Several Hurricanes players donned rainbow bootlaces to show support for the LGBT+ community during last week’s win over the Blues at Eden Park. Michael Fatialofa, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara and Blade Thomson all wore the rainbow laces, with TJ Perenara sharing a photo on his Instagram page with the caption “more than a game”. This comes after Waratahs fullback Israel Folau made claims on social media that gay people were destined for “hell” and hasn’t apologised over his stance...More

Above: The inaugural RUCK CANCER Day in 2016, raising awareness for men's health issues. In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below. 14 May 1983: MSP halfback Neil Sorenson scores a try and kicks five penalties in his team’s 31-16 win over Upper Hutt. MSP and Petone are now level pegging at the top of the Swindale Shield points table after 8 rounds, after Petone battles past Ories 18-12...More

Above: Words from an exasperated club treasurer perhaps.Photo credit: Twitter.  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. There is three weeks to go in this year’s Swindale Shield competition and the races for both the title and to finish inside the top 7 to qualify for the Jubilee Cup are still alive and well...More

Above: Tomasi Palu strolls over to score one of his four tries for Old Boys University against Hutt Old Boys Marist in the 10th round of the 2018 Swindale Shield.  There were instances of a player scoring four tries or more in the 10th round of the Swindale Shield, with both Tomasi Palu (Old Boys University) and Tupou Sopoaga (Petone) crossing the whitewash in the same round. These tries were the first four-try hauls in the Swindale Shield since the fourth round of 2017 when OBU wing Te Wehi Wright scored four against Paremata-Plimmerton...More

Above: The two forward packs collide at Jerry Collins Stadium in the feature Norths-Ories women's match on Saturday. PHOTO: Blair Mockett.  Northern United women’s team defeated the Oriental-Rongotai women’s team 34-22 at Jerry Collins Park in Porirua in their feature Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy fixture on Saturday. Oriental-Rongotai got off to the better start when they went blindside and No. 8 Tina Paulo went in to score with less than five minutes gone. It wouldn’t take long for Northern United to respond with some lovely passing leading to winger Eden Gibson crossing over to level the score...More

Above: New Junior All Blacks prop Kaliopasi Uluilakepa runs freely for Petone against Jonsonville in their 65-0 win this afternoon.  There were big wins against current top 7 positioned sides for both the Avalon Wolves and Paremata-Plimmerton while defending champions the Old Boys University Goats laid down their title credentials in an emphatic second half against Hutt Old Boys Marist in Swindale Shield action this afternoon. In gloomy, cool conditions, the battling injury-hit Wolves ignited the competition with an upset 27-19 win for the Joe Aspell Cup against Marist St Pat’s at Evans Park Park, while Paremata-Plimmerton lowered Poneke’s flag 25-11 at Ngatitoa Domain...More

It’s another big day of rugby around the province, and while the weather doesn’t promise to be too flash there’s plenty of action that should be as the run-in towards the end of the first-round begins. There’s big matches in both the men’s and women’s Premier grades with the top-of-the-table clash in one and a heavyweight meeting in the other, and important matches across the board including the second stage of college qualifiers. Swindale Shield It’s 1 v 2 at Nairnville Park tomorrow, with leaders Hutt Old Boys Marist travelling to take on Old Boys-University at the Goats home paddock...More

It’s sometimes hard to keep up with the news pouring out of Canesland. Who else was gobsmacked that King Carlos is coming as assistant coach? And as one rugby writer laid it out, outgoing coach Chris Boyd was on the outer and “sour”. On whether he should have been enticed into staying on another year, it’s moot. Yes, Boyd’s reign has delivered our first ever championship and he’ll be a legend forever for that. But the idea of keeping the same management team in place ad infinitum doesn’t always pay dividends...More

After playing rugby for the Johnsonville and Wainuiomata women’s teams, Acacia Te Iwimate will be a key player for the Petone 'Ponies' during her second season with the club. Acacia started playing rugby for Wainuiomata High School when she was 14 and when she turned 16 she began playing club rugby for Johnsonville. In 2008 when Wainuiomata formed a women’s team of their own she moved to play club rugby for them before switching to Petone last year. “The majority of our women’s team at Johnsonville were travelling from Wainuiomata because they didn’t have a women’s team at that time, “says Acacia...More

After hanging up his boots for Hutt Old Boys Marist Steve Newson decided to pick up refereeing in 2011 in order to stay in the game. Steve first became involved in rugby when he was 18, playing for HOBM’s Under 21 side (nowadays referred to as the colts). At 26 he became involved in coaching with HOBM for a number of seasons before moving his coaching to Petone where his son was playing. “My boy played for Petone so I was involved with coaching Petone and spent a year coaching under 13s, but my boy came through all the grades and so I was involved with his rugby right through there as well”, said Newson...More