Bucqui Jubilee Cup semi-finals:Marist St Pat’s (1) v Oriental-Rongotai (4) at Evans Bay ParkTawa (2) v Wainuiomata (3) at Lyndhurst Park Hardham Cup semi-finals:Hutt Old Boys Marist (1) v Paremata-Plimmerton (4) at the Hutt Recreation GroundNorthern United (2) v Petone (3) at Jerry Collins Stadium Points differential. That’s what this year’s Bucqui Jubilee Cup semi-finals have come down to after a drama-filled final day of round-robin matches this afternoon played in appalling conditions around the region...More

Tomorrow shapes up as perhaps one of the most dramatic days in Wellington club rugby in recent years. In the bucqi Jubilee Cup every team – bar Marist St Pat's who are already qualified – is still alive heading into the final round robin matches so who will be playing next weekend, and even where those games will be, will only be determined tomorrow. Supporters will undoubtedly be out in force urging their side on while also searching for news of the goings on in the other matches. There’s no shortage of intrigue elsewhere...More

The Mixed Veges are part of the fabric of Wellington lower grade club rugby, currently playing in the Reserve Grade Division 2 Allan Seerup Cup competition. This weekend, one of their number, Dan ‘Runner Bean’ Brown (pictured inset above), is playing his 300th game for the side. See below for a team profile and a chat with Brown on the eve of his milestone match.  Clubs: Wests Roosters (2007-2016), Western Suburbs (1995-2006), Harlequins (1993-1994), VUWRFC (1986-1992). Team name: Mixed Veges...More

Sitiveni Paongo has bloomed into a promising prospect this season. The Tawa prop has just been named in the Wellington Under-19 squad and has been a regular starter for the Tawa Premiers who are hoping to make the semi-finals this Saturday when they take on the Upper Hutt Rams at Maidstone Park. "I am a bit surprised I have started so many games, but it's been a great challenge and privilege playing with and against older players," Paongo says. He’s played 17 out of a possible 19 matches this year, including six straight starts at loosehead prop in the second round Bucqui Jubilee Cup competition...More

What have we won? Nothing! But that was one heck of a two days of nothing, and I can’t recall anything remotely like that particular ridiculous trifecta dropping into place. Now of course it’s time to reboot. The Sharks are coming, and they thumped us last time we played them.  Expect an arm wrestle, and a suffocating of our attack. So patience will count for everything. On the very bright side, patience was perhaps the thing most evident in the magnificent win in Christchurch that set up the run...More

Isaia Walker-Leaware is putting his hand up for higher honours. In fact, the 19-year old lock out of Gisborne Boys’ High School has made every post a winner since moving down to Wellington to join the WRFU Academy and the nearby Poneke club at the start of this year. He’s had a taste of international rugby in Europe, as part of the New Zealand U20 side that finished fifth at the World Rugby Junior World Championships in England, and has recently joined the full Hurricanes squad for the rest of the season...More

A blockbuster day and night of rugby in Wellington this coming Saturday starts early afternoon with the seventh and final round of Premier Bucqui and Premier 2 Hardham Cups. For seven out of eight clubs that have yet to qualify for the Jubilee Cup semi-finals and still all mathematically can, their seasons are on the line this weekend, while the Hardham Cup playoff picture is clearer but there’s still much to play with home semi-finals spots and one top four berth up for grabs. Kick-off times for afternoon games have been brought forward to 12...More

UPDATED: Marist St Pat’s beat Wainuiomata 30-18 today with a four-try bonus point to become the first and still the only side to qualify for the 2016 Bucqui Jubilee Cup semi-finals with just one round remaining next week. Remarkably, in the tightest championship round for many seasons, all seven of the other eight Jubilee Cup participants are still alive in the playoff race, after today’s matches. In other Jubilee Cup results, Tawa continued their resurgence, beating defending champions and first round winners Old Boys University 38-20 at leafy Lyndhurst Park, the Wellington Axemen and Oriental-Rongotai fought out a 25-25 draw at Hataitai Park and Poneke came from behind to overrun the Upper Hutt Rams 46-32 at Kilbirnie Park...More

So here we go; the penultimate round of the year. For some sides, their hopes of making the semi-finals might be over when full-time is blown tomorrow, others will survive to for another week, and some will know that they’re already bound for the cauldron of playoff footy. Every one of the Bucqui Jubilee and Hardham Cup matches tomorrow still counts. Tomorrow’s radio coverage will come from the top-of-the-table clash at Evans Bay Park between Marist St Pat’s and Wainuiomata, with Adam Julian joined for the call on RadioSport (1503AM) by MSP stalwart and current WRFU President Murray Tocker...More

Above: The Wainuiomata and Hutt Old Boys Marist scrums pack down against each other a few weeks ago. Tomorrow Wainui hosts Oriental-Rongotai in the Division 1 Women's final and HOBM hosts Marist St Pat's in the Division 2 final.  The first of the WRFU’s championships will be determined early on Saturday afternoon when the Women’s Victoria Tavern Trophy is decided. This year’s Premier final will be played out at Wainuiomata’s William Jones Park between the home side – last champions in 2012 – and 2014 winners Oriental-Rongotai...More