Above: Wellington players celebrating with the Ranfurly Shield in 1956 after they'd beaten holders Canterbury in one of the province's great triumphs in Christchurch. Photo credit: Evening Post 24/9/1956. Wellington teams ran hot in the 1950s, winning and losing the Ranfurly Shield twice in three years in this period. Wellington beat Waikato 9-6 in August 1953 to win the Ranfurly Shield and they held it for seven defences, including thrilling wins over Southland, Otago, Auckland and Taranaki, before Canterbury ended the party...More

Opinion: In drawing 26-all and sharing the National First XV title with proven powerhouse school Hamilton Boys' High School yesterday, it's heart-warming to have witnessed first-hand and from afar Scots College's run in recent weeks. For many fans, it started back in mid-June when they defeated defending local champions Wellington College 31-10 in Premier 1 round-robin play and then a fortnight later defeated Hutt International Boys' School 106-10. For others their flamboyant, give it a rip from anywhere style of play turned heads when they ran through a much-improved St Pat's Town 36-12 in the Wellington semi-finals in driving rain...More

Above: Scots College supporters were dancing in the stands last month when they beat St Pat's Silverstream in the Wellington final. Today they were dancing in their living rooms as their side shared the National title with defending champions Hamilton Boys' High School. In the most exciting schoolboy rugby final you will ever see, Scots College and Hamilton Boys' High school drew 26-26 in sunny Rotorua today to share the New Zealand Barbarians Cup. After absorbing all the early pressure from the Hamilton's forward pack close to their own tryline in the opening 20 minutes, it was Scots College that made a flying start...More

Above: Members of the Wellington and Canterbury Maori sides after today's Tirikatene Shield match at Helston Park, which Wellington won 19-10. The Wellington Maori retained the Tirikatene Shield, the Wellington Pride went down to the Auckland Storm and Wellington's age-group sides enjoyed a mostly successful day in representative rugby today. ? Mullany leads Wellington Maori to victory over Canterbury Maori In appalling conditions at Helston Park, 80 brave fans witnessed the outstanding Greg Mullany show his class as Wellington Maori (Te Upoko O Te Ika) defeated Canterbury Maori (Waitaha) 19-10...More

Above: Player of the Day today Alex Fidow showing his wares recently in the Wellington Premier 1 final. Another week, another major scalp. This time it was Auckland Grammar who succumbed to the in-form Scots College First XV After first five-eighths for both schools, TJ Va'a and Wiseguy Faiane, traded penalties early in the opening 20 minutes, it was Auckland Grammar that scored the opening try of the afternoon. A botched lineout from Scots College saw the Grammar forwards rumble into their work...More

Above: The Wellington Maori side with the Tirikatene Shield last year following their extraordinary come-from-behind 52-51 over Canterbury Maori. Both sides are set for tomorrow's return encounter.Local fans looking for a match to watch tomorrow should head to Helston Park in Johnsonville to watch the Wellington Maori rugby team defend the Tirikatene Shield against the visiting Canterbury Maori side, kick-off 1.00 pm.Te Upoko O Te Ika's (Wellington Maori) will leave nothing in the tank in their defence of the Tirikatene Shield...More

Above: Wellington U19s loose forward Luke Tau'alupe on the charge with teammates in support in their recent match against the Wairarapa-Bush Development side. The Wellington U19s get their 2014 competition campaign underway this Saturday when they take on the Manawatu U19s in Palmerston North in the first of three seeding matches leading up to the National U19 Tournament in Taupo at the end of this month. The Wellington U19s play matches over the coming three weekends in the Hurricanes region Seeding Pool, against Manawatu, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay...More

Above: Dane Coles and the All Blacks playing Rippa Rugby on the Basin Reserve last year Provincial pride will be on the line when 200 of the country's best Rippa Rugby players compete for the national title in Wellington next week. The fourth annual Rippa Rugby Championship next Monday at Tuesday at Wakefield Park brings together 20 teams made up of year six boys and girls representing ITM Cup and Pink Batts Heartland Championship provinces. This year two teams return for the fourth year in a row as champions of their province; Roscommon School representing Counties Manukau and Arrowtown School wearing Otago's colours...More

Wellington's Scots College travels to Rotorua today to prepare for tomorrow's National Top 4 semi-final against Auckland Grammar School in a first for the Strathmore school. Not only is Scots College breaking new territory just by being at the Top 4 tournament for the first time in the school's history, but a win over the Auckland champions would propel a Wellington school into the final for the first time since 2000 when Wellington College lost to Auckland's St Peter's and the Wellington Lions last won the ITM Cup...More

Above: Part of the sports pages of the Dominion the morning after Wellington had beaten Auckland 23-12 and taken a major step towards winning the 1986 championship.? The grainy photo is of first five-eighth Steve Pokere ripping it wide to his outsides, one of coach Earle Kirton's key planks for this successful team.In 1986 Wellington beat arch-rivals Auckland 23-12 in front of 25,000 people at Athletic Park en route to an unbeaten season and their third National Provincial Championship title The team was coached by Earle Kirton, who won the NPC in just his first year in charge after taking over the coaching reins from 1978 and 1981 winner Ian Upston...More