Lovelocks Club Profile: Stokes Valley RFC

Teams representing Stokes Valley have been a permanent fixture on Wellington’s rugby fields since the club’s formation in 1949. The club grew to have as many as 11 teams in the early 1990s and the top side played in the Swindale Shield and the Hardham Cup for several seasons.

In the past decade, Stokes Valley’s top team has won the Senior 1 (now Premier Reserve) Ed Chaney Cup twice, in 2005 and 2008, while they have also enjoyed success with age-grade and President’s teams.

In 2015 there are three teams representing Stokes Valley, the First Grde, U85kg and President’s grade sides. Their women’s team has gone into hiatus this year.

Of the two competition grades they are playing in, the U85kg side finished fourth of nine teams in the first round Division 2 Phillip Wiggins Trophy and the First Grade side finished fifth of 10 teams in the first round Thompson Memorial Trophy, behind winners the Petone Brotherhood.

This year the senior club has instigated a move to align itself with the Stokes Valley junior club.

Over the years, many junior players have gone on to successful club and representative careers at a senior level at other clubs. By creating a culture of players wanting to come back to play for Stokes Valley from secondary school it is hoped to grow the club and that they will prosper in the future.

Recently, two players reached club milestones for their U85kg team, with both Alex King and Liam Smith playing their 100th matches for the team within weeks of each other. 

This coming weekend their two competition sides are playing at home and away.

The First Grade team is at home against Northern United in a fourth round clash that should cement their place inside the Johnsonville Centennium Cup playoff zone. With two wins and a loss so far in the second round, they are fourth behind the runaway leaders the Brotherhood.

The U85kg side has won its opening three encounters of the Division 2 Tony O’Brien Shield, alongside the Wests Roosters. This Saturday their supporters will hope they can extend this winning run to four when they meet winless Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngatitoa Domain, and whom they defeated 37-8 in their first meeting this season.

The President’s draw has Stokes Valley at home at Delaney Park against Johnsonville.

Here’s a bit more about Stokes Valley’s First Grade team:

Club: Stokes Valley Rugby Football Club

Team name: Stokes Valley First Grade

Competition currently playing: First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup

Social Media: Stokes Valley RFC on Facebook and http://www.sportsground.co.nz/stokesvalleyrugby/ 

Home ground: Delaney Park

Team origins: First Grade has been changed from the previous senior 1st grade so we started afresh this year.

Biggest rivals: Avalon - local derby. It’s always good beat them

The big matches: It’s always good to beat the bigger Hutt Valley Clubs such as Hutt Old Boys Marist and Petone.

Team rituals and traditions: We always sing our team song when we win. We will sing it on the field if it’s an away game.

The team's experienced players: Jamie Pita, Allan Pita, Chris Offord and Kieran Duffy are current players with many years of playing for SVRFC

The team's personalities: Tip – if the trammys and red bulls are on . . .

The future: We are hoping to field a Colts team next year that will work towards our long term goal of reaching Premier status. Our Junior committee has worked extremely hard to double their numbers with the hope that those young players will want to represent Stokes Valley at a Senior level.

The last word: “Who’s that man with the big red nose??” Oo ah, oo ah ah