The fifteens season is drawing to a close, but the sevens circuit is just getting underway. The rugby continues unabated throughout the warmer months with a host of short format tournaments, both locally and elsewhere, and it all starts this coming Saturday at Porirua Park (upper and lower fields), at Naenae College and at the Rugby Institute in Palmerston North. The first of the WRFU club tournaments is being played on the top fields of Porirua Park all day Saturday. This is the all-new Satellite Sevens tournament, an invitation club tournament where players don’t have to be registered for the club they’re playing for...More

Above: Wellington's Alex Fidow searching for a way through Taranaki's defences in their NPC match on Sunday Afternoon. Photo credit: Dave Lintott Photography. Taranaki 54 (Stephen Perofeta 3, Iopu Iopu-Aso, Toa Halafihi, Seta Tamanivalu. Jackson Ormond tries; Marty McKenzie 3 pen, 4 con; Perofeta con) beat Wellington 31 (Alex Fidow, Joe Hill, James Blackwell, Mark Reddish tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop pen, 4 con). HT 20-3. The match between Wellington and Taranaki in 1907 remains the only provincial match to be officially abandoned in New Zealand...More

Above: There were 12 tries scored in today's Wellington - Tasman Development fixture, here left wing Salesi Rayasi puts his blue boot into touch attempting to score another one. Tasman Development 46 (Tim O’Malley, Jesse Pitman, Teariki Ben Nicholas, Shaun Begg, Drew Petelo, Gus Gibbens tries; O’Malley 5 con, 2 pen) beat Wellington Development 34 (Adam Deck 2, Aukuso Tuitama 2, Alex Dalzell, Hemi Fermanis tries; Greg Mullany 2 con) The Wellington Development side was run down by the Tasman Development side in the final match of the local 15s season at Jerry Collins Stadium this afternoon...More

The clash between Wellington and Taranaki is shaping up to be an important match for the amber and blacks as they head to the capital on Sunday afternoon in cross-over NPC action   As it’s the business end of the competition with some congestion for the top four in the premiership standings, a win for Taranaki should secure a semi-final spot with one match remaining. However, depending on the Otago vs Counties Manukau result, Taranaki’s final match against Auckland at home on Thursday night could effectively be a quarter-final...More

Manawatu: 50 (Antonio Kiri Kiri 4, Jason Emery 2, Chris Eves, Callum Gibbins tries; Otere Black 5 con) Wellington: 28 (Wes Goosen, Hoani Matenga, Jason Woodward, Galu Taufale tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con). Halftime: 17-7.  Wellington's five match win streak has come to an abrupt halt, trounced by Manawatu in Palmerston North on Wednesday night. Manawatu's victory was a record against Wellington eclipsing their 28-9 triumph in 1982. Wellington made a shocking start, an ominous signal of things to come...More

Above photo: Both Taranaki and Waikato are among other premiership sides still fighting for a top four spot in the premiership of the NPC.  With week eight of the NPC starting tonight in Palmerston North, we thought we would look at the premiership team’s chances on making the plays offs, as a do or die situation is upon several teams this weekend. Scott McLean looks at the odds for each team.   Canterbury: 1st (35 points) Remaining: North Harbour (H, RS), Counties Manukau (A)   Eight points clear at the top of the table only disaster in the form of losing their last two games can stop the road to the title from again going through AMI Stadium...More

Above: The Wellington Lions team photo in 1981. In beating a strong Manawatu side 28-10 they went a long way to clinching the NPC title. Gone are the days when the All Blacks backed up for their provinces after playing in a Test match the previous day. But on 13 September 1981, that is exactly what a group of them did in this memorable Wellington - Manawatu match at Athletic Park, won 28-10 by Wellington. This was not just the day after any regular Test match, but one of the most noted of all time - the third and deciding Test against the Springboks in their controversial 1981 series...More

The Wellington Development side and the Centurions U85kg team both lost their home representative fixtures today. At the Petone Recreation Ground, Wellington Development missed out to Canterbury Development 22-31. At Evans Bay Park, the Centurions U85kg side lost to the Auckland U85kgs 3-21. Canterbury Development 31 - Wellington Development 22 Canterbury Development 31 (Poasa Waqanibau, Mark Maitland, Dylan Nel tries; Brooke Retallick 3 pen, con; Brett Cameron con, pen) beat Wellington Development 22 (Finnbarr Kerr-Newell, Teegan Minkley, Hemi Fermanis, Greg Mullany tries; Mullany conversion)...More

Wellington: 60 (Malo Tuitama 2, Vaea Fifita, Greg Foe, Matt Procter, Wes Goosen, Jason Woodward, Galu Taufale, Asafo Aumua, Garden-Bachop 6 con, 1 pen) Southland: 21 (Jahvis Wallace, Wharenui Hawera, Keanu Kahukura tries; Wharenui Hawera 3 con) Despite a sluggish start, Wellington trounced Southland to extend their winning streak to five matches. Wellington hardly touched the ball in the first ten minutes and the visitors profited when halfback Jahvis Wallace darted in after collecting an overthrown lineout...More

The 2016 representative rugby season in Wellington continues tomorrow with two matches, the Wellington Development team in action at the Petone Recreation Ground and the Centurions U85kg representative team playing at Evans Bay Park. The Development team host their Canterbury counterparts at Petone at 2.00pm. The Centurions U85kg side lines up against the Auckland U85kg representative team at Evans Bay at 2.30pm. The third match tomorrow sees the Wellington U13s travel to Palmerston North to play the Manawatu U14s at 1...More