Wellington rugby clubs embracing Rugby World Cup

The teams are here, preparations are complete and the stage is set for world rugby's showpiece to rock Wellington and New Zealand over the next six weeks.

There are a total of eight 2011 Rugby World Cup matches set down for Wellington over the next month. These games are:

• Sunday 11 September 8.30pm: South Africa v Wales
• Saturday 17 September 6.00pm: South Africa v Fiji
• Friday 23 September 8.30pm: Australia v USA
• Sunday 25 September 8.30pm: Argentina v Scotland
• Saturday 1 October 6.00pm: France v Tonga
• Sunday 2 October 3.30pm: New Zealand v Canada
• Saturday 8 October 6.00pm: QF1: W Pool C v RU Pool D
• Sunday 9 October 6.00pm: QF 2: W Pool D v RU Pool C

Below is a selection of what some of Wellington's clubs and sporting organisations are doing around the RWC. If your club or organisation is not featured below please send an email to editor@clubrugby.co.nz and it can be added.

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Centurions Rugby Football Club

The Centurions Rugby Football Club is holding a golf tournament (four ball Stableford, two count) to coincide with the Rugby World Cup. This year it is being run by the New Zealand Rugby Foundation in conjunction with Centurions. Hosted by the Royal Wellington Golf Club on Sunday 7 October, the registration fee covers a starter pack with more than $60.00 worth of goodies, lunch, after match meal and drinks.

The Centurions RFC welcomes overseas visitors. For more contact Brendan Gard'ner on 021 609 095

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Eastbourne Rugby Football Club

The Eastbourne Rugby club invites everyone to the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, where they'll be offering a mouth watering menu of food and refreshments along with a great atmosphere.

Highlights in September include:

Friday 9th - 7.00pm: Opening ceremony 8.30pm: All Blacks v Tonga Full meal menu available

Saturday 10th - 12.30pm: Lunch. South African Braai and New Zealand hangi. Special guests from South Africa. Bookings phone 562 8563. Games from 3.30pm till late.

Sunday 11th - 8.30pm: South Africa v Wales

Thursday 15th - 7.30pm: Russia v USA. Vodka and Jack Daniels will be served!

Saturday 17th- Three games live. 3.30pm: Argentina v Romania.
6.00pm: South Africa v Fiji. 8.30pm: Australia v Ireland

Saturday 24th - 8.30pm: All Blacks v France. French cuisine!
Sunday 25th - Three games live. 3.30pm: Fiji v Samoa. 6.00pm: Ireland v Russia. 8.30pm: Argentina v Scotland. Full buffet will be served.?

Friday 30th - 6.00pm: South Africa v Samoa. Full dinner menu

Hosted by Eastbourne Rugby Football Club. For more phone 5628563 email: essc@xtra.co.nz

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Hutt Old Boys Marist Rugby Football Club

HOBM's clubrooms will be open from 6.00pm on the nights of all matches in Wellington and are available to be open on other un-scheduled nights. The club is holding three Cultural Nights where visitors can experience Maori/ Polynesian culture and share their convivial atmosphere. BBQ food (Brai) will be available on most nights.Cultural nights, on Friday 16, Saturday 24 and Friday 7 October, commence at 7.00pm. A cover charge of $10 will be levied on these nights to cover the entertainment.

Please make bookings as places may be limited. Phone 04 918 3450

For more visit the HOBM website, or click here

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International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ)

Rugby Legends Dinner

For a night of rugby insight and good humour with Jamie Joseph, Nick Farr-Jones and Murray Mexted a dinner will be held on Friday 7 October at the Wellington Rugby Football Club clubrooms at Hataitai Park.

All proceeds from the function will go towards development scholarships for promising players within the region. Anybody with an interest in rugby will thoroughly enjoy this event.

For further information and to buy your ticket go to: www.rugbylegends.co.nz

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Johnsonville Rugby Football Club

The Johnsonville Rugby Football Club will have its facilities at Helston Park open so all World Cup games can be viewed live on the big screen. All rugby supporters are welcome.

Johnsonville are expecting an influx of visitors and are accommodating motor home visitors with 70 confirmed nights already booked.

The club is playing two Golden Oldies games against overseas teams (a USA team on 18 September and a French team on 2 October) and a sevens tournament on 29 September against an Australian team.

The 18 September game against a team from Milwaukee is being played in a paddock at Bryant's Farm, Ohariu Valley to give them a real taste of Heartland rugby. The bar's in the woolshed and there will be a hangi also.

It is the same venue where many years ago Johnsonville teams often played social games on Sundays

For more details visit their website or click here?

