For the second straight year, Ardie Savea (Oriental-Rongotai) was named All Blacks Player of the Year. The Wellington Lions have been awarded the adidas National Men’s Team of the Year, for winning the Ranfurly Shield and the National Provincial Championship title, for the first time since 1981. https://clubrugby.smugmug.com/2022/2022-Representative-Rugby/14-October-Lions-54-v-Auckland-19-NPC-semi-final/i-WwbFS92/A The Wellington Lions celebrate a
Wellington Lions
Aisle be Back: The Lions wrap, the Black Ferns and the All Blacks in Japan
By Kevin McCarthy The greatest pleasure I took from the Wellington Lions’ NPC triumph last weekend was seeing the team celebrate, but none celebrating harder than Jackson Garden-Bachop. The first-five is of course departing to Japan, having missed out on a Hurricanes spot. On Saturday he scored 2 conversions from 2, and
Wellington Lions v Canterbury NPC Final Stat Attack
Lions defeat Canterbury to win fifth NPC title
Wellington celebrate winning the NPC, image courtesy of Sky Sport. The drought is over. Twenty two years after last winning the National Provincial Championship, the Wellington Lions have annexed their fifth title with a muscular 26-18 win over Canterbury in the final in Christchurch tonight. The Lions have added the NPC Cup to
Aisle be Back: The NPC Final, the Women’s World Cup continues and the All Blacks coming up fast
The National Provincial Championship cup would sit nicely alongside the Ranfurly Shield. By Kevin McCarthy Watching the Lions blitz Auckland last weekend, I kept pondering quite what it is that means Wellington-based sides almost invariably choose to play open and attacking rugby. I’m not old enough to remember further back than Bernie