Inaugural Club/College rugby day this Saturday

Above: Soaring high last year. Will St. Pat's Silverstream defend the Wellington Premier 1 First XV title this season? Photo by Hugh Pretorius

Wellington club and college rugby combines this Saturday with the first annual Club/College day marrying the two levels of the grassroots games for the opening day of the college rugby competition season.

Fifteen Senior club rugby matches this weekend, including all six Premier round 10 Swindale Shield matches (updated), will be played in conjunction with opening round College First XV games as curtain-raisers.

WRFU Club Development Manager Paul Latham hopes the initiative will become an annual day on the club and college rugby calendar.

"The aim of the day is to bridge the gap between secondary school rugby and senior club rugby," he said. "Wellington grassroots rugby supporters can have the best of both worlds this Saturday."

In the case of the Swindale Shield match between Old Boys University and Petone, the senior club is taking its game to the secondary school. At Wellington College, the first XV will open its Premier 1 season against Hutt International Boys' School at 1.00pm. Old Boys University will then host Petone there in the Premier club rugby game at 3.00 pm in a ‘homecoming' for one half of the amalgamated club.

Wellington College Old Boys were based and trained at Wellington College prior to joining up with the Victoria University club in 1991. It's also Old Boys University's Old Timers' Day on Saturday, so this will be a unique occasion.

The other Premier 1 college games that are Swindale Shield curtain-raisers are defending champions St Pat's Silverstream versus newly promoted Naenae College at Maidstone Park, Porirua College versus Rongotai College at Porirua Park and St. Pat's Town up against Scots College at Evans Bay Park. There are also college games being played in conjunction with Senior 1, Senior 2 and U21 club fixtures.

Latham explained that the College/Club day is also part of another new WRFU - College Sport Wellington program partnership called ‘Stay in the Game'

"This is an initiative to encourage young players to stay in the game once they leave school and to show them that there is a clear pathway in rugby once they leave school."

"All Blacks Victor Vito and Conrad Smith are two players who we have highlighted as part of ‘Stay in the Game'. Whilst Victor was a schoolboy star and was always destined towards? a professional rugby pathway, Conrad told us that he didn't stand out at school; that he was small for his age growing up and that the only representative side he made growing up in Taranaki was a secondary school one as a reserve utility back in his last year."

"Conrad's story is an inspiring one to motivate any young player to join a senior club and keep playing after they finish school."

Meanwhile, starting on Saturday, eight colleges will put everything on the line over the next three months for the right to be crowned Wellington Premier 1 champions.

The top four finishing teams from last season, champions St Pat's Silverstream, Wellington College, St Pat's College Town and Scots College, are joined by the leading four sides from the previous three week's grading competition.

These are Rongotai College, Hutt International Boys' School,Naenae College and Porirua College. Rongotai and HIBS return from last year, but Naenae and Porirua come into the top grade in place of St Bernard's and Aotea Colleges.

Whilst the leading four sides have spent their build-ups to the Premier 1 competition playing in the inaugural three-round Hurricanes Festival, along with some leading schools throughout the Hurricanes region, the other four have been fighting out what's been a super competitive grading competition.

Rongotai College, for example, returned to the top flight by the skin of their teeth after overcoming Hutt Valley High School last Saturday in what was effectively a grading game final. Similarly, Naenaepipped fellow Hutt Valley schoolSt Bernard's College for their place in this year's Premier 1 competition.

The Premier 1 Trophy is a seven-game round-robin competition, followed by quarter-finals, playoff rounds and the final in August. The final will once again be broadcast live on Sky Network Television. Details to be confirmed.

As well as regular season games, the leading teams also play their ‘Traditional' fixtures against each other, with the first big traditional of the season on Wednesday 29 ?May between St. Pat's Town and Wellington College.

First round Premier 1-4 college First XV matches this Saturday are (club rugby games in italics):

Premier 1 Porirua College v Rongotai College, Porirua Park 12.45 pm. Swindale Shield Northern United v Wainuiomata, 3.00 pm

Premier 1 St Pat's Town v Scots College, Evans Bay Park 12.45 pm. Swindale Shield Marist St Pat's v Rimutaka, 3.00 pm

Premier 1 St Pat's Silverstream v Naenae College, Maidstone Park 12.45 pm. Swindale Shield Upper Hutt v Poneke 3.00 pm

Premier 1 Wellington College v HIBS, Wellington College 1.00 pm. Swindale Shield Old Boys University v Petone, Wellington College 3.00 pm

Premier 2 Bishop Viard College v Tawa College, Bishop Viard 2.30 pm

Premier 2 St Bernard's College v Mana College, Petone Rec 1 12.45 pm. Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Petone White v Upper Hutt, Petone Rec 3.00 pm

Premier 2 Newlands College v Wellington College 2, Helston Park 3.00 pm.Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Johnsonville v Avalon, Helston Park 1.00 pm

Premier 2 Hutt Valley High School v Silversteam 2, Hutt Rec 12.45 pm. Swindale Shield Hutt Old Boys Marist v Tawa Hutt Rec 3.00 pm

Premier 2 Aotea College v Wairarapa College Ngati Toa Domain 12.45 pm.Harper Lock Shield Paremata-Plimmerton v TawaNgati Toa Domain 3.00 pm

Premier 3 Heretaunga College v Kapiti College Maoribank Park 12.45 pm. Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Rimutaka v Kapiti Colts, Maoribank Park 3.00 pm

Premier 3 Paraparaumu College v Wainuiomata College, Paraparaumu 1.00 pm

Premier 3 Taita College v St Bernard's 2, Fraser Park 12.45 pm.Harper Lock Shield Avalon v Wellington FC, Fraser Park 3.00 pm

Premier 3 Rongotai College 2 v Upper Hutt College, Polo Ground 12.45 pm.Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Ories v HOBM Green, Polo Ground 3.00 pm

Premier 4 Scots College 2 v Kuranui College, Hataitai Park 12.45 pm. Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Wellington FC v OBU Green, Hataitai Park 3.00 pm

Premier 4 Onslow College v Paraparaumu 2, Ian Galloway Park 12.45 pm.Swindale Shield Wests Roosters v Ories, Ian Galloway Park 3.00 pm

Premier 4 Silverstream 3 v Hutt Valley High School 2, Delaney Park 12.45 pm. National Mutual Cup Stokes Valley v Poneke, Delaney Park 3.00 pm

Premier 4 Wellington College 3 v Tawa 2, Kilbirnie Park 12.45 pm. Paris Memorial Trophy U21s Poneke v OBU Black, Kilbirnie Park 3.00 pm

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Where to follow First XV rugby in Wellington this season:

For the Premier 1 draw, Results and points table visit Draws & Results across the top of this website and select Premier 1 First XV in the navigation bar. Or bookmark the page here:

http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=22&season=8&round=1

For regular news and stories visit and like:

The Sky Sport Rugby Facebook page

The College Sport Wellington Facebook page

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