Above fans flock on to the field after a Hurricanes match this year. It is another f word that is pondered below.  Here comes those new Super Rugby squads, and time for the f-word. No, not that f- word, but the one that hangs around any Hurricanes squad announcement. F as in forwards. F as in the grade people usually assign to the Canes pack. Totally unfair, but there you go. Cue the latest squad and cue the lead angle on the announcement – it’s the flying big winger, Salesi Rayasi...More

UPDATE Friday: The third leg of the American Ambassador's Sevens series scheduled for Mary Crowther Park on Saturday has been postponed owing to the weather forecast. More updates forthcoming. The weather forecast is: https://www.yr.no/place/New_Zealand/Wellington/Lower_Hutt/ The sevens season is at full throttle over the next fortnight, with the third and final leg of the American Ambassador’s tournament and a one-off representative tournament over the next two weekends. Mary Crowther Park in Wainuiomata plays host to the deciding American Ambassador’s tournament all day this coming Saturday, and the American Ambassador’s Trophy and Roosevelt Trophy silverware will be presented to the series winners at the conclusion of the day...More

The Northern United Men’s and Women’s teams and the Scots College U15s were singing in the rain this afternoon after winning their respective sevens tournaments. The Norths Men’s and Women’s sides both took the honours at Onepoto Park in the second leg of three of the WRFU American Ambassador’s tournament. In persistent rain that set in around lunchtime, the American Ambassador’s afternoon session was curtailed early. Norths beat the Upper Hutt Rams in their Men’s Cup semi-final and then backed up 10 minutes later by playing and winning the Cup final against the Johnsonville Hawks...More

I’m struggling to muster enthusiasm for the Japan thing. That bit where one part of the All Blacks play a pretty meaningless further Bledisloe match, then another part full of players most of us have never seen before, play the Japanese national team. It’s no-one’s fault except the Wallabies that they don’t set the pulse racing. As I’ve said before, we play them way too often these days, and frankly, it’s not actually helping them nor the prestige of the Bled...More

UPDATED: There are two sevens tournaments on Saturday for supporters to follow. The Wellington Secondary Schools U15s tournament is being played at Naenae College, with organisers having confirmed a seven-team boys tournament and no girls section. The U15 tournament starts at 9.20am with pool play and ends with the final at 2.20pm.  The pools for this tournament – are: Pool A: Scots College, Wellington College, Rongotai College, Wainuiomata High SchoolPool B: St Pat’s Silverstream, St Pat’s Town, Taita College Following this is the Condor 7s U15 tournament in Auckland for any Wellington school that chooses to attend, which runs over two days and precedes the main Condor 7s tournament, which Scots, Silverstream (boys) and St Mary’s College and Wainuiomata HS (girls) will be attending...More

In sweltering sun at Naenae College today the Wellington Secondary Schools Sevens titles were decided with Scots College, St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, St Mary’s College and Wainuiomata High School earning trips to the National Condor Sevens in Auckland in December. Boys: Christian Cullen Cup Scots College successfully defended the Christian Cullen Cup, outpacing St Pats Silverstream 26-10 in the Cup final. Scots scored the first four tries of the finale unanswered before Reilly Higgins and Ryan Amer restored some respectability with consolation efforts for the Catholics...More

The Wellington Pride and Moata’a were the two big winners from this afternoon’s Porirua Park rugby deciders. The Wellington Pride beat the Otago Spirit 57-5 to claim the Women’s NPC Championship silverware, while the Hutt Valley Samoans beat the Wainuiomata Samoans 28-26 in the final to win the 2018 Wellington Samoan Rugby Union Village Kings 10-a-side tournament. Wellington Pride The Wellington Pride have roared back into the Farah Palmer Cup Premiership ranks for 2019 after accounting for a gallant but overmatched Otago Spirit side 57-5 in the Championship final at Jerry Collins Stadium...More

The Kat Simpkins Cup (left) for the Girls and the Christian Cullen Cup for the Boys will be up for grabs on Monday in the Condor 7s Qualifying tournament at Naenae College.  Once again Labour Day Monday means College 7s at Naenae College, with this year’s Wellington regional qualifier for the National Tournament in a few weeks’ time. As with last year there are four places – two boys and two girls – up for grabs at the national tournament at Auckland’s Sacred Heart College at the end of November and start of December...More

Above: Old Boys University pair No. 8 Teariki Ben Nicholas (with ball) and fullback Wes Goosen both start for the Wellington Lions in their NPC semi-final on Saturday afternoon at Eden Park.  No matter how good Auckland have been this season, I bet most of you are feeling optimistic about Saturday’s huge semi at Eden Park. What’s not to feel good about. With Dane Coles in the mix and Vaea Fifita having fought his way back into the All Blacks A squad, they have got to be the go. At least there’s nothing dour about the two teams...More

The seventh annual Wellington Samoa Rugby Union’s Village 10s tournament is being held on fields 3 and 4 of Porirua Park (top fields) on Saturday. This year’s Village Kings is an eight-team tournament. Teams are representing several villages and districts in Samoa, plus the Wellington and Hutt Valley Samoans teams and a composite invitational Fijian team this year. Teams taking part are: Aiga Malisi (defending champions), Wellington Samoans, Vaitoloa, Faleata, Wellington Fijians, Tanugamanono, Hutt Valley Samoans and Moata’a...More