Club rugby in full swing this weekend with all grades in action

With three weeks gone in the Premier and Premier Reserve grades the teams are starting to spread themselves out and some are already finding themselves in catch-up mode and needing their passes to stick if they want to make the sharp ends of their respective grades for the back end on the season.

Elsewhere it’s the start of competition in all other WRFU grades, ensuring plenty of club rugby filling up fields across the region for the new few months.

Leaders Marist St Pat’s make the trip around the harbour to face Petone on the Rec. MSP accounted for Poneke last Saturday and boast the best defensive record through three rounds, conceding only 33 points. However all three games have been against sides that played in last year’s Hardham Cup, with this their first against 2014 Jubilee Cup opposition. Petone righted their ship with their win over Norths, and will look to get some week to week consistency and take a significant scalp at the same time if they can topple the Evans Bay side.

The two sides will contest the Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy; Elvy played for Petone soon after arriving in Wellington and made a number of representative sides in the 1920s. His son Norm played for both the Marist and St Patrick’s Old Boys clubs, and grandson Martin played for MSP. MSP are the holders after their 39-29 win in Round Seven last year; but Petone won the most recent matchup 27-19 in the opening round of the Jubilee Cup.

The second top-six clash is at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt, where the hosts welcome Hutt Old Boys Marist. The Rams are ahead of their opponents on the ladder on points difference, and after high-scoring wins over Petone and Paremata-Plimmerton top the points scoring chart, but will want to address the inaccuracies of the past two weeks. The Eagles continue their annual road odyssey to start the season until the Hutt Rec becomes available, and after the first-up scare against Wellington have seen off Norths and Avalon and will back themselves for a fourth straight win away from the Nest. If they manage that, they’ll also claim the Bill Brien Challenge Cup which is at stake in this fixture.

HOBM won the Swindale clash in 2014 41-40, which was the mindboggling comeback from 34-17 down with barely 10 minutes left, and then won 12-11 at Maidstone in the Jubilee Cup match.

The last of the top four, second-placed Tawa are in the home surroundings of Lyndhurst Park for their Old Timers’ Day where Avalon are the visitors. The hosts aren’t in the rampant form they started last year in, but after a pair of close wins are well poised in the early running. Avalon are the sole team without a competition point, and although they have perhaps the toughest schedule to open the season it’s hard to argue that they’ve been outclassed in their outings so far. They perhaps face a tough ask to change that tomorrow though they could take heart that Johnsonville all but ruined Tawa’s Old Timer’s festivities last year.

Wainuiomata sit fifth, and tomorrow host Oriental-Rongotai in the first game of the year at a hopefully cured William Jones Park after comfortably seeing off Johnsonville to remain unbeaten. The Magpies got their season on track after heading off Old Boys-University at home and can bring themselves right back into play if they win this one. With both sides full of powerful runners this could be a very entertaining match. The two played out a somewhat turgid 13-all draw last Opening Day, with Wainui winning the Jubilee Cup clash 23-20.

Poneke fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with their loss to MSP and make the journey to Porirua Park to face a Norths side that is still looking for its first win. The Kilbirnie outfit is well placed to make a run at the Jubilee Cup places after missing out last year, and a win in the re-match of last year’s Hardham Cup final will be a big step towards that. Norths simply continue to misfire and simply have to change that if they have any hope of avoiding the Hardham Cup for the third straight year.

The Cyril Collett Memorial Shield is at stake between the sides; Collett played for Norths predecessor club Porirua in the 1950s while his sons Paul and Bruce played for Porirua and Poneke respectively in the 1970s. First played for in 2008 it is held by Norths after their last gasp 32-30 win in the Swindale and they followed that with a 28-20 win in the Hardham Cup, but Poneke had the last laugh winning the Hardham Cup Final by 19-9.

Making a similar trip are Wellington, who venture to take on Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngatitoa Domain for the latter’s Old Timers’ Day. It’s the second time this season that the Axemen have been the visitors on such an occasion, having been at Johnsonville two weeks ago. Notably it’s the first meeting at this level between the two sides since 1987; that year Wellington lifted the most recent of their Jubilee Cups while Pare-Plim were relegated. The Axemen could arguably be undefeated with a couple of major scalps, while Pare-Plim are showing noticeable improvement each week and got themselves on the points table last weekend. Their most recent meeting was in the first round of last year’s Hardham Cup, won by Wellington by 31-13.

The last game of the round is Old Boys-University against Johnsonville, with the Goats making their first appearance in nearly two years on their back paddock of Nairnville Park. OBU are in 8th spot on points difference but have lost to one of the teams (Ories) they’re tied with, and with players absent in the coming weeks with NZ Universities and Under 20’s duties will be desperate to bank as many points as they can. Johnsonville have struggled to put points on the scoreboard, just 27 in three games so far, and will need to improve in that area and tighten up their defensive end as well.

