Derby Day blockbuster in store for Wednesday

Wellington club rugby fans can expect a blockbusting set of round four Swindale Shield, Harper Lock Shield and National Mutual Cup matches on ANZAC Day on Wednesday.

The midweek round of matches, the first in Wellington club rugby since 2003, also doubles as Derby Day with several mouthwatering match-ups predicted around the region.

In five of six Swindale Shield matches on Wednesday the home team hosts their nearest neighbour with several big traditional clashes taking place all at once, including the first at Premier level between Upper Hutt and Rimutaka. As such, no fewer than five interclub trophies are on the line in the Swindale Shield, while Ories also put the Bill Brien Challenge Cup up for grabs for the second time this season.

In one of the biggest traditional battles on the club calendar, Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist meet at the Petone Recreation for the McBain Shield. First played for in 1935, it commemorates the memory of Alexander McBain who was the first headmaster of Eastern Hutt School when it opened in 1915. He was a lifelong supporter of rugby and a loyal member and past President of the Hutt club and elected a life member in 1928. McBain was also Vice-President of the WRFU.

As always, both clubs will be eager to hold the McBain aloft at the conclusion of this game. Last year HOBM won it back off Petone for the first time in five years (winning 27-20). Of the last nine at Premier level since HOBM's promotion back up from Senior 1 in 2003, HOBM have won four of these contests and Petone five. Petone have won it 58 times in total.

Vital Swindale Shield points are also on the line between the two clubs who have had contrasting starts to the season and pending the result of this match could have differing goals for the remainder of the Swindale Shield.

HOBM have made a rollicking start to the season, winning their first three games, and are coming off an eight-try 61-7 win over the Wests Roosters. A fourth straight win for them against Petone will see them eyeing up their second first round title in several week's time.

Petone have had a poor start to the season, losing their first two matches, including a loss to the Wests Roosters in round two, and drawing with Upper Hutt on Saturday. Though not out of the first round title race yet (think Norths, who in 2003 and 2009 lost their first two matches but went on to win and share the Swindale Shield), defeat on Wednesday would almost certainly end their challenge.

The HOBM-Petone McBain Shield contest isn't the only hugely anticipated match of Wednesday's fourth round of New Zealand's toughest club rugby competition.

Marist St. Pat's and Poneke, two clubs separated by a strip of paint on the road, meet at Evans Bay Park for the Horan-Millar Trophy. This was first played for in 2009 and named after former Poneke legend of the 1950s to 1970s and life member Ken Millar who passed away in 1982 and former MSP coach and Marist hooker Mick Horan who played 175 Senior games between 1955-1965 and passed away in 1982 aged 47. Both Ken and Mick were great club men who locked horns over many seasons in Wellington club football and were good friends off the field.

MSP are the current holders, having won 25-19 last year. Poneke won it in 2009 and 2010 - their 18-8 2009 victory notable for breaking a two-season, 16-match winning streak for MSP at home at Evans Bay Park.

Both these teams have much to play for in this edition in terms of competition points. MSP enter this clash buoyed by consecutive wins over newcomers Rimutaka and Norths, while Poneke won their season opener but have since lost close matches to Norths and Wainuiomata.

Norths and Tawa meet at Porirua Park in an expected close match for the Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy.

Home team Norths have had a win and two losses so far, including an unprecedented two consecutive defeats at home, to Upper Hutt (34-46) and MSP (27-35), so will be keen to right their ship. Tawa grabbed their first win on Saturday, beating OBU 35-12 and laying on four second half tries in the process. These also coincided with the introduction after halftime of veteran playmaker Willie Lafaele, making his first appearance for the club since 2010.

Sammy Saili passed away suddenly in 2009 and this trophy was donated by his wife Rachel and family to both clubs to be played for in Swindale Shield clashes. Sammy played over 200 Premier games for Norths between 1992-1995 and for Tawa from 1996-2008. He coached junior rugby for Tawa RFC and Tawa College and was a dedicated volunteer at club and in the community. He was a leader in the church and in the Samoan community and recruited many Pacific Islanders (from Porirua) to the Tawa club.

Norths are the holders having won this match in 2010 and 2011. In their match prior to that, Tawa famously tipped over Norths 24-15 in the 2009 Jubilee Cup round, but before that Norths won each of their previous seven clashes going back to the 2005 Swindale Shield.

Wests and OBU meet at Nairnville Park for the Omar Cup in what could prove to be a vitally important match in the race to make the top eight. Both are coming off disappointing losses on Saturday that they will want to move on from and the winner of this will almost certainly force their way into a solid mid-table position after the first four rounds.

The Wests Roosters will need to break a 10-game duck against OBU at Premier level if they are to reclaim the Omar Cup off the students. OBU prevailed 27-13 in their Swindale Shield meeting last year and also won their return match in the Hardham Cup 23-11.

Apart from a 10-10 draw in 2009, OBU have won all their clashes going back to 2005 when Wests beat them 19-9, although Wests went close in 2010 when Wests scored a late try to close to 35-36 but couldn't land the winning conversion.

The Gregg brothers donated the Omar Cup. Dave Gregg was a fullback for WCOB for many years while Jim Gregg played for Onslow. It is called the Omar Cup as they both lived in Omar Street in Khandallah.

Upper Hutt and Rimutaka make Premier history at Maidstone Park where they contest the Darryl Amies Cup for the first time at Swindale Shield level.

Upper Hutt are gunning for their third win in four matches, which will not only put them on a firm footing to make the Jubilee Cup again, but also on their way towards emulating their 2005 Swindale Shield title win.

Rimutaka make their way down the road hoping to register their opening win in the Premier grade. Following their hard fought first-up loss to Poneke in week one, it's been a tough introduction for the Rams who have gone down to MSP and Ories by wide margins.

Finally, Ories host Wainuiomata at the Polo Ground. Expect an intense clash between these sides, who both possess big, powerful forwards who will scrum hard and run hard at each other all day.

As well as the Swindale Shield, fans can go early to several venues to watch Senior 1 and Senior 2 curtain-raisers.

Petone and HOBM's Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield and Senior 2 National Mutual Cup teams both clash on the Petone Recreation Ground's number one and two fields ahead of the main Swindale Shield match, Poneke and MSP meet in the Harper Lock Shield in the curtain raiser to the main game on Evans Bay Park at 1.15pm, while the two clubs' Senior 2 sides spar 50 metres away at Kilbirnie Park.

OBU and Johnsonville meet in Senior 1's in the early game at Nairnville Park. Also in the Harper Lock Shield, Ories and Wainuiomata meet at the Polo Ground at 1.15pm, Norths at Tawa at Porirua Park at 1.15pm and Avalon and Paremata-Plimmerton at Fraser Park at 3.00pm.

In other National Mutual Cup games, unbeaten Upper Hutt host Stokes Valley at Maidstone Park at 1.15pm, unbeaten Wellington meet Norths at the top field at Porirua from 1.15pm, Ories play Avalon at the Polo Ground at 1.15pm and OBU and Wests vie at neutral Alex Moore Park in Johnsonville from 1.00pm.

Further information regarding the Darryl Amies Cup between Upper Hutt and Rimutaka would be helpful.

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