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Marist St Pat's Rugby Football Club

Rugby World Cup Dinner

Date and time: Friday 7 October. Drinks from 6.30pm, dinner from 7.45pm

Venue: Marist St Pat's clubrooms, Hataitai

Speakers: Brendan Fanning, rugby correspondent, Ireland's Sunday Independent (see www.brendanfanningrugby.wordpress.com). Ex-All Black speaker(s) to be confirmed

Cost: $100 per person, includes 3-course buffet dinner and complimentary barDress: Smart casual

This dinner coincides with the big quarter-finals weekend in Wellington, with Ireland, Wales, South Africa, Australia, Samoa and Fiji all in the frame. For more email msprugby@xtra.co.nz

Clubrooms open every Saturday - all welcome

• MSP's clubrooms are open from 4.00pm every Saturday of pool play during the RWC.
• First opening day Saturday 10 September.
• TVs at the clubrooms will show all games live.
• Hot food and barbecue facilities available + drinks specials

For more visit the MSP website or click here

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Petone Rugby Football Club

The Petone Rugby Football Club is hosting a Festival of Rugby throughout the tournament. Every game is live and free for everyone in a purpose built theatre in their sawdust gym at their Udy Street clubrooms. The screen is 7 metres wide and 4 metres high.

Other events include a golf tournament at Shandon on Saturday 9 September. This is followed by a dinner at PRFC hosted by John McBeth, with a number of guest celebrities and followed by the HAKA facing off against the Tongan Sipi Tau. For tickets contact the club (04 568 6270).

Other events include two international games: 17 September 1.00pm Presidents XV v USA XV at North Park; 2 October 12.00 noon Petone Academy XV v Uruguay XV at North Park

The club is also hosting overseas visitors and has several themed events planned coinciding with games involving international teams.

For more visit the Petone website or click here

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Poneke Football Club

Poneke invites everyone to come to their clubrooms for themed nights throughout the tournament.

Black Out Night! - Friday, 9 September. Come along to watch the opening match between the All Blacks v Tonga.Powhiri 6.00pm, Dinner Served at 7.00pm $20.00 per head; Handle the Hour 7-8pm; All Blacks vTonga 7.30pm; Pick the score prize $500.00 up for grabs!

Show Your Colours! - Sunday, 11 September. Show your support and get dressed up in your team's colours - The best outfit will get a bar tab! Australia v Italy - 3:30pm; Ireland v USA - 6:00pm; South Africa v Wales - 8:30pm

Black Out Night! - All Blacks v Japan - Friday 16 September. Wear all black and win a bar tab for being the best dressed! All Blacks v Japan - 8.00pm

Manu Samoa Sunday - Sunday 18 September. Get your blue on to support the boys from Manu Samoa as they battle the Welsh for a spot in the knock out stages. Bar tab for best dressed! Wales v Samoa - 3:30pm; England v Georgia - 6pm; France v Canada - 8:30pm

Black Out Night - Saturday 24September. Cheer on the ABs as they take on France. Wear all black! Bar tab for best dressed! England v Romania - 6pm; All Blacks v France - 8:30pm

Blue Friday - Friday 30 September. Cheer on the mighty Manu Samoa in their final pool game against the Springboks. Get your blue on! Bar tab for the best dressed! Samoa v South Africa - 8:30pm

For more visit the Poneke website or click here

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Stokes Valley Rugby Football Club

Stokes Valley Rugby Football Club will be hosting a number of events during the RWC and invite all to participate. Some of these are:

Quiz Night - Rugby Trivia
15 September. $15 per team (max of 6 per team)Each team will represent a country participating in the RWCSupper and prizesEmail svrfc@xtra.co.nz to register your team now

Black and White Evening
24 September. Best dressed prizesWatch New Zealand v France on our big screen

SVRFC Junior Club Day
2 October. commences 9am - 12pmKicking, passing, tackling sessions run by senior playersRaces and other fun activitiesPrizegiving / Kapa Haka by local primary school

Pressie Day
8 October. commences at middayInvitation team v SVRFCHangi, Kapa Haka PerformancesWatch the quarterfinals on our big screen

For more information go to their website here or email svrfc@xtra.co.nz

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Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club

The Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club will be showing every RWC game live on their big screen in the clubrooms. They will also have 80 budget beds at nearby Camp Wainuiomata and about 30 beds at nearby Parklands Motel - plus room for at least 30 campervans at the cubrooms itself. Breakfast will be served at the camp and all day breakfasts and cut lunches available at the rugby club. A B.B.Q. and light evening meals will be available daily at the club and A La Carte meals at the bowling Club across the road. For more email jomorr@xtra.co.nz Starting on Friday 9 September, every Friday night throughout the tournament the club is having a culture night and they are running a different country theme each week, with meals for every culture and prizes for the best traditional dress of the playing countries.

Watch the Wainuiomata Rugby Club's RWC promo here

For more and to visit their website click here?