This week in club rugby history – 28 May – 4 June

Above: Tawa celebrate their maiden Swindale Shield title this week in 2013. 

28 May

1938: Petone goes on to win its third Jubilee Cup in 1938. In this match at home at the Petone Oval, they enjoy a 21-3 win over Marist in windy conditions. Playing their ‘best game of the season to date’ (the Dominion), Petone lead 8-3 at halftime and later seal the game with a ‘spectacular field-goal’ to leading inside back Con O’Halloran, grandfather of future Hurricane and All Black Jason O’Halloran.

1987: Newly promoted Tawa slay Petone 30-13 at Lyndhurst Park. Petone are at near full strength and lead 13-10 at halftime, but a fired up Tawa beat them 20-0 in the second half. English locks Richard Denhart and Chris Burgess tower high.

1994: Centre Sean Longstaff scores a hat-trick as Avalon dispatch Johnsonville 46-12, while Petone run amok in scoring 11 tries to beat Harlequins 65-9 with flanker Martin Leslie the Man of the Match.

29 May

1955: The Dominion says that Ron Jarden was “in ebullient mood”. Wellington’s greatest player of the time Jarden scores three tries, converts two and kicks three penalties for 22 out of his side’s 28 points in his University team’s 28-8 win over Wellington College Old Boys. Jarden is essentially the difference in an attractive match between two enterprising sides.

1982: Hutt Valley Marist wing Bernie Fraser scores a brace as his side beats MSP 23-12, All Black wing Stu Wilson scoots over for a hat-trick for WCOB in their 38-13 win over Johnsonville, while Petone fullback Allan Hewson snaps a late dropped goal to give leaders Petone a 12-9 win over Athletic.

30 May

2015: Wellington Axemen supporters are a happy bunch this afternoon after their side has beaten Poneke 22-15 and earned its place in the coveted Jubilee Cup starting next week. Wellington last made the top 8 twenty years ago. Hutt Old Boys Marist are presented with the Swindale Shield, despite losing 19-12 to Ories for the Bondy Memorial Cup. Tawa complete an unbeaten first round in the Premier Reserve competition and take out the Harper Lock Shield.

31 May

1929: Poneke and Athletic are joint leaders after six rounds in the inaugural Jubilee Cup championship season in Wellington. A crowd of 4,500 at Athletic Park watch Poneke beat Marist 29-18 and the Athletic club defeats Eastbourne 16-8 in perfect conditions across the harbour. Poneke pile on 18 unanswered points in the first half ahead of a valiant Marist comeback in the second spell, while Athletic’s stronger forwards outmuscle the plucky Eastbourne contenders. Poneke and Athletic can’t sustain their form, however, and University later emerges from the pack to win the first ever Jubilee Cup.

2014: Marist St Pat's are the 2014 Swindale Shield champions, while Northern United are the side to miss out on the ‘top eight' and will be playing in the Hardham Cup for the rest of the season. A spirited MSP beat Tawa 28-21 today in front of a bumper crowd in bright sunshine at Kilbirnie Park, winning the first round title for the first time since 2008 and capturing their 11th Swindale Shield overall.They win the first round 11-match competition by winning eight games, drawing one and losing two and scoring 336 points for and 236 against. They have scored 37 tries and conceded 26

1 June

1964: In the clash of the giants at Athletic Park on Queen’s Birthday Monday today, Marist edges University 16-11 and now both teams are level pegging as joint championship leaders. Nothing will change at the top over the next two months and Marist and University will share the Jubilee Cup.

1968: In a major shock, University rout previously unbeaten Petone 15-6, while Hutt Old Boys make history by recording their first ever win in the Senior division, tipping over the more fancied Marist 18-14.

1991: Unbeaten Avalon recover from a 12-point deficit to beat Poneke 15-12 at Kilbirnie Park to open up a seven-point lead in the Swindale Shield. Avalon’s big lead on the log over their nearest challenger Petone lose 15-27 to a fired up HOBM for the 57th McBain Shield.

1996: Petone win their last match but finish outside the top eight and will contest the Hardham Cup for the rest of the season. Petone beat Avalon 22-5, but Norths cling to a 7-6 win over Ponele to shut Petone outside the ‘eight’. MSP win the Swindale Shield for the third time in succession, beating Tawa 10-0 today.

2013: It's Tawa on their own. In an entertaining game at home at Lyndhurst Park, Tawa draw their battle 29-29 with Marist St Pat's but still win the campaign,  earning the minimum of one bonus point they need from the match to seal the Wellington club rugby first round Swindale Shield outright for the first time in the club's 66-year history. Scenes of jubilation follow.

2 June

1940: Johnsonville hit the lead in the championship, beating previous leaders Athletic 11-8 in the match of the round at Athletic Park. In a battle between the forwards orientated Johnsonville and the flashy play of Athletic’s backs, Johnsonville come from a 0-5 deficit at halftime. Athletic goes on to win the 1940 Jubilee Cup.

1986: The Swindale Shield is shaping as a two-horse race with three weeks remaining after frontrunners Wellington and Petone both flex their muscles today against Hardham Cup-bound opposition. Wellington scores 10 tries in beating University 52-10 and Petone run in eight tries, including a hat-trick to first five-eighth Murray Blandford, to beat Porirua 50-6. Petone has now scored 48 tries in 11 matches this year.

3 June

1933: A grandstand finish at the Hutt Rec! Hutt score the match-winning try on the stroke of fulltime to beat Athletic 18-17 in perfect rugby conditions. The Hutt team, who are wearing black armbands in respect to the recent passing of Alexander McBain, are troubled by the sun in the first half and scores are locked at 8-8 at halftime. Athletic gain a 17-14 lead late in the contest before Hutt wing Stevenson dives through to score in the corner and former Canterbury and now Wellington All Black and railway worker Herb Lilburne converts from the sideline to give Hutt the win.

1978: Allan Hewson scores four tries and Kevin Hewson two in Petone’s eight-try 46-0 win over Naenae Old Boys. Petone’s opposition next week, MSP, score nine tries in beating Taita 48-6.

1985: Wellington beats Petone 15-12 in today’s top-of-the-table Queen’s Birthday weekend clash to go to the top of the table. However, it could have been a draw after Petone fullback Allan Hewson’s late penalty is flagged as good by the two touch touches behind the poles but their decision is overruled and it’s no goal. Asked afterwards if his kick was successful Hewson said: “Yes. It went about three inches inside the right hand upright.”

1989: Swindale Shield decider. In a gripping conclusion to the first round, Hutt Old Boys lead Poneke 9-3 at halftime. Two John Jackson penalties level the scores up to 9-9. Poneke flanker Amico Tovia is sent off for a head high tackle, leaving Poneke competing with 14 men. Hutt flanker Mark Shaw scores a decisive try and Hutt pull clear to win 21-9.

2017: Old Boys University teams win Wellington club rugby’s top two division men’s first-round titles today, while Petone seals the eighth and final spot up for grabs in the Jubilee Cup. OBU teams annexed the 2017 Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield and Premier Swindale Shield trophies within two hours of each other at Nairnville Park this afternoon. Just needing to beat Avalon Wolves teams, OBU’s Premier Reserves won 61-21 to clinch the Harper Lock Shield. In the main game that followed, OBU’s top side defeated Avalon 43-10 to make sure of retaining the Swindale Shield.