Victor Vito holds the Ranfurly Shield aloft at the start of the street parade that welcomed the victorious Lions home in 2008 after they had beaten Auckland 27-0. Photo by Dave Lintott.?Ahead of the start of the 2014 ITM Cup, here's a re-cap of 10 of the more memorable seasons for Wellington representative rugby teams. ? 1904: Wellington wins first Ranfurly Shield challenge Played 10. Won 8. Lost 2. Points for 117. Points against 63. Wellington enters the first challenge for the Ranfurly Shield on 6 August and defeats inaugural holders Auckland 6-3...More

Above: Scots College first five-eighth TJ Va'a is hoisted aloft by his supporters at the end of the match. Va'a was the individual hero at the end, kicking a winning penalty the last play of the match to give Scots College a 21-18 victory. As top qualifier, St Pat's Silverstream would've taken home the trophy with a draw. In perfect running rugby conditions, Scots College for the first time are the champions of the Wellington Premier 1 competition after withstanding a gallant challenge from St Patrick's Silverstream...More

Above: Wainuiomata No. 8 Kiri Mei bursts through a wall of Ories tacklers to score the first try of their semi-final at the Polo Ground today. Ories came back to win the match 16-8. Lock in a busy day of rugby next Saturday. The Wellington Lions play Waikato at Westpac Stadium in the evening in the opening round of the ITM Cup and the All Blacks meet Australia in the Bledisloe Cup later that night. But first will be the rugby that matters, with Wellington club rugby Women's Senior 1 and Senior 2 finals being played, Reserve Grade Division 1 semi-finals and the Reserve Grade Division 2 final...More

Above: Tawa's Ed Chaney Cup captain Toa Madar making a break against Petone in their match several weeks ago. Tawa play Poneke in one Senior 1 semi-final tomorrow and Petone meet Hutt Old Boys Marist in the other. There's plenty of club rugby on Saturday, with more grades into playoff action and others rapidly nearing the same stage. There is also one representative fixture as the Suburbs side takes on a Horowhenua-Kapiti selection at Porirua Park at 3.00 pm. On? Sunday, St Pat's Silverstream and Scots College meet in the First XV Premier final (previewed here tomorrow)...More

Force wing Dane Haylett-Pretty is tested for concussion during a Super Rugby match at Westpac Stadium a few years ago. Not just an issue for professional players, concussion affects all ages and all levels of rugby, as described below. My son, Diggercane junior, was playing rugby last Saturday for his Under 11 team when he was tackled, rolled over to place the ball back on his side and unfortunately copped a boot to the side of his head in the ensuing ruck. There was no foul play involved, just an unfortunate accident...More

Above: St Pat's Silverstream left wing Salesi Rayasi scoring one of his four tries when these two sides met in a thriller in round-robin play. The St Pat's Silverstream and Scots College First XVs are both eager to get their hands on Wellington's ?NZ Uniforms Premier 1 title when they meet in the final at Porirua Park this Sunday afternoon. For top qualifier St Pat's Silverstream, it's a chance to put last year's season decider upset 22-25 loss to Wellington College behind them, and for a chance for a core group of players who have been together for a couple of seasons to finish on a high...More

Wellington's club rugby competitions continue until the end of August. There are four weekends left to run in the Paul Potiki Shield U85 kg Division 1 competition and the action is set to heat up somewhat in this weekend's penultimate round with the semi-final contenders jostling for position. The Tawa Titans are in the thick it. They were beaten finalists last year, finished second to the MSP Blues in the first round and lost to the Blues 18-19 just a fortnight ago. This weekend they play another leading side, Waikanae, in a key clash...More

Above: Vaea Fifita on the burst for the Wellington Axemen against MSP B in a recent Hardham Cup match. Fifita finished fourth in the Best & Fairest competition despite his team only being eligible for points for 11 rounds out of a possible 20. This year's second annual Wellington club rugby Billy Wallace Best & Fairest competition team would go pretty well together, we think. His team came up just short of capturing what would have been a historic maiden Jubilee Cup title, but Wainuiomata's Ben Tupuola had already wrapped up the 2014 Billy Wallace Best & Fairest competition after the semi-finals...More

Above OBU Green celebrate their Colts Division 1 final win today at the Hutt Recreation Ground It's a three-peat for Old Boys University Green. The club's crack Colts team has defended its John E Kelly Cup Memorial Cup Colts U21 Division 1 title with a 35-8 win over Hutt Old Boys Green in this morning's final at the Hutt Recreation Ground. It was a clinical performance from the Junior Goats, who did the damage early, racing to a 20-0 lead in almost as many minutes with two penalties and two converted tries...More

Above: HOBM wing Fereti Soloa leaps for joy as the Risdon brothers embrace - straight after HOBM had defeated Wainuiomata to win the Jubilee Cup final 14-11. Hutt Old Boys Marist is victorious in the 2014 Jubilee Cup, taking down Wainuiomata 14-11 at a packed Hutt Recreation Ground this afternoon. Led by their inspirational skipper, Jason Risdon, the Eagles came from behind to win the grand final in a nail-biting encounter. It really could have gone either way, and both teams were worthy finalists, but a solitary penalty kick was all that separated these two giants of Premier rugby this season...More