All in readiness for the start of second round women?s club rugby championship

Norths and Black Ferns lock Sanita Levave on the burst against Ories in their first round match in April. Insert: the Victoria Tavern Trophy.

Can Northern United defend their Wellington Women's club rugby championship title, will first round winners Oriental-Rongotai do the double this year or will another team emerge from the pack and take out this year's Victoria Tavern Trophy?

All is in readiness for the start of the second round on Saturday, when Wellington's eight women's clubs line up for a full round-robin series followed by playoffs and a final on the weekend of 15 and 16 August.

The teams have had a three-week break from competition play, playing a novel series of friendly matches against their counterparts from Manawatu's women's clubs.

Two local players, Wainuiomata lock Jackie Patea and debutant Norths lock Sanita Levave, have also been involved in the Black Ferns' recent international series against Australia, Samoa and Canada. The Black Ferns beat Australia 38-3, Samoa 90-12 and Canada 16-8 and 33-21.

Other players that featured in the first round, Brenda and Helen Collins (both Norths) and Sharlene Fagalilo (Old Boys University), are in the Manu Sina Samoan Women's World Cup squad. Fagalilo scored a try in their recent Test against the Black Ferns at Eden Park.

The Black Ferns and Manu Sina re-group next month ahead of August's Women's Rugby World Cup in France, where New Zealand is aiming to secure its fifth straight title.

Similarly, the women's domestic National Provincial Cup competition kicks off at the end of August with many players pressing their claims for the Wellington Pride side over the coming weeks.

In the first round women's club rugby Fleurs Trophy, Ories came out on top with seven straight bonus point wins including a 26-24 win over Norths in week two in April. Both teams scored four tries each, the difference being an extra conversion. Ories finished the first round having scored 437 points and conceded 51. Wing Jane Bryce scored 17 tries, four ahead of Norths wing Jamie Mackintosh who found the chalk 13 tries.

This season is the culmination of a three year plan by Ories to build a team to challenge for the title. The coaching staff said this week that they're quietly confident that their young team - average age just 19 - can at least emulate last year's finish when they made the final and lost 5-18 to Norths under lights at Porirua Park in front of 1,500 people.

The loss to Ories was Norths' only defeat and they finished second, ahead of Avalon in third, Wainuiomata in fourth, Old Boys University fifth, Stokes Valley sixth, Poneke seventh and newcomers Tawa eighth.

Last year, Norths outscored the Ories visitors three tries to one in the final to finish their season unbeaten and achieve the first round Fleurs Trophy - second round Victoria Tavern Trophy double.

Norths co-coach Matt Poutoa said that his team's first goal this year is to make the semi-finals and qualify for a home playoff match but added that the competition for spots will be fierce.

"A lot of teams are looking to correct any weaknesses they might've discovered after the first round, so we know each team is going to be tough," said Poutoa. "But we are also in the same boat and the recent matches against Manawatu teams helped us identify and tidy up our weaknesses, while also giving some of our girls some much needed game time."

"Although playing those extra games over the past three weeks has also back fired on us in a way, as we have some injuries to attend to leading into this Saturday's first round against Tawa.

"We also lose three of our key players to the World Cup. So we need to balance giving those girls as much game time as possible before they leave, as well as giving time to those that will be taking over when they leave. We have full confidence in our full squad that they can deliver.

"There's a lot to play for within the squad also, with a few season ending injuries. But, overall, we expect each team will lift their game as we hope to do."

Meanwhile, the fourth round of secondary school girls matches is played late this afternoon and tonight. Porirua and Aotea Colleges are the two unbeaten teams through three rounds. ?

To follow the Victoria Tavern Trophy second round women's competition visit Draws & Results across the top of this page and use the Select Competitions menu.

First round matches this weekend are (kick-offs at 11.30 am):

Poneke v Ories at Kilbirnie Park

Stokes Valley v Old Boys University at Delaney Park

Tawa v Norths at Lyndhurst Park

Wainuiomata v Avalon at Mary Crowther Park