Much interest in women’s, lower grade and college competitions this weekend

While most interest understandably falls on the opening round of the Jubilee and Hardham Cups at Premier level, there is still plenty of rugby on in the lower and College grades. The second round of the Premier Reserve competition gets underway, the Colts and Reserve grades continue and the first rounds of the Premier Women’s, First Grade, and Under 85s head towards concluding; with trophies in those competitions potentially being decided this weekend.

 Premier Reserve Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups

It’s a different format for these trophies this year. The Ed Chaney Cup (formerly the second round Senior 1 prize) is being contested by the top-six sides from the Harper Lock Shield remaining after two were promoted to the Hardham Cup, while the HD Morgan Cup (formerly the second round Senior 2 trophy) is being played for by the bottom-six finishers in the Harper Lock.
 
Each team will play the other five sides in their ‘division’ once, with four ‘crossover’ games to complete their schedule ahead of semi-finals in each on the 8th of August, and finals on the 15th.

Those crossover games are a feature of the first week, with three Ed Chaney sides away from home against HD Morgan sides. Poneke make the trip out to Ngatitoa to take on Paremata-Plimmerton, with Norths venturing to Helston to face Johnsonville with both matches preludes to the respective Hardham Cup fixtures. Marist St Pat’s make the short journey to the Polo Ground to play Oriental-Rongotai in the curtain raiser to the two clubs’ Jubilee Cup meeting, while Hutt Old Boys Marist are the only Ed Chaney side to host an HD Morgan team, with Avalon the visitors to the Hutt Rec.
 
The other two matches are intra-division ones; with Ed Chaney sides Wellington and Old Boys-University meeting at Hataitai in advance of those clubs Jubilee Cup match, while HD Morgan sides Wainuiomata and the Upper Hutt Rams clash at William Jones.
 
All matches kick-off at the new time of 1pm.

Premier Women’s Fleurs Trophy

Norths continued on their march towards the first-round title with their fifth shutout win in six games, this time over Avalon.  On Saturday they welcome Wainuiomata to the top fields of Porirua Park, with the visitors looking to be the first side to cross Norths’ tryline all season and the Challenge Cup at stake. Norths will be mindful too that the last time the sides met in last year’s second round Wainuiomata were the victors on that day. Norths can wrap up the title with a bonus point win, but only if Oriental-Rongotai fail to do the same.
 
Oriental-Rongotai will however be trying to prevent that when they host Avalon at the Polo Ground after having last week of with the bye, as well as hoping that Norths slip up. Old Boys-University will also be hoping for that when they travel to Redwood Park to face Tawa, who are coming off their first win of the season. The remaining game has Poneke hosting HOBM at Kilbirnie Park, with the Lady Eagles looking to secure a place in the Victoria Tavern Trophy section of the second round in their first season before having the bye next week. Minnows Johnsonville have this weekend off.
 
All four matches kick off at 11.30am.

Women's news

Black Ferns Trials: Unfortunately no Wellington Representatives were selected in the upcoming Black Ferns squad for the Canada Tour.

Elite Women’s 7 Programme: Ories' Amanda Rasch and OBU's Kendall Templeman and Georgia Daals have been selected for the Regional Women’s Sevens Academy, the academy is designed to accelerate player’s development by providing regional support & is an initiative of NZ High Performance 7s working with the Sport NZ/Wellington “Pathway to Podium” programme.

Poneke’s Francesca Tonino moving back home to Italy: Outside Back Francesca leaves for home after spending a year here in Wellington on Sabbatical. Learning, understanding the Kiwi way of rugby has been beneficial to her playing. We wish her well & hope to see her back again.

Colts Paris Memorial Trophy

A real split in the table has now formed with seven sides with 22 or more points, seven with 12 or less, and Tawa sitting between the two groups. 

