Above: Adam Deck calling the shots for the Wellington Axemen in a recent Swindale Shield match at Hataitai Park. Photo by Greg Hughes. The Wellington Axemen have enjoyed a rapid rise to success in 2015, punching their ticket to the Jubilee Cup in emphatic fashion. Tomorrow they play their first Jubilee Cup since 1995, against Old Boys University at home at Hataitai Park, kick-off 2.45 pm. One man who has been integral to their change in fortunes is halfback Adam Deck who returned to the capital in late 2014 after spending most of his life in Australia...More

UPDATED: A moment's silence will be observed in honour of Jerry Collins at the start of all Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup matches in Wellington club rugby tomorrow.  With a big grin on his face and a hardnosed playing style, Jerry Collins was a much loved and respected player in Wellington club rugby for Northern United, for the Wellington Lions and for the Hurricanes. For several years, from their first Swindale Shield title win in 2003, to their fourth and most recent Jubilee Cup win, Northern United  - at full strength - were probably the best club team in New Zealand...More

Even after last week’s pressure packed finale to the Swindale Shield, it only gets tougher over the next seven weeks to firstly find the Jubilee and Hardham Cup playoff teams, then to find the winners of each title themselves. The Jubilee Cup has a familiar look to it, with Wellington the only newcomer in place of the Upper Hutt Rams. Despite this, there have been different winners of the title in each of the past five years, with four of those (Oriental-Rongotai, MSP, Tawa, and HOBM) in this year’s field...More

While most interest understandably falls on the opening round of the Jubilee and Hardham Cups at Premier level, there is still plenty of rugby on in the lower and College grades. The second round of the Premier Reserve competition gets underway, the Colts and Reserve grades continue and the first rounds of the Premier Women’s, First Grade, and Under 85s head towards concluding; with trophies in those competitions potentially being decided this weekend.  Premier Reserve Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups It’s a different format for these trophies this year...More

Match Details Result: British Isles 47 – Wellington 9When: 5 June 1971Weather:  Cool, under grey skiesCrowd: 45,000 The Tour The 1971 British Isles side was one of the strongest international touring sides to tour New Zealand. The squad, featuring 13 Triple Crown winning Welshmen and four survivors from the 1966 Lions team to New Zealand, including Irish duo Willie John McBride and Mike Gibson, and other legendary players such as Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams, were expected to test the All Blacks...More

This coming Saturday, eight teams line up for the seven-week Jubilee Cup competition round-robin series, followed by semi-finals and the final on Sunday 2 August - two months from tomorrow. All eight appear to be strong contenders this year. The starters, in Swindale Shield finishing order, are: Hutt Old Boys Marist, Marist St Pat’s, Oriental-Rongotai, Tawa, Wellington, Petone, Old Boys University and Wainuiomata. On Saturday, HOBM were presented with this year’s Swindale Shield, their third first round title as an amalgamated club, after winning it in 1997 and 2012...More

Above: Josh Robertson-Weepu scores a try today in Wainuiomata’s 24-22 win over Old Boys-University, to seal their place in the Jubilee Cup. Despite the loss, the Goats also made it through to the top 8. Wellington Axemen supporters were grinning from ear to ear on fulltime at Hataitai Park this afternoon as their side beat Poneke 22-15 and earned their place in the coveted Jubilee Cup starting next week. On their Old Timers’ Day, Wellington’s tight forwards produced a stirring effort to help them hold on and beat Poneke, who threw everything at them in the loose forwards department and out wide for much of the game...More

Tomorrow shapes up as a potentially dramatic conclusion to the Swindale Shield round in the Premier competition. Not at the top end, where Hutt Old Boys Marist have been confirmed as champions, but for the right to play in the Jubilee Cup. Four matches will decide the fate of the six teams in contention for the remaining four places – joining HOBM, Tawa, Marist St Pats, and Oriental-Rongotai – and information from those venues will be eagerly sought as people try to sift their way through the seemingly endless amount of possible outcomes...More

Above: James Blackwell (in blue head gear) following the run of play whilst playing for his Petone club in Wellington recently. In 2012, James Blackwell was Head Prefect and First XV captain at Wellington College. He passed five NCEA subjects with an excellence endorsement and was selected to take part in the Hurricanes under-18 development camp. In 2013, he returned to school for year 14, why? “My goal is to be a professional rugby player. I spent most of 2012 injured which held back my development...More

The WRRA have been catching up with some of our referees and finding out about them and why refereeing rugby is appealing. The third in this series is Ben Van Berkel who is in his 2nd year of refereeing with the Wellington Referees. Ben took up refereeing in 2014 after suffering multiple shoulder injuries. Did you play rugby? Yes I played for Western Suburbs Roosters as a hooker. I managed to get a few games for the Wellington Under 19s in 2005. Are you involved in other sport? Yes – have been involved with all sports including cricket, darts, table tennis, bowls, fishing, running, shot put, netball, and soccer...More