Rugby at full throttle in early 2016

After a refreshing break, Wellington and Hurricanes region rugby fans can look forward to a bumper spread of rugby throughout January and February.

From regional club, provincial and international Sevens tournaments through to pre-season and then early rounds of competition Super Rugby matches, there’s plenty for fans to get enthused about, in the lead-up to the start of club rugby fifteens competitions at the end of March.

It all starts this coming Saturday with the one-day Bay of Plenty Provincial Sevens tournament at Blake Park, Mt Maunganui. Details and draw to come here later this week.

The National provincial Sevens tournament is being played down the road in Rotorua the following weekend, 16 and 17 January. Waikato (men’s) and Auckland (women’s) are the defending champions.

As well as the HSBC World Rugby international Sevens tournament at Westpac Stadium on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January, there are two noted tournaments in Wellington at the end of January and start of February.

The first of these is the annual New Zealand Marist Sevens tournament on the weekend of Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January at Wakefield Park. North Harbour Marist are the defending champions. This is ahead of the 85th New Zealand Marist pre-season Spillane tournament in early March that is to be hosted by Hamilton Marist this year.

The second is the National Club Sevens Championship being hosted by the Wainuiomata RFC on Waitangi weekend. The tournament is an invitational tournament, with many of New Zealand’s leading club sides in action. Wainuiomata won the tournament in Tauranga last year, lifting the Middlesex Cup off 2014 champions Rangataua.

Other Sevens tournaments coming up in Wellington include the 10th annual Ulalei Sevens tournament on 23 January at Porirua Park, featuring Samoan community invitational teams from throughout New Zealand, and the second annual Tawa 7s tournament at Lyndhurst Park on 20 February.

The annual Hawke’s Bay club sevens at Waipukarau has been set down for 13 February, while the date for the annual Shannon Sevens tournament at the Shannon Domain has yet to be confirmed but last year it was played at the end of February.

There are two secondary schools Sevens of note in the Manawatu region in the New Year, with the Sir Gordon Tietjens invitational tournament at the end of February serving as a lead-in for the Manawatu region 2016 Condor 7s qualifiers a fortnight later.

Over the hill in the Wairarapa, it is unclear whether the Greytown Sevens tournament will be played after a hiatus in 2015, but the union will be hosting a one-day pre-season club rugby 15s competition, featuring teams from Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, Wanganui and the Hurricanes Development team.

Amongst other pre-season 15s tournaments, defending Wellington Jubilee Cup champions Old Boys University will join other university clubs from around the North Island, including beaten 2015 Auckland Gallaher Shield champions University, in Taupo in early March.

The 2016 Super Rugby season promises to be bigger and better than ever before, with an expanded 18-team competition seeing teams from Argentina, Japan and South Africa added.

The Hurricanes play three pre-season matches, against the Blues for the Big Tui Cup in Eketahuna, against the Waratahs in Syndey and against the Crusaders in Blenheim.

The Hurricanes open their season proper on Friday 26 February against the Brumbies in Canberra, with away games to follow in consecutive weeks against the Highlanders and Blues.

The Hurricanes play their first home match on Friday 11 March against the Blues in Palmerston North against the Force and open their account in Wellington the following Friday night against the Kings from South Africa.

The first round of the Swindale Shield Premier Wellington club rugby competition is on Friday 25 March (Good Friday).

To assist in our summer of rugby coverage with news, stories, photos and videos please email editor@clubrugby.co.nz

2016 summer of rugby confirmed matches/tournaments and dates:

• 9 January: Bay of Plenty Provincial 7s at Mt Maunganui
• 16/17 January: National Provincial 7s at Rotorua 
• 23 January: Ulalei Sevens at Porirua Park
• 29/30 January: New Zealand Marist 7s at Wakefield, Park, Wellington 
• 30/31 January: HSBC World Rugby Sevens Round 3 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington 
• 3 February: Super Rugby pre-season, Hurricanes v Waratahs at Gosford
• 6/7 February National Club Sevens at Wainuiomata 
• 13 February: Hawke’s Bay Club 7s at Waipukarau 
• 13 February: Super Rugby pre-season, Hurricanes v Blues at Eketahuna
• 19 February: Super Rugby pre-season, Hurricanes v Crusaders at Blenheim 
• 20 February: Tawa Invitational 7s at Lyndhurst Park
• 26 February: Super Rugby Round 1: Brumbies v Hurricanes at Canberra 
• 26/27 February: Sir Gordon Tietjens 7s at Massey University, Palmerston North 
• 5 March: Super Rugby Round 2 Highlanders v Hurricanes at Dunedin 
• 5/6 March Marist club Spillane tournament at Hamilton 
• 11 March: Super Rugby Round 3 Blues v Hurricanes at Auckland
• 13 March: Manawatu Regional Condor 7s Qualifying tournament at Palmerston North 
• 18 March: Super Rugby Round 4 Hurricanes v Force at Palmerston North
• 25 March: (afternoon) Swindale Shield Round 1 matches
• 25 March: (evening) Super Rugby Round 5 Hurricanes v Kings at Wellington