
10. Keira Su’a-Smith © (Wainuiomata)
11. Iva Samani (Ories)
12. Sophia Ropeti (Ories)
13. Merania Paraone (Ories)
14. Anatasia Kerr (Petone)
15. Litia Bulicakau (Petone)
16.Amaria Ranapia (Wainuiomata)
17. Paige Misky (Norths)
18. Giavanna Leo (Norths)
19. Sanita Levave (Tasman)
20. Sinead Ryder (Ories)
21. Baylee Merioti (OBU)
22. Nataliah Tagatauli-Tolova’a (Ories)
23. Phoebe Edwards (Poneke)

Horowhenua-Kapiti

1.David McErlean (Foxton)
2. John MacNeilage (Paraparaumu)
3. Kafaonga Katoa (Loan – Petone)
4. Isaac Carter (Waikanae)
5. Genesis Mamea-Leamalu (Loan – Wainuiomata)
6. David Leota-Johnson (Loan – Ories)
7. Lesen Huiarangi (Paraparaumu)
8. Mika Alaifatu © (Loan – HOBM)
9. TJ Barnsley (Paraparaumu)
10. Ethan Woodmass (Foxton)
11. Junior Sione (Wanderers)
12. Connor Paki (Foxton)
13. Taine Hata (Waikanae)
14. Darren Falaniko (Wanderers)
15. Leighton Ralph (Ranui)
16.Mikaere Harvey (Foxton)
17. PJ Iakopo (College Old Boys)
18. Brad Reilly (Paraparaumu)
19. Aaron Lahmert (Waikanae(
20. Ted Northcott (Rahui)
21. Leon Ellison (Rahui)
22. Himiona Henare (Wanderers)
23. Willie Paia’aua (COB)

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. Thomas Williams (East Coast)
8. Folau Finau-Vea (Loan – OBU)
9. Daryl Pickering © (Carterton)
10. Hoera Stephenson (Loan – Havelock North)
11. Soli Malatai (Greytown)
12. Fiula Tameilau (Carterton)
13. Caleb Robson (Loan – HOBM)
14. Charles Mataitai (Marist)
15. Gracyn Evans (Greytown)

16.George Parkes (East Coast)
17. Michael Savage (Martinborough)
18. Sam Siaosi (Marist)
19. Cody Cunningham (Martinborough)
20. Inia Katia (Carterton)
21. Archie Bennett (East Coast)
22. Harry Eschenbach (Martinborough)
23. Hayden Cooper (Marist)