Chris Middleton and Norths firing up for return to the Jubilee Cup

Above from left to right: Chris Middleton, Fala Tuala and Antony Fox packing down on Saturday against Wainuiomata.

If Northern United win this coming weekend’s feature Swindale Shield match against Old Boys University at Nairnville Park then they will all but qualify for the Jubilee Cup.

They might even go on and win the first round competition, which they won for the first time in 2003 and last captured in 2011.

Lock Chris Middleton was in some of those winning teams, raising the first round silverware in 2007 at Ian Galloway Park and playing a leading role for his side in the famous 10-10 Jubilee Cup final against Marist St Pat’s at Westpac Stadium, before continuing his rugby journey in the Waikato and then in Italy for several seasons before returning home and joining the fire service last year.

Middleton said that a return to the top eight is the current team’s goal. “For now, it’s just about taking it one game at a time and if we can make the Jubilee Cup this year then that’s a good stepping stone for us, as we haven’t been there for the last couple of years, “ he said.

The team culture is healthy. “The application of the boys this year compared to when I played a few games last year is definitely of a higher standard. I think we have a good, balanced squad and we are getting back some signs of what we used to have.”

“There’s a lot of people doing some really good work for the club, like coach Gerrard [Fasavalu], Mike Parker, Rob Aloe and the Ellison boys, and we’re definitely turning the corner but not getting ahead of ourselves.

“We have also got a few guys coming through, which is also really promising for Norths. The best thing is they are so keen to learn and the respect they show to a lot of the senior players and them asking questions and listening is encouraging.”

After eight rounds of the Swindale Shield, Norths are on top of the standings on 36 points, ahead of second placed Ories on 35 and defending first round champions Old Boys University on 34.

There were glimpses of old on Saturday in their 36-5 win over Wainuiomata at Jerry Collins Stadium. Norths won six tries to one, but it was their staunch defence that grabbed many people’s attention. There was a period at the end of the first half and again for a good 15 minutes in the second when they were leading 17-0 and held off several waves of attack on their line.

During this time, Antony Fox and Middleton himself were both sin-binned for separate offences as Norths were reduced to 13 players at one point.

“It was pretty awesome, I think the most pleasing thing for me was when our captain Antony got binned we held Wainuiomata’s big forwards out. Then when I got binned our side turned around and scored a try down the other end. So all the work that the team’s been doing is coming to the fore now.”

Middleton is a former New Zealand Secondary Schools player out of Wellington College and played in the New Zealand U19 side in 2006.

From Titahi Bay, he started at Tawa College before moving to Wellington College and joined the Norths senior club. “I’m a Norths local through and through so I started at Norths after leaving school.”

He was a Swindale Shield winner just five games into his Premier career in 2006. He then played the entire Jubilee Cup that followed but missed the final after injuring his shoulder in his team's semi-final win over Petone, instead celebrating Norths' championship win over Poneke from the sidelines at Westpac Stadium, returning in 2008 to share the trophy with MSP.

He then went to Mooloo country “I left for Waikato midway through the 2009 club season and played for both Waikato and the Te Awamutu club from 2010-13 before going to Italy in 2013 for a couple of seasons.”

Last year he made the New Zealand Fire Service, spending three months training at Rotorua in training before returning to Wellington where he is based at the central station.

His work commitments make it had for him to make trainings at Porirua Park but he attends when he can and is always rostered off on Saturdays so he can play rugby.

He also rows with the Titahi Bay Surf Life Saving club. “I did rowing last summer from October to March and we went to the New Zealand Nationals [winning it] and to the Australian Nationals [the event was cancelled because of Cyclone Debbie] and I’ve come back and have played three games so far.”

“You’ve got to lose quite a bit of weight to row a surf boat, so it’s been quite hard as the last three games I’ve only been playing at about 102kg so I have been noticing the knocks quite a bit!”

He said he doesn’t know how long he’ll keep playing, but with his new career that he loves as his priority there’s no pressure. “I just had a desire this year to come back and play for Norths and have a good time with the boys, play my best every Saturday and see where it takes me.”

It doesn’t get any easier for Norths though. Starting with OBU this coming Saturday, they have the Goats (away), the Upper Hutt Rams (home), Marist St Pat’s (away), Ories (home) and Hutt Old Boys Marist (away) to come.