Rob Law Max Recruitment: Proud to be supporting club rugby in Wellington in 2014

Changes afoot with Premier Coaches for 2015

Swindale Shield 2005-2024 | 13 December 2014 | Steven White

The structure of the Wellington Premier club rugby competition for next year has been confirmed, with an expanded first round Swindale Shield from 12 to 14 clubs and a start date of 21 March for the 2015 season.

With planning and pre-season season well underway at club headquarters and anticipation already building for fans, most clubs have settled on their Premier coaching structures for the 129th season of Wellington club rugby.

A feature of the Premier coaching ranks for 2015 is the return to two clubs of former Jubilee Cup winning coaches, while most clubs will have made changes.

Of last year’s Premier clubs, Only Marist St Pat’s and Wainuiomata will enter the new season with their 2014 coaching teams intact. Ross Bond and Brendon Reidy return for their third season together at MSP, hoping to add the Jubilee Cup to the Swindale Shield title that they captured last year. ?Wainuiomata were beaten Jubilee Cup finalists in August and their incumbant coaches Justin Wilson and Steven Crilly will hope their side can go one better next season.

Former powerhouse club Northern United’s struggles in recent seasons have been well documented. ?Norths won or shared the Jubilee Cup four times between 2004-2010 but have fallen out of the top eight in each of their past two campaigns. Steve Haturini helped kick-start their golden run of title victories. Haturini, ?who won the club’s maiden Swindale Shield title in 2003 and the first of four Jubilee Cups in 2004 returns next season, alongside Richard Higgins as forwards coach and Tom Martin as the Director of Rugby.

Oriental-Rongotai re-gains the services of their 2011 Jubilee Cup winning coach Phil Proctor, after two years across town at Old Boys University. The rest of Ories’ coaching staff for 2015 has yet to be confirmed.

In place of Proctor, OBU have promoted one of their own with the Goats’ previous Hardham Cup coach Jeremy Little taking the reins. Little will be ably assisted by former Assistant Coach Paddy Gough, also the current Wairarapa-Bush Assistant Coach, and Jamie Williams from the Upper Hutt Rams’ coaching team. OBU have also appointed ex MSP and Bath No. 8 Issac Feaunati in a new Director of Rugby role.

Poneke have also made changes to their Premier coaching staff. New Head Coach Shane Pihema from Norths and Assistant Coach Ray MacDonald from Old Boys-University and the Wellington U19s replace Shane McClure and John Jackson in 2015. Of note is the appointment of Tane Tu’ipulotu as Poneke’s Technical Advisor. Former Hurricanes, Tonga and Newcastle and Japanese club midfielder Tu’ipulotu brings a wealth of experience to Poneke. He also played for Poneke between 2005-2008.

Petone will be coached by Daniel Farani and Riki Flutey, replacing the 2014 team of Peter Green, Alex Telea and Rodney So’oialo. Both are vastly experienced players, with Farani a former Samoan international, Sharks Super Rugby and European club loose forward and Flutey a former British and Irish Lion international, Hurricane and Wellington Lion. Dion Ross and Tui Bradbrook will coach the Petone Senior 1 team that won their championship this year. ?

So’oialo has departed for Hataitai Park where he will be the Wellington Axemen's Forwards Coach, alongside Backs Coach Grant Cederwall and Head Coach Richard Deck.

Matt Lee returns to take the Head Coach’s reins at Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys Marist, alongside Josh Syms, with Adam Campbell leaving to join the Upper Hutt Rams.

Campbell, who has prepared HOBM sides to win two Jubilee Cups, in 2007 and 2014, joins incumbent Head Coach Nathan Williams and last year’s assistant Tiny Graham.

Mason Lawrence will be returning for his third year as Head Coach of the Johnsonville Hawks. Last year Johnsonville made a competitive start but fell off the pace. This was largely owing to injuries, with 56 players rotated through their Premier ranks in 2014.

Avalon will be coached by Scott Waldrom and Jason Aitken, with the possibility of an un-named former international representative player still to be added to the roster.

Dion Waller and Steve Rogers team up at Tawa for 2015, hoping to re-create the magic that saw the club sweep all before them in 2013. Waller officially returns to the Tawa Premiers after taking this year off, while former Tawa Head Coach Rogers returns after working in the Pacific Islands for the past few years.

Confirmed Premier Club coaches 2015

Avalon:

Scott Waldrom

Jason Aitken

One to be confirmed

Hutt Old Boys Marist:

Head Coach: Matt Lee

Assistant Coach: Josh Syms

Johnsonville

Head Coach: Mason Lawrence

Assistant Coach: To be confirmed

Marist St Pat’s