The Wellington U19 and Development representative teams both enjoyed wins over Manawatu opposition today in matches at Palmerston North and Petone. The Wellington U19s defeated their Manawatu U19s counterparts 38-13 to win the Central Region Shield competition (pictured above), also involving the Hawke’s Bay U19s and the Hurricanes Barbarians sides. They also earned the top qualifier’s position from the Hurricanes region for the National U19 tournament, starting in Taupo next Wednesday...More

Above: The two teams at the end of the game with the Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography   For the second week in a row Jackson Garden-Bachop has kicked the Wellington Lions to victory, though this week's telling strike came on the last play of the game.   Shortly after what appeared to be a forward pass from Isaia Walker-Leaware, the Lions won a penalty two minutes into extra time and up stepped Garden-Bachop who slotted the near half-field penalty to snatch the Lions a 28-27 win and the Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy over Counties Manukau...More

It’s a big weekend coming up for Wellington representative teams, with some key matches home and away. It all starts later this evening when the Wellington Pride tackles the Counties Manukau Heat in the Women’s NPC match at ECOLight Stadium (kick-off 5.05pm), followed by the Wellington Lions against the Counties Manukau Steelers (kick-off 7.45pm). Both sides have tough battles coming up against similarly balanced dynamic teams. The Lions will be eyeing a key Men’s NPC Premiership scalp against the Steelers, which would put them in good stead ahead of a run of more big games to come in the weeks ahead...More

Above: Jimmy Hewitt playing for the Poneke Premiers against Tawa this year. Photo Credit: Dave Brownlie  The Wellington U19's won the inaugural Graham Mourie Cup at the National Jock Hobbs Memorial event in 2014. Last year they underwhelmed and finished fifth. Leading up to the 2016 tournament, Club Rugby will profile some of the young Lions who are likely to feature in the tournament and who are the future of the game in the capital. Contact trainings at the Poneke Premiers this year have often had an extra edge to them when rookie flanker/hooker Jimmy Hewitt has been around...More

Above: The two Wellington Pride locks, Sanita Levave (left) and Joanah Ngan-Woo, lining up against Manawatu a fortnight ago. Photo credit: David Brownlie  The Wellington Pride are hunting their fourth straight win this Friday evening when they take on the Farah Palmer Cup competition leaders and unbeaten Counties Manukau Heat side in Pukekohe. The match is the curtain raiser to the Steelers – Wellington Lions match, with the inaugural Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy on the line. Both Wellington Pride locks, Sanita Levave and Joanah Ngan-Woo have been in good form so far this season...More

Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but one thing struck me during the four hours I spent at the stadium on Saturday. It first came as the mighty Bush were over-running Horowhenua-Kapiti, and the small but vocal crowd was sunning itself like a contented seal. It came a second time as the less than mighty Lions stuttered through 80 minutes of not threatening the highlights reel, and it got dark and it got cold. And it suddenly occurred to me how much more I'd enjoyed watching daytime rugby than early evening rugby...More

Above: Regan Sword gets a pass away for Marist St Pat's in last month's Jubilee Cup final. The Wellington U19's won the inaugural Graham Mourie Cup at the National Jock Hobbs Memorial event in 2014. Last year they underwhelmed and finished fifth. Leading up to the 2016 tournament, Club Rugby will profile some of the young Lions who are likely to feature in the tournament and who are the future of the game in the capital. The last thing Regan Sword expected when he arrived at Marist St. Pat’s this year was to be a starting halfback in the bucqi Jubilee Cup final...More

Above: Left wing Hosea Gear scored a hat-trick of tries against Counties Manukau in 2008. Photo: Dave Lintott Photography The Wellington Lions and the Counties Manukau Steelers meet on Friday night for the inaugural Jonah Lomu Memrial Trophy. The two sides have many monumental battles in the past. Wellington and Counties (Counties-Manukau since 1996) met for the first time in a representative match at Athletic Park in the inaugural National Provincial Championship competition in 1976. Wellington won 15-4 that day, but it was not a result that was going to be replicated too often over the next decade of matches between the two sides...More

The Wellington Lions have won their first home game of the season, edging out North Harbour 21-17 at Westpac Stadium. Running is in the DNA of many of the Lions players' blood, but it was the flawless boot of Jackson Garden-Bachop that got the Lions over the line, slotting seven penalty goals to amass all of the Lions' 21 points.  North Harbour's defence was strong but it was their discipline and open-play kicking that ultimately let them down, conceding field position, penalties and eventually points as the hosts held on for the win...More

Above: Maile Koloto makes a break for it for the Wellington U19s today in their win over the Hwke's Bay U19s at Petone.  UPDATED: Try scoring bursts by Levi Harmon, Losi Filipo and Ayesha Leti-l'iga went a long way to securing representative rugby victories today for the Wellington U19s and the Wellington Pride teams. Centre Levi Harmon scored two first half tries and Left wing Filipo atoned for an earlier yellow card to score a late hat-trick to give the Wellington U19s a 38-3 win over Hawke’s Bay U19, after their 14-3 halftime lead remained unchanged until well into the fourth quarter...More