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

Thrills and spills: 2014 season summary

Club Rugby | 21 December 2014 | Steven White

Above: Midfield back Ope Peleseuma who won his maiden Jubilee Cup medal with the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles in 2014 seen here evading the opposition playing for the Wellington Samoans against the Hawke’s Bay Saracens. Photo by Hugh Pretorius.?

With 2014 coming to a close, here’s our annual recap of the champion teams and competition winners in Wellington club rugby this year.

2014 club rugby in Wellington was the year of the Eagle. But this year’s Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys Marist were close to missing out on the big show altogether, such was the competitiveness of the competition. Losing 14-50 to 2013 kingpins Tawa in their season opener, the Eagles ultimately had to rely on an outlandish 41-40 win over the Upper Hutt Rams and a last-ditch victory over Northern United just to make it through to the Jubilee Cup.

The Jubilee Cup round was another story for HOBM. Close wins over OBU, Petone, the Rams and Tawa were interspersed with wider margins over MSP and Ories, and the Andy Leslie Trophy and top spot in the finals series was secured with a week to spare. They eventually beat Wainuiomata 14-11 in the final.?

Tawa appeared on track to defend their Swindale Shield title, but hit the skids late in the round and eventually lost to Marist St Pat’s 21-28 in the last round, handing the first round title to MSP.

Meanwhile, Avalon won the Senior 1 first round Harper Lock Shield, dropping only one match (to OBU) and wrapping up the title with a week to spare and eventually totalling 50 competition points out of a possible 55 and winning by 12 points. After two successive runner-up Senior 1 championship finishes, Paremata-Plimmerton qualified for the Hardham Cup for the first time since 1987.

The Old Boys-University Green team won its third straight U21s title, completing an unbeaten season by beating HOBM Green 35-8 in the final, while Poneke defeated Northern United 19-9 to win the Hardham Cup.

The Ories Women’s team won both the first round Fleurs Trophy and second round Victoria Tavern Trophy, defeating great rivals Norths 32-24 in the final.

Petone edged out Poneke 9-6 to win the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup final, HOBM defeated Old Boys University 32-15 to win the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Cup final, the OBU Pink Ginners beat the Johnsonville Cripples 43-15 to take out the Reserve Grade Division 2 final.

Top qualifier the Poneke Ruffnuts defeated the Upper Hutt Rams J8s 38-10 to win the Reserve Grade Final Poneke beat Wainuiomata 13-10 to win the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup Colts Division 2 final and the Upper Hutt Rams took out the Eric Connolly Memorial Cup Colts Division 3 competition with a 26-3 win over Johnsonville.

Both U85kg championship finals went down to the wire, with the Wellington Axemen pipping the MSP Reds side 16-15 in the Division 2 Moody Cup final and then the MSP Blues edging out their great rivals the Tawa Titans 6-3 in the Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield final.?

HOBM capped off a memorable year for the club, winning the American Ambassador’s Wellington club Sevens title at the start of November.?

At the conclusion of the Premier club rugby season a new quadrangular series was contested between the Wellington Maori, Wellington Samoan, Wellington City and Wellington Suburbs teams. This was won by Wellington Maori, who won all three matches.?

In college rugby, Scots College captured their maiden Premier 1 title, beating St Pat’s Silverstream 21-18 in the final. Scots then went on to draw with Hamilton Boys’ High School 26-26 in the National Top Four final and also return the prestigious Moascar Cup to Wellington for the first time in 40 years.?

Tawa College beat defending champions Wairarapa College 15-11 to claim the college Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup and the St Pat's Town second XV beat Newlands College 8-3 to win the Premier 3 Paul Cameron Cup.?

Wellington Senior club rugby champions 2014:

Round 1

• Swindale Shield: Marist St Pat’s?

• Harper Lock Shield Senior 1: Avalon

• Fleurs Trophy: Senior Women first round: Oriental-Rongotai

• National Mutual Cup Senior 2: Poneke

• U85 kg Restricted JC Bowl: Marist St Pat’s Blues

• U85 kg Restricted Division 2 Round 1: Avalon

• Paris Memorial Cup Colts Division 1: OBU Green

• JRD Cup Colts Division 2: Old Boys University Black

• Colts Division 3 first round James Gilbert Memorial Cup: Wainuiomata

• Reserve Grade Division 1 first round: Petone Brotherhood