Saturday was Ruck Cancer afternoon in Wellington club rugby, to promote awareness of cancer and men’s health in the rugby and sporting community. Above: the late Luni Moananu’s corner in the Poneke changing room before their match against the Wellington Axemen. Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/RuckCancerNZ/ 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...More

The 2017 Jubilee Cup semi-finalists were found this afternoon, with Old Boys University, Marist St Pat’s, Hutt Old Boys Marist and Tawa set to contest this year’s Wellington club rugby championship playoffs. Just the order of finishing and the all-important home ground advantage will be sorted out in next week’s final regular season round. The four teams play each other next week as well, with MSP hosting OBU and HOBM entertaining Tawa. Leaders the Old Boys University Goats (on 25 points) are guaranteed to book one of the two home semi-finals, with MSP (21), HOBM (18) and Tawa (18) all hoping to book the other spot...More

It's crunch time for a number of teams in tomorrow’s sixth round of matches, with Norths, Oriental-Rongotai and Wainuiomata all at risk of being eliminated from contention in the Jubilee Cup; while at the top end semi-finalists could start to be confirmed as well. Last year 19 points got teams into the playoff, will it be the same or similar this term? Then there’s this week’s inclement weather, and what effect that will have. Tomorrow is also another special day on the local rugby calendar, with the second “Ruck Cancer” day promoting men’s health...More

UPDATE: Please check Draws & Results across the top of this page for confirmed kick-offs and venues - some of these have changed since this article was published. With so much of the focus on the goings-on in the Premier divisions, and in particular the Jubilee Cup, it’s easy to forget that there are five other competitions that are also lining up for the Finals Day at the Petone Rec on August 5. We take a look at the situations in each of those five grades plus the top divisions of the First Grade and Under 85s as normal, with the regular look at the Jubilee and Hardham Cups to follow tomorrow Note: With this week’s inclement weather all venues and times given are as per the initial WRFU draw, and it seems highly likely that there will be at least some changes...More

Above: Hastings Boys' High School No 8 Devan Flanders (left) and first five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie are in the Hurricanes U18s starting side. Photos by Andy McArthur. The Hurricanes U18s (Gusts) side has been named to play the Crusaders U18s (Squires) for this coming Saturday’s one-off fixture at Westpac Stadium at 5.10pm. Players from twenty seven secondary schools and two clubs in the Hurricanes region have been selected in the Gusts squad. The announcement of the final Hurricanes Under-18 team comes at the end of an exhaustive five-day development camp at Rathkeale College in Masterton...More

9.36pm Saturday, I text my partner: We drew!She: Will they play another game?Me: Yes! In twelve years time . . . So before we start the countdown, here are some random observations. No doubt you'll have your own. The Lions were a very good side. For that to happen is little short of a miracle, and a huge compliment to all involved.They were not a great side, but they had a wonderful stickability, a fair dose of flair, and clearly came up with a pre-tour strategy that they stuck with and bedded in...More

Above: TJ (left) and Hemi Fermanis at Lyndhurst Park last Saturday after Tawa’s 30-20 win against Petone in the Jubilee Cup. If Tawa kick on to defend this year’s Jubilee Cup title, the Fermanis brothers would have played a leading hand in their success. The brothers, TJ, Hemi and Ezra (currently injured) personify the community club’s recent success, through their dedication, loyalty and all-action style of play that invariably swings close results in their favour. This coming Saturday against Oriental-Rongotai, oldest brother TJ runs on to his home track to make his 100th Premier start for Tawa, while youngest Hemi goes into this Saturday’s Jubilee Cup round as the Billy Wallace Best & Fairest competition leader with just two regular season matches plus playoffs to come...More

Above: Frae Wilson gets a pass underway for Wainuiomata in their 27-24 first round win over the Upper Hutt Rams earlier this year. Photo by Hugh Pretorius.  Frae Wilson was a recruit in the 2008 Wellington Rugby Academy class and played his first season of Premier rugby with Petone. However, Wilson’s stay at the Villagers was brief. The first two friends he made in the capital after returning from Hawke’s Bay were Shahn Eru and Genesis Mamea. “Shahn and Genesis convinced me to go over the hill to Wainui...More

Above: Northern United prop Gerard Faitotoa running strongly in his 50th Premier match on Saturday. No. 8 Mike Ioapo also played his 35th Blazer game in the 48-29 win over Hutt Old Boys Marist.  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. +++++ Just two weeks to play before the Wellington club rugby Premier semi-finals and just one of the eight teams (Petone) is out of contention to win this year’s Jubilee Cup...More

Above: The Tawa Colts celebrate their match-clinching try in today's top of the table Les Mills Colts match against previously unbeaten Petone, Tawa winning 31-27. The race to the Jubilee Cup semi-finals looks set to go down to the wire over the final fortnight of matches after today’s matches, with seven of the eight teams still in contention to make the playoffs and at least one home semi-final berth wide open. Old Boys University saw off Oriental-Rongotai 39-24 to take a clear lead at the top of the standings on 20 competition points, but throw a blanket over the other contenders still in the race, who are separated by just seven points and all looking to press their top four claims...More