Above: Will Mangos (right) supports Vaea Fifita, against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua recently. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography. More photos here Rugged lock/flanker Wil Mangos missed much of Old Boys University’s successful club season owing to separate injuries and ailments, before showing storming late season form, including playing big roles in their 50-22 semi-final win over Tawa and 32-19 final win over Hutt Old Boys Marist. “Unfortunately I missed a bunch of games during the club season...More

The first day of the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under-19 Tournament in Taupo produced several upsets with six of the eight lower seeded teams winning their quarter finals. In the Graham Mourie Cup Premiership section. North Harbour, Canterbury and defending champions Waikato advanced while in the Michael Jones Trophy championship, Heartland, Counties and Southland were perhaps surprise winners in their respective fixtures. North Harbour punish slow starting Wellington Wellington lost in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015, to North Harbour who were losers at the same stage in the championship in 2016...More

Tiwi Davies scores for the Wellington Maori on Saturday against the Wellington Samoans. Max Pearson also scored two tries, but the Samoans won 24-23 - more below. Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max , Lovelocks Sports Bar  and Harcourts Johnsonville  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. +++++ A mixed bag for Wellington’s many teams playing at home and around the country from Tasman to Taupo...More

Wellington: 35 (Alex Fidow, Ben Lam, Sam Lousi, James Blackwell, Losi Filipo tries, Jackson Garden-Bachop 5 con) HT: 13-21.Tasman: 37 (Tim Perry, Will Jordan, James Lowe, Mitch Hunt tries, Hunt 4 con, 3 pen)   WHAT HAPPENED Both sides attacked vibrantly from the outset suggesting a treat was in store. However omens of a tough afternoon for Wellington were evident when skipper Brad Shields departed with a leg injury after just nine minutes. Mitchell Hunt put the hosts on the scoreboard with a penalty after three minutes, but Wellington scored the first try traversing the length of the field...More

Above the Lions and the Makos forwards pack down in Blenheim. Photo credit: https://twitter.com/WgtnRugby Wellington: 35 (Alex Fidow, Ben Lam, Sam Lousi, James Blackwell, Losi Filipo tries, Jackson Garden-Bachop 5 con) HT: 13-21.Tasman: 37 (Tim Perry, Will Jordan, James Lowe, Mitch Hunt tries, Hunt 4 con, 3 pen)   WHAT HAPPENED Both sides attacked vibrantly from the outset suggesting a treat was in store. However omens of a tough afternoon for Wellington were evident when skipper Brad Shields departed with a leg injury after just nine minutes...More

It’s a bumper day of representative action as most sides are in action. With just three sides on the road, the majority are at home with the Hutt Rec and Porirua Park the focal points. After opening their Farah Palmer Cup campaign with a relatively comfortable 42-10 win over returnees Hawke’s Bay, the Wellington Pride face a step up against one of the perennial contenders of the competition in the Manawatu Cyclones at the Hutt Rec at 2pm. Manawatu will be well-rested, having had the bye in the opening weekend of the 11-team competition and will be keen to stamp an early mark...More

Marist St Pat's midfielder Billy Proctor will co-captain the Wellington U19s in Taupo. The Wellington Under-19 squad to contest the Jock Hobbs Memorial U19 Tournament in Taupo has been announced by head coach Zak Feaunati. The 25-strong squad includes players from ten of Wellington’s 17 senior clubs and includes two members of the 2017 Wellington Lions Mitre 10 Cup squad in Marist St Pats midfielder Billy Proctor and Petone halfback Carlos Price.Proctor will co-captain the team alongside Old Boys University flanker Naera Tipoki when Wellington’s Jock Hobbs Memorial campaign kicks off against North Harbour in Taupo on Sunday (September 10)...More

Each of the three Hurricanes Men’s and Women’s NPC provinces is represented in this weekend’s New Zealand Barbarians Rugby Championships Top Four tournament in Palmerston North. St Mary’s College (Wellington), Feilding High School (Manawatu) and Hastings Boys’ High School (Hawke’s Bay) will all be stepping out on to the Massey University rugby fields on Friday in their Top Four semi-finals against Blues region opposition. All three made last year’s finals but only one was victorious...More

Tighthead prop Alex Fidow celebrates one of his two tries with halfback Sheridan Rangihuna. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography Wellington Lions 40 (Julian Savea, Sitivini Paongo, Alex Fidow 2, Wes Goosen, Malo TuitamaTries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con; Dan Kirkpatrick con) beat Hawke’s Bay Magpies 27 (Cardiff Vaega, Jason Long, Sam McNicol, Jorian Tangarere tries; Tiaan Falcon pen, 2 con). MORE HERE WHAT HAPPENED It wasn’t one of the memorable matches between the two Hurricanes provinces, but the Lions made it four from four and all but boked their Championship semi-final place with an efficient win in their 100th clash in first-class rugby against the Magpies...More

Above: The two trophies to be won, the Michael Jones Trophy (left) for the bottom 8 Championship section and the Graham Mourie Cup for the top 8 Premiership division. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography  The fourth annual Jock Hobbs National Memorial U19 tournament kicks off at Owen Delany Park in Taupo on September 10 with semi-final day on September 13 and the finals on September 16th. The previous two winners of the of the Premiership Graham Mourie Cup section (Top 8), Canterbury and Waikato, are seeded second after losses in the regional seeding tournament...More