Tawa College, Poneke and the Upper Hutt Rams win college and club finals

Above: The Tawa College First XV celebrating winning the Wellington secondary school Premier 2 title today, beating Wairarapa College 15-11.

There were wins today for the Tawa College First XV in the Wellington secondary school Premier 2 final, for the Poneke Ruffnuts in the Reserve Grade Division 1 Johnsonville Centennium Cup club final and for Poneke and Upper Hutt Rams teams in the Colts Division 2 and 3 club finals.

Tawa College beat defending champions Wairarapa College 15-11 to claim the college Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup in the feature match of today's secondary Schools finals day held at St Pat's Silverstream.

Top qualifier the Poneke Ruffnuts defeated the Upper Hutt Rams J8s 38-10 to win the Reserve Grade Final on home soil at Kilbirnie Park.

On the adjacent field, home team Poneke beat Wainuiomata 13-10 to win the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup Colts Division 2 final.

The Upper Hutt Rams took out the Eric Connolly?Memorial Cup Colts Division 3 competition with a 26-3 win over Johnsonville.

Premier 2 college champions Tawa College now turn their attention to playing Feilding High School in the regional Co-ed Cup final on Hurricanes finals day in Palmerston North next week.

In Gisborne, Wellington Premier 1 champions Scots College defeated home side Gisborne Boys' High School 57-22. Scots College play home town school Palmerston North Boys' High School, who beat Hastings Boys' High School in the other Hurricanes semi-final, next week for a place in the National Top 4 tournament in Rotorua.

Of note, Christchurch Boys' High School defeated Nelson College 27-13 today to win the Press Cup, Otago Boys' High School beat Southland Boys' High School 21-16 in their lower South Island final, while Auckland Grammar School defeated St Kent's 31-26 to win the Auckland 1A final.

In other minor Wellington secondary schools finals upsets, the St Pat's Town second XV beat Newlands College 8-3 to win the Premier 3 Paul Cameron Cup, Onslow College pipped the Scots College second XV 13-12 to win Premier 4, the Newlands College second XV beat the St Pat's Town third XV 24-14 to win Pemier 5 and the unbeaten St Pat's Silverstream U15 Division 1 side beat Wellington College 13-10 to win their final.

In the second set of WRFU Festival series matches, involving many of Wellington's leading club players, the Wellington Suburbs and Wellington Maori sides both enjoyed wins in tight matches played in miserable conditions at Fraser Park.

In the first match, the Wellington City overcame a clash in yellow playing jerseys against the Wellington Samoans to score a second half intercept try and win 15-10.

The Wellington Maori defeated the Wellington city team 12-8 in a titanic struggle in the second game.

With two wins from two, Wellington Maori lead the Festival series, ahead of Wellington City and Wellington Suburbs with one win each and winless Wellington Samoans.

The third and concluding round is next week and scheduled for Hataitai Park.

Meanwhile, next week's U85 kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield Wellington club rugby final will be a repeat of last year's final between the MSP Blues and the Tawa Titans.

Top qualifier and defending champions the MSP Blues will play for their fifth straight lightweight division title after beating Waikane 32-7 today.

The Tawa Titans defeated the Poneke Cavs 15-3 in a much closer affair. Tawa led 8-0 at halftime and then pulled clear to score a converted try in the second half. Both Tawa's tries were close quarter efforts.

The MSP Reds and the lightweight Wellington Axemen will contest the final of the U8 kg Division 2 Moody Cup after two evenly contested semi-finals that saw the MSP Reds beat Stokes Valley 9-3 in extra time and the Axemen defeat the HOBM Howlers 6-3.

In Wanganui, the Wellington U19 side defeated Wanganui Development 36-7, after leading 19-0 at halftime.

At Evans Bay Park, the Wellington Centurions Colts drew 27-27 with the New Zealand Marist Colts.