Only one test into the season and can everybody just shut up. Well, shut up if you insist on talking endlessly and tediously about the first test like it shed huge new light or any light at all on the history of All Black thuggery, All Black cheating, the weak mental state of international referees, and the subconscious bias of anyone reffing NZ. Of course, if you can put up more than straw men – let’s say, some facts - on these topics, then talk as much as you like. Like Paul Cully in an excellent Stuff article earlier this week on the growing All Black indiscipline since McCaw’s captaincy...More

"The morale wasn't great, but with six games left we resolved every game from now on was do or die. That approach can be mentally exhausting, but it's amazing what some desperation can inspire," Alex Ropeti reflects on Oriental-Rongotai’s resurgence. With a month remaining in the Swindale Shield, Ories was more than a bonus point win outside the top seven, but sneaked into the Jubilee Cup for the 11th year in a row by winning four of their last five Swindale Shield games. On Saturday, Ories accounted for Marist St Pat’s 29-22 in the first round of the Jubilee Cup...More

The latest Best and Fairest standings have been released, with Poneke loose forward Greg Foe holding a six-point lead over HOBM’s Chase Tiatia after the partially completed first rounds of the Jubilee and Hardham Cups; though it’s a measure of Foe’s season so far that at one point he was 10 points clear but equally Tiatia has only played in half the matches this season. Foe has garnered the maximum3 points on five occasions this year including three straight weeks in rounds 3-5, while Tiatia has four Man of the Match gongs, including the last three weeks...More

St Patrick's College, Silverstream have preserved their unbeaten record in the capital, trouncing Rongotai College 67-0 in the latest annual traditional. Silverstream's win is their second largest against Rongotai. The previous biggest win was 74-6 in 1988. The 1988 First XV is celebrating a reunion this weekend. All Black Simon Mannix who played in that team was present at the match. Silverstream's complete dominance was best illustrated when 50-0 ahead midway through the second-half. After a period of lost concentration, clumsy errors and a senseless yellow card, Silverstream regrouped and scored two tires while undermanned Silverstream led 45-0 at halftime and crossed the chalk 11 times as they blanked Rongotai for the second consecutive year...More

Christchurch Boys' High School have beaten Wellington College 17-5 in their annual traditional exchange match in the capital today. Christchurch outscored Wellington College three tries to one, leading 12-0 at halftime. The match was played in the worst conditions of the year, in steady rain, sporadic wind gusts and an increasingly muddy field.  Christchurch Boys’ High School scored their 12th win in this match against Wellington College since 1995. Wellington wilted in similar conditions last Wednesday in a record loss to St Patrick’s College, Silverstream...More

Above: Former All Black Sevens player Taleta Tupuola makes a break for it when Hutt Old Boys Marist beat Northern United 20-19 at Porirua Park this week in 2011. In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below. 12 June 1954: The Dominion reports that All Blacks Ron Jarden and Jim Fitzgerald excel in “completely bewildering the opposition with speed and clever changes of direction” in a key win for University over Athletic...More

Above: Happy try-scorer Peter Umaga-Jensen scored a brace for Wainuiomata on Saturday against Paremata-Plimmerton in his sixth Premier match this year. Wainuiomata won 27-22.  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. Its Test week in Wellington, with the All Blacks hosting France on Saturday night at Westpac Stadium in the second of three Tests...More

OPINION - The past 48 hours have been some of the most bizarre in recent Wellington club rugby history. It’s hard to recall when a Premier match was postponed, let alone under the circumstances that Saturday’s Norths vs Poneke one – along with its accompanying Premier Reserve game – was. The allegation, that Poneke had fielded unregistered players during the Swindale Shield, could be considered relatively serious. But for context it’s nowhere like that in Auckland where a club knowingly played a player, who had been banned for life for punching a referee, under a false name...More

Above: The Northern United Women's team with the Rebecca Liua'ana Trophy first round title after their win over the HOBM Women today. The slate was wiped clean for all teams that took the field today and perhaps for one that didn't, on the opening Saturday of championship Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup rugby today around Wellington.  In two Jubilee Cup matches that were played, the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles won the Bill Brien Challenge Cup off Tawa in a four tries to two 30-15 victory at Lyndhurst Park and Oriental-Rongotai held on to beat Marist St Pat's 29-22 at the Polo Ground...More

Hutt Old Boys Marist's and Wainuiomata's lineouts won't be crossing paths again this year, with HOBM taking on Tawa in the opening round of the Jubilee Cup and Wainuiomata meeting Paremata-Plimmerton in their first Hardham Cup match. Updated (see Draws & Results across the top of this page for more): It’s getting into the business end of the season with the second round of the men’s Premier, Premier Reserve, and Colts competitions firing into action tomorrow, with the seven teams at the pinnacle aiming for one thing – to lift the Jubilee Cup on August 4 at the Petone Rec...More