The second round 10-team Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup is traditionally one of the tightest competitions in Wellington club rugby. In 2012, Tawa's second XV team missed out to eventual champions Wellington in the semi-finals but went one better last year in beating Paremata-Plimmerton 14-6 in the final, completing a landslide year for the club. This year, the Tawa Senior 1s return to defend their title, after finishing fifth in the just completed Harper Lock Shield behind winners Avalon. Tawa opened their second round campaign on Saturday with a bonus point win over Ories...More

UPDATED: The opening afternoon of second round Wellington club rugby Premier Jubilee Cup and Premier 2 Hardham Cup matches was played today under stroppy skies, but the rugby was sizzling at all venues. The second round is short and sharp, but if today's results are a gauge, fans have got an exciting two months to look forward to. In the Jubilee Cup, Petone sounded out an ominous warning that they mean business in 2014, comfortably defeating last week's Swindale Shield winners Marist St Pat's 27-19...More

After 11 enthralling weeks of the Swindale Shield the eight contenders for Wellington club rugby's ultimate prize, the Jubilee Cup (pictured above), have been found. They, along with the eight teams each contesting the Hardham Cup and Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Cup, will be aiming for a place in their respective finals on 3 August but will be under no illusions as to the size of the task ahead over the next seven weeks. Elsewhere the lower Senior grade competitions, the Senior 1 Ed Chaney and Senior 2 HD Morgan Cups, also commence, the remaining first round competitions near their conclusion, and college rugby continues...More

It's often derided as something of a second-class trophy, an award for those teams not good enough to make the grade for the Jubilee Cup; but the history of the Premier 2 Hardham Cup and the man it named for is perhaps more colourful than its illustrious compatriot. The Hardham Cup memorialises Major William James Hardham, VC, and is unique in New Zealand as a sporting trophy bearing the name of a winner of the highest military honour for gallantry in the face of the enemy that this country has, the Victoria Cross...More

Hutt Old Boys Marist's James O'Reilly (pictured above playing against Poneke in April) works five days a week as an apprentice electrician, but has recently downed tools to be with the New Zealand U20 team at the Junior World Championships. The switched on hooker and former Hutt International Boys' School old boy came off the bench in the team's tournament opening win against Samoa on Monday night, and him and the rest of the squad, including opening game stars Matt Peni (MSP) and Jackson Garden-Bachop (Norths) are busy preparing for Friday's big clash with the Junior Springboks...More

The Old Boys University Green Colts side is arguably the hottest rugby ticket in town at the moment, having swept to the first round U21 Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy title with a round to spare. They completed their seven-match first round campaign having scored 254 points and conceded 41 and extended their current winning streak to 28 matches. This coming Saturday, OBU Green starts their defence of the John E. Kelly Cup second round Colts title. Of note they are joined in the second round by Saturday's Division 2 winners OBU Black...More

Above: The competition's leading try-scorer Chase Tiatia makes a break on Saturday for HOBM against Wellington. This past weekend's set of matches aside, if you've been biting your nails a bit lately or have found yourself sitting a bit more upright than usual then the super competitive nature of the just completed Swindale Shield competition could be the reason why. A cumulative total of 3,196 points was scored in the 66 games of this year's Swindale Shield, compared to 3,958 last year and 3,627 in 2010, which was the year that winners Norths scored over 500 points on their own...More

UPDATED: Marist St Pat's are the 2014 Swindale Shield champions, while Northern United are the side to miss out on the ‘top eight' and will be playing in the Hardham Cup for the rest of the season. A spirited MSP beat Tawa 28-21 today in front of a bumper crowd in bright sunshine at Kilbirnie Park today, winning the first round title for the first time since 2008 and capturing their 11th Swindale Shield overall. The won the first round 11-match competition by winning eight games, drawing one and losing two and scoring 336 points for and 236 against...More

The final chapter of what has been an enthralling first act of the club season will be played out on Saturday with the conclusion of the Swindale Shield. Not only is the trophy itself at stake in the showdown between Tawa and Marist St Pat's, but no fewer than five teams are in danger of missing the cut for the Jubilee Cup and being consigned to contesting the Hardham Cup from next week. Kilbirnie Park will be the venue for the main showdown on Saturday as leaders Tawa take on Marist St Pat's at the Scarlets' temporary home...More

While there will undoubtedly be much focus on the events taking place in the Swindale Shield from 3.00 pm onwards on Saturday afternoon, there is still plenty to be decided in the lower grades with promotion places and trophies very much at stake. Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield With Hurricanes player Marty Banks steering the ship from first five-eighth, Avalon secured the first-round title last weekend when they defeated second-placed Marist St Pats 27-11; with both sides having already secured Hardham Cup places beforehand...More