The Wellington and Canterbury Maori teams meet tomorrow at Helston Park in the feature representative clash of the day in Wellington. Wellington Maori (Te Upoko O Te Ika) will be gunning for their third consecutive win over Canterbury Maori (Waitaha) after they successfully defended the Tirikatene Shield that they play for last year with a 19-10 win in appalling conditions (both teams pictured above after last year’s clash). This followed their remarkable 52-51 win in 2013 which featured a storming comeback and a sensational last-gasp converted try when the two teams last met in the South Island...More

 The Wellington Lions and Southland Stags teams go into Saturday’s clash having met 27 times in ITM Cup rugby with Wellington having now won 21, Southland five and one draw.  Overall, they have played each other 94 times since 1896 in first-class matches, Wellington having won 64, Southland 23 and with seven draws. By the time they met in the ITM Cup for the first time in 1976, the two unions had been fighting it out since before the turn of last century. The Lions prevailed 11-0 when they first met in Wellington in 1896...More

Match Details: Result: Wellington 38 – Wales 22 When: 21 May 1988Weather: OvercastCrowd: 32,000 The Tour: The All Blacks were in their pomp in 1988, having won the previous year’s inaugural Rugby World Cup and, with players such as John Kirwan, Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick and Grant Fox in their prime, they lay in wait for Wales. For the first time in 19 years, Wales sent a team to New Zealand for an eight-match, two-Test tour in May and June. High hopes were expected of Wales, who had gone on to finish third at the 1987 Rugby World Cup after being thrashed by the All Blacks 49-6 in one semi-final and who had jointly won the 1987/88 Five Nations Championship with France...More

The Wellington Samoan Men’s team has three matches coming up in September, against the Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu Development sides. The Wellington Samoan Senior Men's Team for the 2015 Representative Season is: Daley Ena (Northern United)Jacob Taituave (Marist St Pat’s) Nuu Lene (Oriental-Rongotai)Steve Fa’atau (Oriental-Rongotai)Ezekiel Sopoaga (Old Boys University) Eli Hunt (Upper Hutt Rams)Josh To’omaga (Marist St Pat’s)Milo Vaa (Petone) Galu Fasavalu Taufale (Poneke)James Tuiatua (Marist St Pat’s)Greg Lealofi (Wainuiomata) Josh Hunt (Upper Hutt Rams)Lucky Tuiatua (Oriental-Rongotai)Danny Tusitala (Old Boys University)Kentino Kapeli (Marist St...More

The 2015 Wellington U19s 25-player squad has been selected, to prepare for the defence of their National U19 title in Taupo next month. The squad is:Jarrod Adams (Petone)Alex Coventry (Old Boys University)Patrick Fenika (Northern United)Passi Fine (Hutt Old Boys Marist)Brad Forster (Tawa)Logan Henry (Petone)Josh Houston-Tupou (Upper Hutt Rams)Lui Luamanu (Hutt Old Boys Marist)Samoa Mamoemausu (Poneke)Lester Maulolo (Petone)Delano Morkel (Upper Hutt Rams)Kaide McCashin (Upper Hutt Rams)Aleks Noble-Campbell (Petone)Piri Paraone (Petone)Ali Peni (Avalon)Pepesana Patafilo (Tawa)Anthony Pettett (Johnsonville) Te Whenua Poihipi (Northern United)Josh Robertson-Weepu (Wainuiomata)Tao Roi-Lupo (Oriental-Rongotai)Alex Ropeti (Poneke)Daniel Schrijvers (Upper Hutt Rams)Vern Sosefo (Upper Hutt Rams)George Taeiloa (Petone)Joe Walding-Karaitiana (Marist St Pat’s) Wider Training Squad players: Maile Koloto (Avalon) and Peter Pili (Northern United) Management:Ray MacDonald and Paddy Gough co-CoachesBernie Upton – Technical CoachJacob Ellison - Scrum CoachDustin Brattle - ManagerDuncan Pearce - TrainerKylie Hughes - physioWillie Holden (Inform Analysis - video) The Wellington U19s contest the Hurricanes Region U19 seeding tournament over the next three weeks...More

