Eight questions with the captain: Andrew Smith Old Boys-University

Above: OBU captain Andrew Smith (on left with headgear) arrives at the scene to help teammate Stu Simonson take down Petone's Andrew Quinlivan, with Petone lock James? Saolele and OBU lock Augustine Escalona also in support.

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Club: Old Boys-University

Home ground: The Hawkins Basin reserve and Nairnville Park

Current Super Rugby players: Conrad Smith, Tim Bateman, Chris Smylie (Hurricanes), Lima Sopoaga (Highlanders)

Jubilee Cups won: 1929 (VUC), 1933 (WCOB), 1946 (VUC), 1952, 1953, 1954 (VUC), 1958 (VUC), 1964 (VUC), 1966 (VUC).

Last year:? Beaten Hardham Cup finalists

Swindale Shield this year: Seventh

Captain: Andrew Smith

Position: Flanker

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Eight teams, eight captains, eight rounds before the finalists are found.

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1. What is special about playing in the Jubilee Cup?

The Jubilee Cup is one of the top competitions in New Zealand club rugby. High intensity, do-or-die rugby is required in the short seven-game round, and the chance to come up against some of New Zealand's best rugby players turning out for their clubs in between professional competitions makes for an exciting eight-nine weeks.

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2. Which club do you feel your team has the biggest rivalry with and why??

Poneke and MSP. Poneke - we have had some good battles over the years and the rivalry is always fierce. MSP - the strong rivalry stems from school days with St Pat's town v Wellington College, always a hotly contested match.

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3. If you could choose one forward and one back, either current or past, to join your team for its Jubilee Cup campaign which two players would you select?

Forward: Ross Kennedy. A proud billygoat and epic footy player, Rossco is a great club man always flying the OBU flag who we would love to have in the side for Jubilee Cup. Back : Conrad Smith. Despite being one of the greatest All Black midfielders of all time, Snakey is a great club man who always makes the effort to play for, support and help out his club whenever he can. Honorable mention - Mike ‘Milkman' Scott, for his sheer size...

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4. Who are the fittest, the strongest and the fastest players in your team?

Fittest: Halfbacks Nick ‘Pest' Kavanagh and Luke Campbell. Strongest: Con ‘Conan the Barbarian' Williams and Finnbar Kerr-Newell. I once saw Finnbar squat 210kg after a couple of beers. Fastest: I would love to see a footrace between Te Wehi Wright and Joe Hill.

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5. Who are the jokers in the team?

Zeke Sopoaga is an amazing teller of stories, as we learned in our first court session. He really knows how to set a scene. Jesse ‘The Butcher' Johnson, much like his two brothers, is quite the entertainer. The song ‘You Are, My Seminar' - a tribute to the legendary billygoat Seminar Manu, is surely one of his best efforts. Luke Harvey, once he gets going, is impossible to shut up.

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6. Describe any superstitions or pre-game rituals that players in your team have?

Thomas Fleming takes the time to tape up the holes in his undies every Saturday, I think to prevent a wardrobe malfunction. Andrew McWhirter always says a prayer before every game. Dan Mellon makes sure to contact the Dom Post reporters before each match and bribe them for points in the Best and Fairest competition.

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7. Describe any special talents or claims to fame outside of rugby of any players in your team

OBU is a very musically talented club. TeWehi ‘Ben Lummis' Wright is a gifted singer, Jonathon Fuimaono is an acclaimed musician who plays a whole band's worth of instruments including bass, guitar and drums, and Adam ‘Acid Man' Hill can make a bongo drum out of an empty jug and a very stretchy part of his body.

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8. How important are your club's supporters in lifting your team and who is your number one fan?

Copey, Al Os and the rest of the OBU Old Timers have got to be the most passionate bunch of supporters in the country. Special mention must go to 80 year old old Vern, who was out until 4am with the boys on a team bonding session following the black tie event. We love our supporters and we love our club.

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