Above: Kaliopasi Uluilakepa makes a break for the Petone Colts in this afternoon’s semi-final win over Tawa. Petone and OBU Green will contest next week’s final. Next week’s six finals at the Petone Rec are: Jubilee Cup: Old Boy University v Hutt Old Boys Marist John E Kelly Colts Division1: Petone v Old Boys University Women’s Victoria Tavern Trophy Division 1: Oriental-Rongotai v Old Boys University Ed Chaney Cup Premier Reserve: Old Boys University v Petone Vic Calcinai Trophy Colts Division 2: Upper Hutt Rams v Kapiti Women’s Division 2: Petone v Paremata-Plimmerton Old Boys University and Hutt Old Boys Marist will meet in next Saturday’s 2017 Jubilee Cup final at the Petone Rec after winning contrasting semi-finals this afternoon...More

Above: Dane Coles, Beuaden Barrett, Nehe Milner-Scudder and TJ Perenara are all in the starting XV to play the Lions in their semi-final, kick-off at 12.30am Sunday NZT.  I've got a feeling it could be desperately close on Saturday morning. Mainly because I'm not buying three common strands of thinking. The first is that the Lions haven't played a New Zealand side this season. Sure, they may not be battle-hardened, but they sure as heck won't be as battle-worn. And the Canes won't have any experience of the 2017 Lions to draw on...More

Above: Marist St Pat’s halfback Regan Sword gets a pass away in his side’s 22-21 win over Old Boys University last Saturday. Both MSP and OBU will be hoping to slay their opposition tomorrow and qualify for the final next weekend. It’s a massive Saturday across the grounds as several grades hit the semi-finals, and all 24 teams involved will be looking for the result that puts them into next Saturday’s Finals Day at Petone; and it can be expected that no quarter will be asked for nor given...More

This Saturday’s home women’s competition division 2 semi-final for Poneke against Paremata-Plimmerton will be a special occasion for both the team and the captain and front-rower Trisha Kalolo-Apolinario. As well as it being the first playoff appearance for this Poneke side, and with it the chance to play on finals day at Petone next weekend, Kalolo-Apolinario will become the first player to be recognised for reaching 50 caps for the side and be presented with her blazer on Saturday evening...More

Above: Telea Seumanutafa in action last Saturday for Tawa against Hutt Old Boys Marist. This Saturday he returns to Jerry Collins Stadium for the first time since 2014 after playing 98 Premier games for Northern United, only this time to play Old Boys University in the Jubilee Cup semi-final. Photo by Jun Tanylaco Sports  July 25, 2015, Tawa and Marist St. Pats are embroiled in a tight Jubilee Cup semi-final at Evans Bay Park. No quarter is given until something spectacular happens. Visiting lock Telea Seumanutafa explodes through the host's defence...More

“No matter what competition you’re in you’ve got to stamp your mark on it,” Simon Malaeulu explains. The veteran prop has played 184 games for Hutt Old Boys Marist but wasn’t pleased to be contesting the Hardham Cup in 2016. “I can’t put a finger on what went wrong last year. No premier team wants to be in the Hardham Cup.” HOBM went from Jubilee Cup champions in 2014, Swindale Shield winners in 2015, to Premier 2 in the space of three years. At one stage the Eagles were on a run of 17 wins in 18 games with their only defeat in that sequence a single point failure against Wainuiomata...More

St Pat’s Silverstream continue to set the pace amongst the Wellington First XV schools, Beating St Pat’s Town and winning their eighth straight WelTec Premiership contest, while Porirua College retained the Beard Trophy and qualified for the region’s Co-ed Cup final with a dramatic win over Aotea College in two matches this afternoon. St Pat’s Silverstream accounted for St Pat’s Town 42-5, while Porirua College beat Premier 2 side Aotea College 17-15, courtesy of a last-gasp converted try...More

Above: Sam Reid diving for the try line in Old Boys University’s win earlier this year over Northern United at Jerry Collins Stadium. Photo by Chainsaw Photos “I'm a feisty battler,” Sam Reid responds when asked to explain his ascent from weight restricted rugby three years ago to starting premier selection at Old Boys University. The diminutive winger has scored seven tries in 14 games for the Jubilee Cup leading Billygoats - an unlikely prospect when he was a battered and struggling pupil at King’s College, Auckland...More

Above: Oriental-Rongotai prop Whetu Henry and others discussing the conditions on Saturday with referee Mike Pinfold in his team’s final match of the Premier season against Petone on Saturday. Photo by David Brownlie Photos 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. Then there were four...More

Above: Hutt Old Boys Marist fullback Brandyn Laursen lines up what would prove to be the winning penalty in today’s Jubilee Cup clash against Tawa at a gloomy Hutt Rec Recreation Ground. Old Boys University and Marist St Pat’s will host next weekend’s 2017 Jubilee Cup semi-finals, after a cracking afternoon of rugby on a dull day to end the regular season. Top qualifiers Old Boys University won the Andy Leslie Trophy and will host defending champions Tawa in one semi-final next Saturday, while second placed MSP will host Hutt Old Boys Marist in the other...More