Inaugural College Connection match this Friday at Porirua Park

An inaugural College Connection match is being played at Porirua Park this Friday evening between a Porirua Combined Colleges team and an Eastern Suburbs Colleges team.

The aim of the match is to help the clubs that are involved connect with their college players that have played for them as juniors and keep them connected before they leave school.

The target players are those that aren't necessarily playing in their schools First XVs or in current representative rugby programmes, but the 2nd, 3rds XVs and weight restricted sides. These players are the ones that often drop off after college and don't continue playing senior club rugby.

The Porirua Combined Colleges team comprises players who are either former Norths juniors or players living in the Porirua community.

The Porirua Combined Colleges team has been going since 1990, in one form or another.

It was strong in the 1990s when Porirua Schools were the stronghold of Wellington college First XV rugby with the likes of Bishop Viard and Mana colleges dominating. Back then they played regular games against age-grade provincial sides.

With the advent of professionalism this team died away for a period, but recently made a comeback under former Northern United Club Development Officer (CDO) Jacob Ellison, continued by current Norths CDO Grainger Heikell and others such as former Norths Premier first five-eighth Rob Aloe.

This is the third consecutive year the team has come together in the July school holidays. The last two years they have had a fixture against the Centurions Rugby Football Club.

The Eastern Suburbs team comprises players that played their junior rugby for the four clubs based on the other side of the Mt Victoria Tunnel - Poneke, Marist St Pat’s, Oriental-Rongotai and Wellington.

The match is again being supported by the Centurions club, continuing their long-standing involvement in helping coach games with second-tier colleges in the Wellington Region and assisting in the development of up and coming players. The Centurions have touched base with former local junior coaches and, through the CDOS, are involved in coaching and managing the team.

The Eastern Suburbs team will play in Centurions jerseys, while the Porirua Combined side has jerseys that represent the local colleges.

Poneke CDO Joe Fiu says that the concept of this match is crucial for the future of the local game. “We're in a sad state at the moment where other sports have benefited from us as a whole dropping the ball and not paying college students the attention they need and deserve,” says Joe.

“It's not just about high performance at that level, but the lower grades, the U55kgs, 80/80s, to 3rds and 2nd XVs, those are the kids we need to help enjoy the sport and keep them interested. 

“You leave junior rugby with a lot of love and attention and then head to college where the landscape is a lot different.”

It is hoped that this can be an annual fixture, giving clubs the link to be in continual contact with college students of all ages and keep them interested in the game.

“We need clubs to keep an open mind too when they go to vote on how competition structures across all grades or we'll soon end up like the NFL in the USA where there is no club competition.

“We want to thank Northern United (CDO Grainger Heikell) for leading the way with this concept, the Centurions for their support and seeing the value of this fixture and our local schools coaches and rugby people in the Eastern Suburbs to help us put this together by giving us access to the players throughout the holidays. The more we all work together, we'll start to see numbers slowly start to come back to the sport.”

Kick-off for tomorrow’s College Connection match at Jerry Collins Stadium is at 5.30pm.

The two squads for this match are (all names subject to change):

Porirua Combined Colleges (listed by school)

Rohi Tofilau (Aotea College)
Jamayne Kitiseni (Aotea College)

Imran Tautu (Bishop Viard College)
Xavier Sapu’u - Bishop Viard College)
Seia Lolesio-Taulalo - Bishop Viard College)

Soloman Hippolite (Mana College)
Saimoni Rausau (Mana College)
Sheik Kareem - Mana College)
Viliame Cegumalua (Mana College)
Casey Hotai (Mana College)
Noah Coffin (Mana College)
Josh Mooar-Tangi (Mana College)
Mofate Siopolu (Mana College)

Logan Ariu-Wolley (Porirua College)
Chris Fa’aololo (Porirua College)
James Mikara (Porirua College)
Jabez Peniata (Porirua College)

Ioritana Tusa (Rongotai College)
Brooklyn Ropeti (Rongotai College)
Kayden Muller (Rongotai College)
Shontayne Ruru-Pohatu - Rongotai College)

Jeremiah Lokeni - St Pats College, Town)
Lorenzo Framhein - St Pats College, Town)
Boston Hunt - St Pats College, Town)
Zac Hunt (St Pats College, Town)

Dallas Sami (Tawa College)
Luke Kapene (Tawa College)
Maui Wallace (Tawa College)

Injured/Unavailable
Reon Paul (Rongotai College)
Riley Higgins (St Pats Silverstream)
Ezekiel Tautolo (St Pats College, Town)
Elijah Tuigamala (Wellington College)
Richard Nafatali (Porirua College
Eugene Nohe (Bishop Viard College)
Uilealea Lavea (Porirua College)

Eastern Suburbs Combined Colleges (listed by club affiliation)

Bede Brown (Poneke)
Rimpei Nakayama (Poneke) 
John Schaumkell Jnr (Poneke)
Maea Tema-Schmidt (Poneke) 
Ethan Taupau-Leota (Poneke)
Isaiah Opai (Poneke)
Kayden Muller (Poneke) 
Andrew Eng (Poneke) 
Jaydin Tiatia (Poneke) 
Will Park (Poneke) 
Fred Tema (Poneke)

Trevahll Tolova’a (Ories)
Jason Aulelio (Ories)
Apostle Salanoa (Ories)
Christian Semu (Ories)
Steven Va’a (Ories)
Charles Oloapu (Ories)
John Samuelu (Ories)
Ronaldo Seumanufagai (Ories)
Jason Seumanufagai (Ories)
Herman Seumanufagai (Ories)
Jeremiah Tuiatua (Ories)
Malachi Ti’a (Ories)
Sase Va’a (Ories, TBC)
Calvin Siaosi (Ories, TBC)
Fano Paese (Ories, TBC)
Eti Brown (Ories, TBC)

Tua Taituave (MSP)
Chris Taituave (MSP)
Michael Taliau (MSP)

Wellington Axemen
TBC