The Wellington U19s and the Wellington Pride are set to headline Wellington teams in another busy day of representative rugby tomorrow. The Wellington U19s face Hawke’s Bay at the Petone Recreation Ground, kick-off 1pm, in their second round Central Region Shield clash. The U19s opened their account last week in this three-match series with a 76-5 win over the Hurricanes Barbarians side, while Hawke’s Bay had a first-up 7-56 loss to Manawatu. The Junior Lions will be eager to maintain their winning run as this tournament determines seedings for the National U19 tournament in Taupo later this month...More

Above: The Wellington and Waikato U85kg teams play for the Gallon Cup in Taupo tomorrow Both Centurions Rugby Football Club representative teams are in action tomorrow, in Wellington and in Taupo. The Centurions Development side plays its third match of four in the RDO Cup series and the U85kg representative side travels lakeside to meet the Waikato U85kg side in its first match of a four-game campaign. The U85kg team takes on Waikato for the Gallon Cup trophy at Owen Delany Park, kick-off 2pm...More

Above: Afa Fa’atau with his cousins the Savea brothers earlier this year when the Blues played the Hurricanes. Photo credit: Ories Facebook  North Harbour wing Afa Fa’atau will be a familiar face against Wellington on Saturday at Westpac Stadium, kick-off 5.35pm. Fa’atau has been in typically good form of late. Over the past month or so the former Marist St Pat’s, Oriental-Rongotai and Wellington Lions wing has scored a hat-trick for his new club side Northcote in the North Harbour club rugby semi-finals, marked his NPC debut for North Harbour by scoring a try in a win over Counties Manukau and then featured strongly in a Ranfurly Shield defeat to Waikato...More

Above: Shaun Treeby playing against Otago last week. Photo credit: Caswell Images A mark of a class player is how well those around them are playing. That’s certainly the case with Shaun Treeby, who is more often than not the glue that holds backlines together, straightening the attack, making space for others and making the key tackles. It’s no coincidence that his teams have won two bucqui Jubilee Cups and one Investec Super Rugby title in the past four years, while his season ending ankle injury this time last year was a significant blow to the Wellington Lions’ chances of regaining NPC Premiership status...More

I can't remember a test in recent history which has generated quite so much hot air - and not a lot of light. Take the whirling hands of Owen Franks. Why were they there in the first place? None of it looked terribly clever right in view of the ref. Just why did Australia not report the incident to match officials given they were so worked up about it at the post-presser? And why doesn't someone come out with these other supposed angles. I've seen two and to me it looks dangerous play. Or flirting very close to it...More

Above: Matt Proctor on the burst for the Wellington Lions against North Harbour last year. A difficult 2014 season clicked into life at the end with this 58-24 win. Two other memorable matches against North Harbour were in 1993 and 1999. The 1990s was generally not a memorable decade in the 120 years of rugby in Wellington up to then. After a consistent 1980s when the Wellington Lions were mostly amongst the top three sides in the country every year, they flattered to deceive for several straight years...More

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. "It was unbelievable, quiet surreal really to be playing in front of thousands of people on Sky TV," Sam Fox recalls of last year's National Top Four final between Scots College and Rotorua Boys' High School...More

Following the recent Festival series, won by the Wellington Barbarians side, the Wellington Development squad for their upcoming five-match representative programme has been named. All players are required to attend a team meeting on Tuesday 30th August, 6.15pm at Petone Rugby Club. Please contact the Team Manager for any information regarding the team. Grant Wall Manger - Wellington Development Team 021 034 3028, grant@wallsport.co.nz The Wellington Development team Props:Whetu Henry (ORIES)Finbarr Kerr Newell (OBU)Ha’amea Ahio (ORIES)Jonathon Fuimaono (OBU)Matt Peni (MSP) Hookers:Joe Walding Karaitiana (MSP)Lotu Nuku (TAW) Locks:Anthony Pettett (JVL)Vern Sosefo (UPH)Hemi Fermanis (TAW) Loose Forwards:Sam Gardner (WTN)Alex Dalzell (WTN)Will Mangos (OBU)Sam Coventry (OBU) Inside Backs:Adam Deck (WTN)Waiariki Koia (WOA)Greg Mullany (PON)Piri Paraone (PET) Midfield:Matt Goosen (WTN)Willie Tufui (PET)Pepesana Patafilo (TAW)Aukuso Tuitama (ORIES) Outside Backs:Salesi Rayasi (UPH)Teegan Minkley (OBU)Ryan Setefano (MSP)Max Pearson (UPH)Randall Bishop (TAW) Schedule The Development team will play matches on five consecutive Saturdays, including four at home...More

It was an exciting day of representative rugby in Wellington and up the line in the Manawatu for Wellington’s school First XV and representative teams, with some thrilling results and close games. In two close results at Porirua Park, the Wellington Samoans beat Wellington Maori 35-33 and the Wellington U18 Girls edged the Wellington Samoan Women 34-32. At Kilbirnie Park, the Wellington Pride Development side lost 27-58 to the Tasman Women’s team, but the Wellington Pride beat the Manawatu Cyclones 25-20 in a tense fourth round Women’s encounter at a blustery Palmerston North...More

UPDATED: All roads lead to Palmerston North this weekend. The Wellington Pride, Wellington 19s and Wellington College and St Mary’s College school teams are all in action at Arena Manawatu on Saturday. Along the way, the Centurions Development side is in action against Horowhenua Kapiti B in Levin in the second round of the RDO Cup competition, also involving the Wairarapa Bush B, Wanganui B and Wellington Maori Development sides. Back at home, the Wellington Pride Development team is playing Tasman Women at Kilbirnie Park at 11am, while the Wellington U18 Girls side meet the Wellington Samoan Women at Porirua Park 11am...More