This week in club rugby history

Above: Alapati Leiua makes a break against Poneke this week in 2009 - Poneke won their season opener 34-19.

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

27 March

1999: There are 35 tries scored in six matches today’s first round. Defending champions Western Suburbs impress in beating HOBM 34-13, MSP overcomes Avalon 46-14 and Lotu Filemu scores a hat-trick for Petone as they beat Harlequins 48-13.

28 March

1992: Defending Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys are set on their heels in the first match of the new season; going down 48-7 to MSP, halfback Elton Montcrieff scoring 24 points. Last year’s Cup runners-up Wellington lose to Poneke 15-9. Harlequins (now OBU), a merger of WCOB and University, make their Premier debut and beat Tawa 25-7.

1998: Upper Hutt open the new season with a 23-12 win over defending champions MSP. Upper Hutt scores two intercept tries, first to wing Toetu Palemo after a break by No. 8 and captain Mike Robinson and the other to Robinson himself after an intercept and 60-metre run.

2009: The opening day of the 2009 season is sizzling and so is the rugby, as Petone and Poneke both impress with bonus point wins on a hot Gala Day held at Porirua and Trentham Memorial Parks. Petone lay down their title credentials with an 86-9 win over Avalon at Porirua and Poneke oust Northern United 34-19 at Trentham. Petone score 13 tries, including four to wing Fraser Middleton, while new representative players Daniel Ramsay and Charlie Ngatai star for Poneke. Petone and Norths go on to share this year’s Swindale Shield.

29 March

1980: Newly formed club Avalon go down 0-7 to Poneke in their first ever competition match. Avalon has a try disallowed and in turn, Poneke scores the match-clincher after a controversial lineout numbers ruling. Newly promoted Porirua miss out to Petone just 10-16 in their season opener.

2003: Old Boys University earn a come-from-behind 11-8 victory over defending champions Marist St Pat’s in a replay of last year’s Jubilee Cup final. With locks Bernie Upton and Matt Egan leading the way, MSP take a 8-0 lead. OBU hit back with a try off a MSP error and then kicked two penalties late in the match. Elsewhere, first five-eighth Corey Burt kicks six penalties and sideline conversion in Johnsonville’s 25-23 win over Petone and young fullback Cory Jane is Player of the Match in Upper Hutt’s 28-20 victory over HOBM.

2008: MSP is defeated 10-20 by OBU in this season opener for the Jack Lamason Trophy. MSP will go on to win their next 10 straight to win the Swindale Shield and then tie the Jubilee Cup final 10-10 with Norths and share the Cup. Elsewhere, Ben Aoina kicks all his side’s points in Upper Hutt’s 18-15 edging of Tawa and lock Jeremy Thrush scores two tries in HOBM’s 29-6 win over the Wests Roosters.

2014: A maiden Wellington Premier club rugby win for the Upper Hutt Rams and an ominous warning from defending champions Tawa that they are again the team to beat this year, in an action-packed opening round of Swindale Shield matches played around the Wellington region today.Tawa flex their muscles against the HOBM Eagles, racing to a 23-0 lead and eventually winning 50-14. Tawa goes on to lose their crown and HOBM wins the Jubilee Cup. The Upper Hutt Rams, an off-season amalgamation of Upper Hutt and Rimutaka, defeat OBU 22-8.

30 March

1996: Last year’s Jubilee Cup finalists MSP and Petone are quickly into their strides this season. New first five-eighth Paul Moran scores 21 points for MSP as they beat Avalon 36-19 and flanker Steve Hager scores the try of the match from a lineout snatch in Petone’s 35-6 victory over Avalon.

2002: Defending champions MSP struggle to a 13-13 draw with Johnsonville in this season opener, while Petone and Old Boys University also draw 8-8. Continuing close scores, Norths pip Tawa 28-24 and Poneke edge Ories 19-15 in two derby matches.

31 March

2006: Northern United and Avalon kick off the new season under lights at Porirua Park on Friday night. But, on the occasion of Avalon lock Jason Goble’s 250th game for his club, the scoreboard operators are almost made redundant. It’s not until the 78th minute that Norths break free when first five-eighth Rob Aloe scores from a chargedown and the home team win 7-0.

2007: Poneke pip MSP 18-17 in the battle of Kilbirnie first up this season. MSP take the early ascendancy and race to a 14-3 lead. Poneke closes the gap and after halftime hooker Dane Coles links with fullback Tevita Latu in for a key try. No. 8 Chris Brightwell scores the winner with five minutes to play.

1 April

1989: A dramatic opening day of Swindale Shield matches. Hutt Old Boys upset last year’s beaten Jubilee Cup finalists Wellington 13-7- front rankers, hooker Hika Reid and props Mike Edwards and Hene Crofts dominant. Ken Katahi kicks two penalties to give Wainuiomata a 15-10 win over Wests, MSP are pushed hard in beating Titahi Bay-Porirua United 28-17 and Marty Berry, Carl Burr and Craig Chevis all score hat-tricks in Upper Hutt’s 65-9 win over Tawa.

1991: After missing out on making the Jubilee Cup round for the first time in 40 years last year and settling for the Hardham Cup instead, Wellington defeats Hutt Old Boys 20-18. Wellington comes back from an 11-point deficit to win against the Hutt side that will go on to win this year’s Jubilee Cup title. Elsewhere, Petone wing Matt Lee scores a hat-trick to give Petone a powerful 43-0 win over Johnsonville.

2000: In a replay of last year’s Jubilee Cup final, defending champions MSP defeat Petone 27-22 in today’s season opener. MSP leads 20-0 at halftime and holds on into the wind in the second turn. Elsewhere, Hurricanes wing Shannon Paku scores a hat-trick in OBU’s 34-13 win over Tawa.

2013: The two clubs that met in last year's Hardham Cup final, Old Boys University and Poneke, both start the new season with a bang by beating 2012 Jubilee Cup giants Marist St. Pat's and Northern United respectively. OBU conquer last year's champions MSP 21-15 away at Evans Bay Park, while Poneke lower Norths' colours 22-17 on neutral ground at Ian Galloway Park. Elsewhere, Tawa impresses in beating Upper Hutt 32-0.