The Wellington Development team has been selected for the upcoming representative season. The players selected are: Prop: Apanui Heemi (UH Rams)Prop: Finbar Kerr-Newell (OBU) Prop: Gerrard Faitotoa (Northern United) Prop: Whetu Henry (Ories) Hooker: Hunter Prescott (Ories)Hooker: Valentine Meachen (MSP) Lock: Joe Beech (OBU) Lock: Nemani Waaka (MSP) Lock: Agustin Escalona (OBU) LF: Mateaki Kafatolu (Petone) LF: Isaac O’Connor (MSP) LF Teariki Ben-Nicholas (OBU) LF Sam Gard’ner (Wellington) Halfback: Luke Campbell (OBU)Halfback: Sheridan Rangihuna (HOBM)IB: Fa'atonu Fili (MSP) IB: Randall Bishop Tawa) MF: Mike Lealavaa (Wainuiomata) MF: Vili Dakunimata (Johnsonville) MF: Isaia Petelo (MSP) OB: Belgium Tuatagaloa (Petone) OB: Paddy Hughes (Wellington) OB: Afa Fa'atau (Ories) OB: Tau Mamea (Wainuiomata) OB: Jordan Simpson Hefft (UH Rams) Management: Head Coach - Matt Lee Assitant Coach - Riki Flutey Assistant Coach - Kas Lealamanua Team Manager - Grant Wall Analyst - Ryan Piper Trainer - James Dickie Physio - Nick Naylor Training: Tuesday 1 September, 6...More

Above: Thomas Umaga-Jensen dives over to score a vital try in his side’s 23-19 win today for Scots College over St Pat’s Town in the Hurricanes Region First XV final. Four more Wellington club rugby titles were decided today, with the Tawa Titans, Poneke Ruffnuts, Petone Saxons and Upper Hutt Rams Pirates all winning their finals. In a bruising U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield final, the Tawa Titans defeated the Poneke Cavs 8-3 at Kilbirnie Park. Poneke led 3-0 early, but Tawa came back to score the game’s only try and then added a penalty to seal victory...More

There doesn’t tend to be a lot in these big U85kg Division One games. Last year’s final saw the MSP Blues beat the Tawa Titans 6-3 on penalties, and this Saturday’s final at Kilbirnie Park at 2.30pm between the Poneke Poneke Gasworks Cavs and the Titans could be just as close. In fact, their two previous meetings this season saw Tawa pull away late in the match to win their first round clash 17-0 at Lyndhurst Park and Poneke win 7-6 at home at Kilbirnie in the second round. Only three tries were scored in these two previous encounters between the two sides and discipline more than ever looms as a key ingredient on Saturday as most finals in the last few years have been decided by only a few points...More

Who wants it more? Scots College and St Pat’s Town meet tomorrow at the Porirua Park for a place at the National Top 4 tournament in Rotorua next weekend. Berths at the respective National Top 4s are on the line this weekend for four Wellington schools; St Patrick’s College Wellington, Scots College, Bishop Viard College, and Aotea College. The major clash has been moved from Palmerston North to Porirua Park, where less than three weeks after they fought out the Wellington Premiership title, St Pat’s Town and Scots will face off for the third time this year to determine who will represent the Hurricanes region at the national Top 4 in Rotorua next weekend against the South Island champion (either St Bede’s, Christchurch, or Otago Boys’ High School)...More

UPDATED: The Wellington Pride step out on to the Petone Recreation Ground this Saturday at 12.30pm to host the Manawatu Cyclones in their opening match of the 2015 Women’s NPC (WNPC). The 16th WNPC season started last week, but the Pride had their bye and were in camp in Kapiti. This is the first of six round-robin matches, including three at home, leading up to the WNPC semi-finals on 10 October. Six matches including the final on 17 October are being played as curtain raisers to ITM Cup matches, broadcast live on SKY...More