Division A final: Wellington 35 (Moala Katoa, Andre Hart, Caleb Cavubati, Alex Faifailoa tries; Malo Manuao 3 con, 3 pen) beat Manawatu 10 Division B final: Wellington Development 46 – Horowhenua Kapiti 8 UPDATED: Wellington teams won both the Division A and Division B finals of the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council’s U16 tournament in Palmerston North on Thursday. The Wellington side captured the Division A Don Broughton Shield, while the Wellington Development team won the Division B Saracens Cup...More

Playing on Westpac Stadium for the first time, a return to full fitness and a run against his home province has Southland Stags wing Tauasosi Tuimavave excited about tomorrow night’s Men’s NPC match against the Wellington Lions. For the visiting Stags this encounter with fellow Championship contender Wellington is the third in nine days, following their first win last Wednesday against Bay of Plenty (20-16) at home and a defeat to North Harbour (14-35) in Albany on Sunday. For Tuimavave (pictured above, photo supplied), who has been named to play on the right wing against Wellington, it’s his third start of the NPC after recent injury...More

Perhaps it was case of the rugby season being a bit too predictable to date, but 10 days ago I decided to mix up things a bit by having a heart attack and winding up in Wellington's cardiology ward. I don't know if you've had a similar shock but on Saturday evening, it was certainly panic stations to learn I was being admitted to hospital. Obviously it's totally unfamiliar territory, and the key question was where and how was I going to watch the Boks test. Did they have TVs? Did they have Sky? Where were they...More

World War One disrupted a great era for Wellington rugby teams. Wellington had captured the Ranfurly Shield in 1914 off Taranaki and was building a powerful side. But with the advent of war, the Shield was put away and it wasn’t until 1919 that Wellington accepted its first challenge. What was also interesting at the time was that Wellington took the Shield on the road and accepted challenges from many of the top unions at their own grounds. In fact, in 16 defences during Wellington’s famous 1919-20 tenure, six were away from home - including three away defences in seven days in 1920 against South Canterbury, Otago and Southland...More

Article courtesy of College Sport Media The 2016 New Zealand Schools and Barbarians Schools teams have been named today. The series, to be played in Auckland, involves matches against Fiji Schools  and Australia Schools.  New Zealand Schools team: Damon AbrahamSacred Heart CollegeProp CalebClarkeMt Albert Grammar SchoolWing RobbCobbMt Albert Grammar SchoolProp Mosese DawaiFeilding High SchoolWing Tim FarrellNapier Boys' High SchoolProp Sione HaviliAuckland Grammar SchoolLoose Forward Tim  HoganOtago Boys' High SchoolHalfback Brayden IosePalmerston North Boys' High SchoolNo...More

The two Wellington Samoans representative teams in action today finished their seasons with a flourish, the Samoans U18s beating the Wairarapa Bush U18s 46-20 and winning the Trust Bank Central Shield (pictured above, see report below) and the Samoan Men’s team beating Manawatu Development 32-25 and leapfrogging the Wellington Development side into second at the end of the Hurricanes Development competition. The Wellington Development side missed out to the Hawke’s Bay Saracens 34-44 this evening, handing the Hurricanes Development title to the Hawke’s Bay team...More

The Wellington Development XV and the Wellington Pride are playing big matches tomorrow in Napier and Pukekohe respectively, two of several matches on the road for Wellington teams. The Wellington Development side is playing the Hawke’s Bay Development [Saracens] team in Napier at 5pm in a Men’s NPC curtain-raiser fixture, in a virtual Hurricanes Development Competition final. If Wellington Development beats Hawke’s Bay with a bonus point they will win this year’s Hurricanes Development Competition...More

Wellington: 29 (Asafo Aumua 3, Hoani Matenga tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 3 con, 1 pen) Northland: 21 (Solomon Alaimalo, Matt Matich, Shane Neville tries; Peter Breen 3 con) In his first Men's NPC start for Wellington, hooker Asafo Aumua scored a hat-trick as the Lions consigned Northland to their 19th consecutive defeat in the competiton. Less than a year out of St. Patrick's College, Silverstream, Aumua confirmed his considerable promise with a dynamic and polished performance. Wellington raced to a 17-0 lead in as many minutes...More

Above: Alex Fidow on the burst for Wellington against Canterbury in their bronze match. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography The Jock Hobbs National U19 tournament concluded yesterday in Taupo with Waikato winning the main event. Who were the standout players at the tourney featuring over 400 of New Zealand's leading age group talent? Who might feature in the New Zealand U20s next season? Here is a Club Rugby Form XV selected by Adam Julian, who was there on day one and near his television set on days two and three...More

Above: Waikato celebrating their win at the National U19 tournament in Taupo today. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography  UPDATE 2: Waikato are the Premiership Graham Mourie Cup final champions and Counties Manukau are the  Championship Michael Jones Trophy winners at the conclusion of the third annual National U19 tournament in Taupo today. Day Three results at a glance: 15th v 16th: Heartland XV 32 - Southland 5 13th v 14th: North Harbour 27 - Northland 0 11th v 12th: Tasman 32 - Hawke's Bay 20 9th v 10th (Michael Jones Trophy Final): Counties Manukau (35) - Bay of Plenty (20) 7th v 8th: Auckland B 29 - Taranaki 27 5th v 6th: Otago 13 - Manawatu 13 - Match tied up at fulltime and at end of extra time, so Otago declared winnrs as they outscored Manawatu two tries to one 3rd v 4th: Wellington 31 - Canterbury 24 1st v 2nd (Graham Mourie Trophy Final): Waikato (25) - Auckland (22) Waikato (25) v Auckland (22) Waikato: 25 (Luke Jacobson try; Matthew Lansdown 6 pen, 1 con) Auckland: 22 (Jerry Samania, Loketi Manu, Charles Napa’a tries; Wiseguy Faiane 1 con 1 pen, Oliver Polson 1 con) Waikato have won the Graham Mourie Cup to be crowned the National Under-19 champions...More