This week’s round of matches starts tomorrow night with two matches under lights. Two of the sides in that bottom group, Marist St Pats and bottom-side OBU Black meet at Te Whaea, while OBU Green and Avalon are in action at Alex Moore Park in Johnsonville; with both games kicking off at 7.45pm
 
Leaders Norths will look to keep their unbeaten record intact when they head to the Hutt Valley for the second successive week, this time to take on Hutt Old Boys Marist at Trafalgar Park. The day’s biggest clash however maybe that of the two sides behind Norths on the ladder, with third-placed Petone hosting second-placed Upper Hutt Rams at the Petone Rec. Paremata-Plimmerton – who notched their first win last weekend – host Poneke at Ngatitoa, Wellington take on Tawa on Kilbirnie Park, and Johnsonville and Wainuiomata meet at Newlands Park. Oriental-Rongotai has the bye.
 
All Saturday matches kick-off at 1pm

First Grade Thompson Memorial

Like the women, the men’s third-tier enters the penultimate week of the first round. The Petone Brotherhood continued on their unbeaten run in accounting for Stokes Valley last weekend, and can wrap up the title with a week to spare if they beat nearest challengers HOBM at Trafalgar Park, with the hosts looking to advance their cause and keep the title open until the final week with a win. Third-placed OBU will also be hoping for a HOBM win as well, but their first order of business will be their match at Stokes Valley where they are the visitors for the main game at the Delaney Park club’s Old Timers Day. Both of these matches kick-off at 2.45pm.
 
The remaining three matches are all earlier kick-offs. At 1pm Norths take on Poneke on Porirua Park’s #4 ground, while the Petone Saxons and MSP ‘A’ meet on Petone Rec #3. The third match is at the St Pats College artificial at 1.30pm between MSP Avele and bottom-side Tawa.

Under 85kg JC Bowl

It’s also the penultimate week of the premier lightweight grade and is headed by a probable title decider tomorrow night under lights and on the new artificial at Fraser Park between the leading Avalon Wolves and the unbeaten Tawa Titans. Both sides won in contrasting fashion last week, Tawa thrashing Kapiti 59-7, while Avalon prevailed over the OBU Bunnies 3-0 in the lowest scoring competition game in Wellington for some years. Avalon have the bye in the final round next week (the postponed round from 16 May) and can only wrap up the title with a bonus point win, while Tawa will be confirmed as winners if they win this clash; an Avalon win without a bonus will mean the title will be decided in the result of Tawa’s game next week.
 
The remaining three matches are all on Saturday and all at 2.45pm. The Poneke Cavs stay third when they host the Upper Hutt Rams at Kilbirnie, while the MSP Reds make the trip to HW Shortt to play Eastbourne in a match of one-win sides. The final game is at Waikanae Park where Kapiti takes on Wellington.

College Premiership and Premier 2

The big match in the WelTec Premiership is once again at Scots College where the hosts have the Moascar Cup on the line against Silverstream in the rematch of last year’s final. With the visitors also putting the Williment Cup at stake, at least one piece of silverware will change hands barring a draw between the two unbeaten sides. 

On the other side of the airport neighbours Rongotai and St Pat’s Town meet, with both sides having won one, lost one so far. Two more sides with that record, Wellington College and newcomers Tawa, meet at the city school, with winless sides Hutt International and Wairarapa College facing off at Trentham Memorial Park owing to the race meeting at the racecourse. All four matches kick-off at 2.30pm.
 
There is also an early start to next week’s round of Premiership matches, when Wellington College hosts Silverstream in their annual traditional match next Wednesday afternoon.
 
In Premier 2 only two sides have won both of their opening two games, albeit that two other first up winners, St Bernard’s and Hutt Valley HS, postponed their fixture last weekend. The leaders by virtue of bonus points are Bishop Viard, who make the trip across to Porirua East to take on Porirua College. The other side are Aotea, who host St Bernard’s (who beat New Plymouth’s Francis Douglas 20-19 in their match yesterday) with both these matches kicking off at 2.30pm. The remaining three games are all 1pm starts, with Hutt Valley HS hosting winless Kapiti, the Silverstream 2nds do likewise with neighbours Upper Hutt, and the Wellington College 2nds welcome their St Pat’s Town counterparts for the early game at the College.