Above: Petone an Avalon contest possession late in their match on Saturday. Petone hung on to win 25-23 as part of a tight round of matches.? UPDATED: The Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles were stung 51-28 on their Old Timers’ Day to set up a virtual Swindale Shield final next weekend between themselves and Tawa, while the race for the top eight and a place in the coveted Jubilee Cup in a fortnight is all on. Poneke attacked HOBM with gusto and enterprise in a sublime first 40 minutes of into-the-wind rugby at the Hutt Recreation to lead 26-0 late in the first half, flanker Joseph Scheres scoring a brace, Hurricanes centre Willis Halaholo scoring one and setting up another try and prop Hennie scoring their fourth try of the half...More

Above: Hutt Old Boys Marist prop Simon Malaeulu running freely last weekend against Johnsonville. Sunshine and tight forwards galloping in open spaces could both be rare tomorrow as more harsh weather is forecast and several games have been moved. Visit Draws & Results across the top of this page for updated times and venues.? Given the compressed nature of this year’s Swindale Shield, this week’s Round 9 is a pivotal one in terms of the chase for the Jubilee Cup places with plenty of possible outcomes...More

? Please advise this article below has been publishsed on the assumption that Women's club rugby is still going ahead this Saturday: Above: Action from last year’s Women’s final that saw Ories beat Norths and win the championship. These two teams meet on Saturday in a Fleurs Trophy round-robin fixture that could decide the first round title. The Premier Women’s Fleurs Trophy reaches the halfway point on Saturday with round five of the first round competition. Undoubtedly the big clash of the day is that between the two competition heavyweights,?Oriental-Rongotai?and?Norths, out on the main pitch at the Polo Ground...More

? UPDATE: The?Tranzit Coachlines 1st XV Festival has been CANCELLED. Unfortunately a decision has been made to cancel the Wellington round of the 1st XV Festival.?Noting that many teams are leaving to travel to Wellington tomorrow, we can’t provide any guarantee that roads will be cleared, let alone fields for us to play on.?Most rugby grounds in Wellington are currently experiencing flooding and would require at least 2 days with no rain before it would be cleared to play. With more rain predicated over the following 2 days grounds are expected to get worse!?It is a disappointing way to end the Festival, however the weather is an uncontrollable factor...More

? Above: Sam McNicol playing for Petone last weekend against Paremata-Plimmerton. The signature of Sam McNicol was highly sought after when he left Napier Boys' High School in 2013. The New Zealand Secondary Schools' fullback was offered contracts in the Hawke's Bay, Waikato, Otago and Wellington. McNicol signed for Wellington. At present Matt Procter and McNicol are the only two fit contracted fullbacks for the Lions. "I liked the city and was made to feel real welcome by the rugby people here...More

Match Details Result:?England 14 – Wellington 9When:?18 May, 1963, at Athletic ParkWeather: Fine, but with a strong, cold southerlyCrowd:?27,000 The Tour Four years after Wellington played and lost to a full British Isles team, England’s 1963 tour to New Zealand represented the first time one of the individual four home unions – England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – toured here. The All Blacks had played England on English soil in 1904, 1924, 1935 and 1953. It was noted in the preview of the Rugby Weekly programme for this match that it was appropriate that England’s first match of the tour be played at Athletic Park...More

Above: The sun shone brightly on Wellington club rugby today. Here Petone’s Nick Grigg flies through to score on of his four tries in the match in his side’s bonus point win over Paremata-Plimmerton in their inaugural Ken Gray Cup match. With three weeks to play, the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles have one hand on the first round Swindale Shield trophy, but you can throw a blanket over the chasing pack. In beating Johnsonville 54-22 today at home at the Hut Recreation Ground (match report below) and nearest rivals Tawa losing over the hill at William Jones Park to Wainuiomata 18-25, the HOBM Eagles have taken a seven-point lead at the top of the standings...More

Above: Avalon and the Wellington Axemen meet Poneke and Ories respectively tomorrow in key games for all four sides, as the race to the Jubilee Cup intensifies. Only four weeks remain in the Swindale Shield, with the title race seemingly down to just two sides. Below this though there is a scramble for the remaining places in the Jubilee Cup with only Avalon and Paremata-Plimmerton out of contention. There’s also plenty happening in the Premier Reserve grade as teams sort out whether they’ll be playing in the Hardham, Ed Chaney, or HD Morgan Cups in the second round...More

When the Upper Hutt Rams Premier team is selected each week Apa Heemi’s name is invariably the first written down. According to this website’s database, Apa Heemi (pictured above, centre helping to rally the troops in a recent match) has been in the starting fifteen in all his previous 99 Swindale Shield, Jubilee Cup or Hardham Cup matches for his club, at either hooker (twice), tighthead prop (23 times) or loosehead prop (74 times). The man himself says he came off the bench a couple of times in the early days, but barring a couple of spells injured on the sideline, Heemi has nevertheless been a mainstay of the Upper Hutt club’s front row for the past several seasons...More

Above: The Fleurs Trophy about to be presented last year to Ories, who this Saturday take on HOBM at the Hutt Rec. Norths have the bye. The Wellington Women's Fleurs Trophy rolls into round four, with games reverting to Saturday after last week’s Friday night round. The feature clash of the round will be at Nairnville Park where the Old Boys-University Impalas take on the Avalon SHE-Wolves. Both sides had last weekend off, OBU having the scheduled bye while Avalon’s match against Wainuiomata was deferred until a yet-to-be-determined date...More