This week in club rugby history: 13 - 19 August

Above: northern United celebrating winning their second Jubilee Cup final, on this week in 2006.

In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below.  

13 August  

1966: University beat Athletic 14-0 in today’s Jubilee Cup ‘final’, No. 8 Garry Hermansson and tight forwards, hooker Ken Grant and locks Kerry McDonald and Bob Gregory, battle hard into a strong wind and scores are locked 0-0 at halftime. With the wind, University pulls clear and wing Alan Osborne scores two tries.    

2006: Northern United are savouring becoming the first team in eight years to achieve the coveted Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double in the same season by beating Poneke 25-12 in the Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium. Norths are too strong for Poneke, becoming the first team since MSP in 1999 to lift Wellington rugby's two major prizes in one year. With their champion All Black Jerry Collins at blindside flanker they take control in the opening 50 minutes of play and lead 20-0 soon after halftime.  

14 August  

1977: Athletic turn a 3-4 halftime deficit into a 13-4 defeat over WCOB in this last round clash, to win the 1977 Jubilee Cup. Athletic’s eighth win in their centenary year is also their last ever, the club amalgamating with Onslow in 1982. MSP finish second and Petone third.     

2004: Jubilee Cup final: Petone fight back from a 6-20 deficit to win the Jubilee Cup. First five-eighth Earl Va’a kicks a late penalty for the Villagers to give them a 21-20 win over favourites Norths.    

15 August  

1970: Petone have already won their fourth consecutive Jubilee Cup, after beating Wellington 23-14 the previous week. Just as well, as this final match of the season between themselves and University is a turgid affair. Andy Leslie’s 5th minute try is the only scoring play of the match and the Villagers win 3-0. Wellington finish second after flanker Graham Williams (two) and wing Mike Knight (three) score five of six tries in their 30-11 win over Marist.    

2010: Two electric Buxton Popoalii tries and committed second half defence carry Northern United to their fourth Jubilee Cup title in the final against Poneke at Westpac Stadium. Popoalii scores two of Norths' first three tries that sees them race to a 19-0 lead early in the second spell, ahead of an exhaustive Norths defensive effort. After scoring the game's first try in the 10th minute, Popoaii adds his second early in the second half, ahead of a Poneke comeback over the next 20 minutes. Young Norths halfback TJPerenara is the Player of the Final.    

16 August     

1975: Jubilee Cup ‘semi-final’ between unbeaten Poneke and University, with the winner to play big guns Petone in next week’s final. Poneke win 26-3, scoring six tries but landing just one goal from nine attempts. Poneke are expected to give Petone a stern test next week. Petone warm up for it with a 46-3 win over Athletic.    

1981: MSP flanker Paul Quinn scores the match winning try in his team’s 14-10 win over Petone in the Jubilee Cup ‘final’. Avalon wins the club’s first piece of major silverware, beating Titahi Bay 16-0 in the final.    

17 August:  

1968: Petone’s forwards out-muscle University’s to win 11-9 and retain the Jubilee Cup. The final is not without controversy as an incident late in the first half involving Petone captain Ken Gray and young University lock John Tovey leaves the latter unconscious on the ground and needing assistance to the first aid room. The large Athletic Park crowd fires up and the booing continues post-match when Gray is presented with the Jubilee Cup. Petone halfback Ian Stevens wins the Billy Wallace Best and Fairest competition.  

1980: With a late try to centre Ross Baker, Petone has ended MSP’s record run of 41 consecutive wins that stretches back over two seasons, with a deserved 12-3 victory. MSP coach Brian Coulter sums up defeat in the Dominion: “We had to get beaten sometime, but I’m just a little sorry it had to be in the cup final.”  

18 August    

1962: Jubilant Onslow players chair their big prop and goal-kicker Jim Kinvig off Athletic Park to triumphant strains of the Onslow brass band. Kinvig kicked the important points as Onslow buried Marist 14-0 in today’s final match of the season, giving them a share of the Jubilee Cup with Marist. Elsewhere, University consolidate third place by beating last year’s champions Petone for the second time this season, 18-10.    

1979: The Dominion reports that MSP have made plans for a celebratory disco tonight in their clubrooms .They’re confident of winning the ‘final’ against Petone. They’re on the money as well, sweeping to a 16-6 victory at Athletic Park, to record a clean sweep of 20 consecutive wins in 1979. MSP’s “rugged forward play” is their key to victory, after Petone had led 6-3 at halftime and threatened to spoil the party. It’s also MSP’s first standalone Jubilee Cup title following amalgamation in 1971, after winning the Swindale Shield earlier in the season in the WRFU’s centenary year.  

19 August    

1984: MSP has beaten Poneke 24-6 in a one-sided Jubilee Cup ‘final’ at Athletic Park. MSP opens up an 18-0 halftime lead with the wind at their backs and then hold into it in the final 40 minutes of the season.