Remember the vibe about six rounds ago? Hand over the trophy, they said, it’s the Canes for sure. That seems a long time ago. Now the vibe is hand over the trophy to the Saders, its there’s for sure. So, let’s start by repeating that it definitely weren’t so a while back and it definitelyain’t so yet. Not to walk away too quickly from the train smash on Friday night. It was horrible, and kind of what you feared in the wet down there. It doesn’t answer the obvious puzzles...More

Above: Tawa celebrate their maiden Swindale Shield title this week in 2013.  28 May 1938: Petone goes on to win its third Jubilee Cup in 1938. In this match at home at the Petone Oval, they enjoy a 21-3 win over Marist in windy conditions. Playing their ‘best game of the season to date’ (the Dominion), Petone lead 8-3 at halftime and later seal the game with a ‘spectacular field-goal’ to leading inside back Con O’Halloran, grandfather of future Hurricane and All Black Jason O’Halloran...More

In the 134 years of rivalry between St Pat’s Town and Wellington College it’s unlikely the capital's oldest schoolboy rugby fixture as ever produced the drama that unfolded in the 133rd meeting between the two sides at Wellington College this afternoon. Down 19-0, and reduced to 14 players after 20 minutes, Town remarkably rallied to win 31-26. The winning try was scored with about three minutes remaining when reserve forward Liam McAree busted through the hosts defence at halfway and strode away like an antelope to propel the visitors into their only lead of the match...More

Parekura Lalaga leads his son PJ out on to Jerry Collins Stadium for his 100th Premier match on Saturday. “I definitely see glimpses of 2010 and that’s really exciting,” Norths captain Parekura Lalaga warns when comparing Northern United’s present form with their last Jubilee Cup winning side. On Saturday, Lalaga celebrated his 100th game as Norths joined Old Boys University at the top of the Swindale Shield with a round to play after an extraordinary 50-45 win over the Goats at Jerry Collins Stadium...More

Above: The winning MSP Colts side that won the first round Paris Memorial Trophy on Saturday. 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. +++++ Five days until the 2018 Swindale Shield is decided, with either Old Boys University, Northern United or Hutt Old Boys Marist set to celebrate this coming Saturday evening...More

Three teams can win the Swindale Shield. The stage is set for a titanic climax to this year’s Premier competition first round with current joint leaders Northern United and Old Boys University (both on 50 points) and Hutt Old Boys Marist (49) all seeking glory next weekend. Tawa and Poneke clinched the fifth and sixth Jubilee Cup berths today - leaving one spot still to be decided next weekend. This will either be Petone or Oriental-Rongotai, with Petone just needing a bonus point from their match with Old Boys University and Ories requiring a bonus point win over Johnsonville and a Petone shutout...More

It’s the penultimate round of the Swindale and Harper Lock Shields and just where those two trophies will end up remains up for grabs. Elsewhere in the Premier midtable there’s a clutch of teams still battling to make the top-seven cut with the critical match there being the clash at Kilbirnie Park between Poneke and Petone. The Colts first-round competitions come to a close with one already decided and the other still very much alive, the Women’s continues in that direction and the 85’s first round reaches the halfway stage...More

It’s the game of the century! The decade!! The year!!! Strictly tonight's showdown in Hail town could be all of those, and Lord knows this column has been throwing forward to Canes v Saders from just about day one. So I can hardly now argue it’s no biggie. Now I’m firmly in the camp of let’s try and put them away this time. But if we don’t it possibly isn’t the end of the world in the race for home finals. Firstly, stating the obvious. Win on Friday and we knock over our closest rivals badly in the conference race, with a game in hand...More

Above: St Pat's Town will want to hit the ground running this weekend when they take on Kapiti College up the line. The College Sport First XV Premiership gets underway this weekend. Nine rounds await the 10 teams, leading to the final at Porirua Park on August 19. We run the rule over the contenders and highlight some players to keep an eye on. Defending champions St Patrick’s Silverstream wear the favourites tag heading into the season, with a number of last year’s side back at the school and having won two of their three games in the Tranzit series over national champions Hastings Boys and last Friday night over Gisborne Boys, before Wednesday’s 22-10 win over New Plymouth Boys in their annual match...More

In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below. 21 May 1955: Fresh from joining Onslow from Petone, first five-eighth Jackie Dougan helps Onslow to a sensational upset 29-6 win over three-time defending champions University in this fifth round victory. Dougan and hooker Stan Judd were the match winners in this win in front of 7,000 at Athletic Park. Meanwhile, Petone beats Hutt by the same score, 29-6, in front of 5,000 at the Petone Rec to retain the McBain Shield and remain the only unbeaten team so far...More