May 2012: With a healthy talent pool, Wainuiomata are no longer the sleeping giant of Wellington club rugby. Last year the Wainuiomata Premiers returned to the Jubilee Cup for the first and only time since 1988, finishing seventh.

They made a strong start to 2012 as well, winning five of their opening seven matches to put them firmly back on track to make the top eight again.

Since their promotion to the Swindale Shield at the end of 2006, Wainuiomata have won the Hardham Cup twice - in 2007 and last year - and made the final twice more.Last year they were on track to make the Jubilee Cup round, but fell away at the end of the Swindale Shield, badly losing a match against Old Boys-University that they needed to win. Their consolation was winning the Hardham Cup, beating surprise finalists Avalon 31-10.

In 2007 they scored two shock tries in the first ten minutes on their way to upsetting Oriental -Rongotai 26-17 in the Hardham Cup final, before losing to Tawa in the 2008 final after leading 20-3 at one stage.

Previously, Wainuiomata made the Hardham Cup final in 2006, losing12-25 to Upper Hutt, but returned to the Swindale Shield in 2007 for the first time in 15 years and finished ninth ahead of Ories, Avalon and Upper Hutt. With former Samoan international first five-eighth and player/coach Earl Va'a at the helm and a clutch of young stars they enjoyed wins over champions Northern United (30-29), Ories and Avalon.

Their promotion at the end of 2006 was the fairytale story of that season, the Premier newcomers emerging from a fourth placed finish in the Senior One Harper Lock Shield to make the Hardham Cup final. Along the way to making the final against Upper Hutt they defeated Johnsonville, Ories (twice), and drew with the Wests Roosters.

The club runs the Allan Parlakchief Memorial Academy, which caters for 65 players in the Wainuiomata youth academy and 45 players in the senior academy. The club has excellent coaching resources and training facilities, including an indoor training gym with artificial grass and weights room, and their home ground at William Jones Park is a pleasant place to watch and play rugby.

Piri Weepu is currently their star player, Jonah Lomu once attracted over 4000 people to a game while playing for the side several years ago, while local boys Tana Umaga and Neemia Tialata play(ed) their rugby over the hill in Petone. Lock Shahn Eru (returned from Manawatu) and halfback Frae Wilson were both squad members of the World Cup winning New Zealand U20 team in 2009. Tighthead prop Justin Va'a is a former Samoan international and played professional rugby in Scotland after previously being a member of the Swindale Shield winning Upper Hutt side in 2005. Some other players currently stamping their mark include flanker Greg Leolofi and the Mamea brothers, Genesis, Tau and Isaiah, returning Newcastle Knight NRL player Marvin Karawana.

The Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club was established in 1946. The Club caters for all ages, providing junior rugby for ages U6 to U13, and senior sides in several grades.?

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