All Premier matches are 2.30pm kickoffs

Harper Lock Shield

The Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield leaders Tawa are the only side that has taken three bonus point wins, and will be heavily favoured to make it four when they take on bottom side Avalon in the early game at Lyndhurst.

Second-placed Wainuiomata host Ories at Mary Crowther, who come off their first win; while Poneke – the only other unbeaten side – take on Norths at Porirua. Two of the three sides that suffered their first losses, Petone and MSP, clash at the Rec, while the third –Wellington – are at Ngatitoa against winless Paremata-Plimmerton; the Upper Hutt Rams and HOBM meet at Maidstone, and OBU hosts Johnsonville at Nairnville. All matches are 12.45pm kickoffs.

Fleurs Trophy Women’s

The Premier Women’s grade has 9 teams entered, which is an increase of one on last year and three on 2013 and one area where participation numbers continue to grow. Johnsonville and Hutt Old Boys Marist are the two new squads, while the other changes are Poneke going it alone and the absence of Stokes Valley. Oriental-Rongotai and Norths start as the competition favourites, with Ories looking to repeat last year’s Fleurs /Victoria Tavern Trophies double, while Wainuiomata, Old Boys- University, and Avalon also have contender claims.

This week’s first matches of the Fleurs Trophy (all 11.30am kickoffs) have Avalon hosting Johnsonville at Fraser Park, HOBM up against Norths on the Hutt Rec, OBU and Ories on Prince of Wales #2, and Wainuiomata face Tawa at Mary Crowther. Poneke have the first week bye.

Thompson Memorial Trophy

First Grade has replaced the Senior Two grade as the third-tier competition.

Ten teams are entered, nine from Premier clubs and Stokes Valley’s senior side, with the prize for the winners of the first-round round-robin the reinstated Thompson Memorial Trophy. John Thompson was a former President, Vice-President, and Life Member of the WRFU, and the trophy was originally donated by his family in 1970. It has been played for at Junior Firsts, Reserve Grade, and Senior Fourths.

The first week of matches have 12.45pm kickoffs for MSP ‘A’ against HOBM at Martin Luckie, OBU and Petone ‘A’ at Ian Galloway, and Poneke and MSP ‘B’ on Kilbirnie Park. At 2.30pm are the other two matches; Petone ‘B’ against Norths on the Petone Rec’s #4 ground, and Stokes Valley and Tawa at Delaney Park.

Paris Memorial Trophy and JRD Cup Colts grades

The Colts competition has been split into two divisions, with the Paris Memorial Trophy and JRD Cup the first round trophies in Divisions 1 and 2 respectively.

The opening Division 1 matches are all 12.45pm kickoffs, with three-peat defending champions OBU Green putting their 36 game winning run on the line against Wainuiomata – who make a welcome to the Colts top-flight - at Mary Crowther. Other matches have HOBM away at Maidstone against the Upper Hutt Rams’ ‘A’ squad, Norths host Ories at Porirua Park, Petone’s ‘A’ side face MSP on the Petone Rec, and neighbours Wellington ‘A’ and Poneke clash at Hataitai.

The Division 2 matches are Paremata-Plimmerton at home to Wellington ‘B’, and Tawa against Avalon at Redwood Park both at 12.45. It’s also a 12.45pm kickoff for OBU Black against Johnsonville at Te Whaea, with the Goats’ White squad following at 2.30pm against Rahui. Unfortunately the Kapiti side has had to withdraw before the season, so Petone’s ‘B’ side have the bye.

JC Bowl and Division 2 U85kg Restricted

The Under 85kg Restricted competition has likewise been split into two divisions.
In the Division 1 JC Bowl matches Kapiti hosts the Upper Hutt Rams at Waikanae Park at 12.45pm, while at 2.30pm are Avalon against MSP Red at Fraser, Eastbourne and the Poneke Cavs at HW Shortt, and the OBU Bunnies and Wellington Axemen at Ian Galloway Park; and the Tawa Titans have the bye.

In Division 2 Paremata-Plimmerton and Johnsonville square off at Ian Galloway at 12,45pm, as do Wests and Stokes Valley. The MSP Greens and Wainuiomata meet at 1pm on the St Pats College turf, with HOBM and the OBU Spartans clashing at the Hutt Rec at 2.30pm.

Reserve Grade

Reserve grade kicks off with 13 teams including four from OBU and three from the Upper Hutt Rams in 1 division playing a round-robin format for the first round of matches; while the Presidents grade sides make their first appearance for the year as well.