U85kgs representative match and Heartland Championship finals this weekend

The sun goes down on the community rugby 15s season this weekend, with the last of the representative games and the Heartland Championship finals. 

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

And finally, we reach the end of these Friday preview pieces for 2026 with our 30^th and final look at the weekend’s upcoming rugby. To everyone who has read through even just one of these, thank you.

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The year in 15s rugby is almost over, but there is one local representative match to come tomorrow to close out the season with the Wellington and Manawatu U85kgs sides meeting in their one-off fixture.

The game kicks off at Johnston Park, Feilding at 1.00pm.

This will be Wellington’s third scheduled representative U85kg fixture, following a win over Hawke’s Bay a fortnight ago and a match default by Waikato last weekend. Wellington beat Hawke’s Bay 45-12 in Napier, while Manawatu lost to Hawke’s Bay 41-19, so based on those results against the common opposition Wellington could be favoured to win this one.

Their team – and the last one we’re publishing this season – is as follows:

1. Tom Doyle (OBU)
2. Edward Bloomfield (Tawa)
3. Gus McKinnon (Tawa)
4. Hamish Mansell (OBU)
5. Neo Adams (Pare-Plim)
6. Mike Francis (J’ville)
7. Codi Hannan (Pare-Plim)
8. Seamus Rowberry © (J’ville)
9. Carter Stefanidis (Tawa)
10. Dom Ernst (HOBM)
11. Max Rodgers (Poneke)
12. Flynn Ruscoe (HOBM)
13. Lachie Hannon (Pare-Plim)
14. Ryan Carter (Pare-Plim)
15. Jakob Tainui (Petone)

16. Jasper Spencer (Poneke)
17. Joshus Tanielu (OBU)
18. Will Tobin (Poneke)
19. Connor Piper (HOBM)
20. Ryan Preston (Tawa)
21. Campbell Withington (Tawa)
23. George Bloomfield (Tawa)

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Heartland

The weekend has the two finals in the Heartland Championship, taking place a few dozen kilometres apart along State Highway 1.

Tomorrow sees the major final, the Meads Cup between defending champions Mid-Canterbury and King Country, frontrunners for most of the season. The Hammers will have home advantage in Ashburton, but the Rams have, aside from their blip against Whanganui in the last round cost them top spot, been the class side of the competition.

Sunday’s Lochore Cup final is in Timaru, with the aforementioned Butcher Boys heading south to take on home side South Canterbury for the minor prize.

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NPC

Semi-finals in the NPC, with Northland hosting Otago in Whangarei tonight and Canterbury facing Taranaki under the roof in Christchurch on Sunday. Should the top-seeded Cantabs win, it is understood the NPC final will be played on Labour Day owing to the T20 cricket match at Hagley Park on Saturday and OneNZ Stadum in use on Sunday by the Kiwis for their Rugby League World Cup clash against the Cook Islands.

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The start of the secondary schools 7s season is this weekend in Napier with the annual Napier Boys’ High School tournament. Several Wellington schools are heading up, as is Huddy Sports who will be streaming all day at the link below:

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Aisle be Back: Rotation