Ayesha Ayesha Leti-L'iga sets sail to score the second of her two tries today against Canterbury. There were two matches at Jerry Collins Stadium today and 139 points scored in both, resulting in wins to the Wellington Pride and the Wellington Samoans. The Wellington Pride beat Canterbury 43-38 in the first match and the Wellington Samoans defeated the Wellington Maori 36-22 in the second. After losing their first match last weekend to Hawke’s Bay, the Wellington Pride opened their Women’s NPC account in emphatic fashion with an entertaining seven tries to six win against their higher ranked crossover opposition...More

A banquet of representative rugby tomorrow is highlighted by four games at Porirua Park. Games include: Wellington U16 Development v NZIS, Alex Moore Park, 6.30pm (Friday) Wellington U16 A v Petone Barbarians, Bernie Wood Artificial, 1.30pm Wellington Pride v Canterbury, Porirua Park, 1.00pm Wellington Maori v Wellington Samoans, Porirua Park, 2.45pm Centurions Development v Hawke’s Bay Saracens, Napier Wellington U18s v Poverty Bay U18s, Gisborne Wellington Samoans U18s v Wairarapa-Bush U18s, Porirua Park 2, 2...More

Tolu Fahamokioa goes from putting balls over the tryline on the ground to punching them from the ground in one match. The Lions have a short turnaround before hosting North Harbour on Sunday. Well, everyone’s a genius after the fact when the coach makes eight changes after a thumping win – and then the side comes crashing back to earth a few days later. No doubt Chris Gibbes’ reasoning was sound – setting up for this Sunday’s potentially decisive clash with North Harbour, especially with the Wednesday Waikato fixture coming so soon after the Southland victory...More

The National Top Four First XV finals will be held at the Rugby Institute in Palmerston North this weekend. There are three competitions and a truckload of drama guaranteed.  Friday 7 September 2018  Hine Pounamu Trophy – Girls 1st XV10.30am – Aorere College v Hamilton GHS 11.45am – Manukura v Southland GHS  Co-ed Cup1.30pm – Mount Albert Grammar School v St Peter’s Cambridge 2.45pm – Feilding High School v Rangiora High School Barbarians 1st XV Trophy1.10pm – St Peter’s College v Hamilton Boys’ High School 2...More

Over 400 of New Zealand’s leading age group rugby players will be on display at Owen Delany Park in Taupo this coming week when the fifth annual Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament kicks off. In no particular order here are some names to watch out for. Disclaimer: Squads subject to change before tournament. Callum Harkin (Wellington) - Struggled to achieve regular game time when a member of the St Patrick's College, Silverstream First XV two years ago, but a spell in Ireland and regular minutes for the Axemen in Premier club footy has seen Harkin grow in stature...More

The Wellington U19's won the inaugural Graham Mourie Cup at the National Jock Hobbs Memorial event in 2014. Last year Wellington finished a disappointing seventh. Hopes are high that Wellington will contend for the title in 2018. 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. “I’m really excited about the tournament. I’ve heard how good it is. I think we’ve got a good all-round team,” Taine Plumtree enthuses ahead of the National Under-19 tournament in Taupo this week...More

Jerry Collins Stadium on the first day of spring on Saturday.  Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max, Lovelocks Sports Bar,  Motor Doctors and Sarah Kilner Real Estate  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. The representative rugby ramps up a notch this coming Saturday with three matches at Porirua Park. At 1.00pm, the Wellington Pride take on Canterbury in the second round of the Women’s NPC Farah Palmer Cup...More

Above: Replacement wing Tai Neli collects a cross kick and goes in to score out wide for the Wellington U19s at Porirua Park today against the Manawatu U19s.  The Wellington U19s shone brightly on a less than convincing day of rugby results for Wellington’s representative teams in matches around the lower North Island on Saturday. The Wellington U19s have won the Central Region Shield for the 17th time to qualify top of the Hurricanes region for the National U19 tournament in Taupo next week...More

Wellington Lions 52 (Ben Lam 3, Thomas Umaga Jensen, Asafo Aumua, Tolu Fahamokioa, James Blackwell,  Kaliopasi Uluilakepa tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 5 con; TJ Va’a con) beat Southland 7 (Bill Fukofuka try; James Wilson con) WHAT HAPPENED It turns out local sports fans could have watched the first half of this match, got their rugby fix and made it to most of the Wellington Secondary Schools Basketball boys final over in Kilbirnie. If they could have got a seat. The Lions put on a first half half clinic to lay on six tries and lead 40-0 at halftime...More

There is representative rugby aplenty tomorrow, but just one team is playing at home. The Wellington U19s host the Manawatu U19s at Porirua Park at 1.00pm tomorrow, where they will be playing to qualify top from the Hurricanes region for the upcoming Jock Hobbs Memorial tournament in Taupo. Other teams are playing in Levin, Masterton, Palmerston North and Napier tomorrow. The Centurions U18s start their tournament a week early by playing the Horowhenua-Kapiti U18s at Playford Park. The Wellington Maori Development meet Wairarapa Bush B in Masterton in the second round of the RDO Cup...More