Finals rugby continues around Wellington this weekend

Above St Pat's Silverstream's Chase Tiatia dives over to score his side's try in?last Saturday's Hurricanes region First XV loss to Gisborne Boys' High School. The season is over in Wellington for Premier college and club players, but many lower grades are being decided this weekend

The third consecutive Saturday of club rugby and college rugby finals will see champions crowned in Senior 1, Senior 2, Age Grade Divisions 2 and 3, 85kg Restricted Division 2 and Reserve Grade Division 2 senior club rugby grades and in all college grades from Premier 2 down.

The Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup final is at Hataitai Park between home team the Wellington Axemen and Paremata-Plimmerton.

Wellington and Paremata-Plimmerton are both coming off testing home semi-final wins. Top qualifier Wellington beat Tawa 19-9, but only re-took the lead late in the match and survived a final flurry by Tawa before sealing victory with another try in fulltime. Second placed Paremata-Plimmerton held off Poneke 17-10 in the other semi-final at Ngatitoa Domain.

Head to head, in their one previous meeting this season, Wellington beat Paremata-Plimmerton 41-10 at Hataitai Park back at the end of June.

The Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial final is at the Hutt Recreation Ground between home team Hutt Old Boys Marist and close rivals Petone.

In last week's semi-finals second placed HOBM beat MSP 22-12 while fourth placed qualifier Petone toppled top qualifier Old Boys University 13-10 away.

HOBM and Petone's two previous head to head meetings this year have been close. In the first round Senior 2 National Mutual Cup clash back on ANZAC Day, HOBM beat Petone 21-16. Their second round meeting in June against a steadily improving Petone side saw HOBM prevail 15-13.

In the playoff for third and fourth in the HD Morgan Memorial, OBU host MSP at Martin Luckie Park.

All three Senior 1 and 2 playoff games are at 2.30pm.

Tawa host Avalon at Lyndhurst Park at 1.00pm in the final of the Age Grade Division 2 competition for the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup.

Johnsonville entertain Petone White at Helston Park at 2.30pm in the final of the Age Grade Division 3 Eric Connelly Cup. In the playoff for third and fourth Wainuiomata and Avalon meet at William Jones Park at 2.30pm.

Stokes Valley and the Petone Vipers square off in the final of the 85kg Restricted Division 2 competition at Delaney Park at 2.30pm and Avalon and the Poneke Cavs meet in the playoff for third and fourth at Fraser Park at 2.30pm.

It's an all Old Boys University Reserve Grade Division 2 final at Te Whaea at 3.00pm between the OBU Righteous Brothers and the OBU 69ers. The curtain-raiser to this clash at 1.00pm is a non-competition fixture between OBU Green and the Horowhenua-Kapiti Colts.

It's college rugby finals day at Rongotai College on Satuday, with 15 games being played across five fields. Some silverware up for grabs includes:

• Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup. HVHS v Mana College (1.30pm)
• Premier 3 Paul Cameron Cup. Paraparaumu College v Tawa College (11.30am)
• Premier 4 Onslow Cup. Naenae second XV v Kuranui College (10am)
• U15 Division 1. Father Gus Hill Cup. St Pat's Town v Wellington College (1.00pm)
• U14 Division 1. Grahame Duffy Cup. Rongotai College v Mana College (11.30am)
• U65 Division 1. Ina Hansen Cup. St Pat's Silverstream v Wellington College (1.00pm)
• U 55 Division 1. David Scott Cup. St Pat's Silverstream v St Pat's Town

Northern United is also hosting President's Day at Porirua Park on Sunday with eight games scheduled, these being:

• Norths Red v Rimutaka (12.00pm)
• HOBM v Poneke (12.00pm)
• Paremata-Plimmerton v Tawa (12.00pm)
• Johnsonville v MSP (12.00pm)
• Norths White v Stokes Valley-Upper Hutt (1.30pm)
• Ories v Avalon (1.30pm)
• Wainuiomata v Wellington (1.30pm)
• Petone v Wests Roosters (1.30pm)

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