Try time for Upper Hutt Rams midfielder Konelio Feaunati on Saturday. The Rams came back to draw level at 24-24 and force extra time, before Petone kicked a penalty and scored a try to win 32-24.  Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max, Lovelocks Sports Bar,  Motor Doctors and Sarah Kilner Real Estate  Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this week. Welcome to finals week! All roads head to the Petone Recreation Ground this coming Saturday, with eight finals taking place there including the 90th edition of the Jubilee Cup, which will be won by either Old Boys University or Northern United...More

Next week’s finals at a glance: Premier Jubilee Cup: Old Boys University v Northern United Premier 2 Hardham Cup: Wainuiomata v Petone Women’s Division 1: Oriental-Rongotai v Northern United Women’s Division 2: Hutt Old Boys Marist v Old Boys University  Colts Division 1: Old Boys University v Hutt Old Boys Marist Colts Division 2: Oriental-Rongotai v Poneke Premier Reserve Division 1: Oriental-Rongotai v Marist St Pat’s  Premier Reserve Division 2: Petone v Johnsonville Old Boys University will have the chance to defend the Jubilee Cup, while Northern United will be gunning for the Swindale Shield – Jubilee Cup double when they meet in next week’s Wellington club rugby championship decider at the Petone Recreation Ground...More

Can HOBM steamroll Norths from fourth position to qualify for next week's Jubilee Cup final? OBU and Ories meet in the other semi-final.  It’s a mammoth Saturday across the grounds as the major grades hit their semi-finals. All 28 teams involved in playoff action will be looking for the win to put them through to next Saturday’s Finals Day at the Petone Rec, and it will be expected that it’ll be as tough and tension-filled as any other playoff weekend in years past.   Premier Jubilee Cup   Going into last weekend the four semi-finalists were known, but who was to play who was yet to be sorted...More

A round-up of secondary school rugby this week, with Rongotai College, St Pat’s Silverstream, St Pat’s Town,Porirua College and Aotea College in action on Tuesday an Wednesday, while Tawa College play visiting Liverpool side Merchant Taylor this afternoon and the Premiership competition resumes in full on Saturday. Aotea College capture Co-ed Cup and Beard Trophy Ropati So’oalo was one of two Premier two Wellington players selected in the Hurricanes U18 camp this year, along with Harry Plummer from Onslow College, and in September 2017 So'oalo was named Player of the Tournament at the Hurricanes U16 tournament in Wanganui...More

Let’s dedicate this column to the memory of the Fog Final. That one the Hurricanes lost in Christchurch. What will we label this Saturday’s showdown? I’m plugging for the Smug Semi. I can live with that. Smug sounds a bit like smog, and acts a bit like smog. It seeps out. Chokes everything, and makes it hard to take a clear view. Certainly the smug has been coming out of the South for a few rounds now, and why not. The Crusaders have played a strong hand impeccably well. Their opponents, our lot, have played a strong hand very unwell...More

Agustin Escalona running freely in OBU's 18-17 win over Ories four weeks ago. Another tight match is expected in their semi-final this coming Saturday.  Agustin Escalona is a qualified engineer who designs electrical power lines. Escalona, often seen riding a push bike in central Wellington, describes his work as “building critical infrastructure.” The Argentinian lock forward has become ‘critical infrastructure’ for Old Boys University. This Saturday he will make his 98th appearance for the Billy Goats in the Jubilee Cup semi-final against Oriental Rongotai...More

Above: Julian Savea goes over to score in the 2013 'semi-final from heaven' between Oriental-Rongotai and Hutt Old Boys Marist, that resulted in Ories winning in the 17th minute of extra time.  As part of the countdown to this weekend's Jubilee Cup playoffs, here's a look at 10 of the memorable semi-final matches 10. 1999: Marist St Pat's 16 - Western Suburbs 15 In the last major semi-final played at Athletic Park, Wellington Lions and Hurricanes wing Lome Fa'atau pounced on a Western Suburbs handling error with about 15 minutes to play and sprinted 85 metres to score the winning try, against the defending champions...More

Above: Wainuiomata's bench looks on as MSP's Ryan Setefano attempts a chargedown in Wainuiomata's 26-14 2014 Jubilee Cup semi-final win at home. Wainuiomata went on to meet Hutt Old Boys Marist in the final.  In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below. 23 July 1938: Petone beat Athletic 6-3 by the margin of “two penalty goals to a try” in their top of the table clash. The two teams went into this game as joint leaders, but this win gives Petone the edge and they go on and win their third Jubilee Cup against the 1936 and 1937 champions...More

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max, Lovelocks Sports Bar,  Motor Doctors and Sarah Kilner Real Estate  Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this week. Welcome to semi-finals week! The Jubilee Cup, Hardham Cup, Premier Reserve, Colts Division 1 and Colts Division 2 teams all have their semi-finals this coming Saturday, the main event ahead of the Hurricanes playing their semi-final as a nightcap later in the evening...More

Amateur sport needs its role models. As an exemplary community volunteer, John Grace (a former civil servant in the Department of Health), provides a worthy example for all involved in supporting grassroots sport. Perhaps his most valuable role over his many years of voluntary sporting service, was as Welfare Officer for the Wellington Rugby Referee’s Association. The title of the role itself suggested a level of altruism that went beyond simply volunteering his time in the pursuit of a sporting interest; rather it suggested volunteering his compassion to assist current (and former) members of the Association work through life’s issues, which were impacting on their own participation as sporting volunteers...More