In the first of our team profile series, taking a look at as many as possible of Wellington club rugby's serious and social lower grade teams, their histories, and the personalities involved, we introduce the OBU Onslow Spartans. The Spartans are one of two Old Boys University teams, alongside the OBU Onslow Bunnies, in the highly competitive 10-team JC Bowl 85kg Restricted Division 1 grade (plus there's another nine teams in Division 2). This grade remains the sleeping giant of senior rugby grades and one that the national body would do well by fostering and promoting as a way of maintaining and boosting participation levels in the modern game...More

Round 9 of the Swindale Shield could prove pivotal in determining both the fate of the silverware and which sides qualify for the Jubilee Cup round, with the congested middle of the table providing plenty of discussion and potential outcomes. The same also applies in the Senior 1 competition, where places in the Hardham Cup are at stake. This week we take a look at the Premier teams and those in contention for promotion in Senior 1 and what lies in front of them over the next three weeks...More

While there is the usual host of club rugby action on Saturday, there is also a bumper crop of college rugby on hand with the conclusion of two separate sets of games.The main event is the Hurricanes First XV competition, which rolls into town after games in Gisborne and Palmerston North over the previous two weekends. This pre-season tournament sees the four Premier 1 semi-finalists from last season take on the four Hurricanes region schools that are aligned to the central North Island Super 8 competition...More

Above: Liam Hallam-Eames directing the lineout on Saturday for Ories against Tawa. Oriental-Rongotai lock Liam Hallam-Eames has played every match so far this year in his maiden Swindale Shield campaign. He was a strong presence around the field against leaders Tawa in Saturday's Jubilee Cup final re-match, committed and hard-working and effecting at least a couple of big turnovers. From the Kapiti Coast, Hallam-Eames went to Paraparaumu College before shifting north to Palmerston North Boys' High School last year...More

Matt Peni playing for Marist St Pat's against Petone last week, his first game for MSP since being selected in the New Zealand U20 squad for the upcoming IRB Junior World Championship.? Matt Peni has done his college, club and city proud by making the New Zealand under 20's squad for the upcoming world cup. Peni, always a strong performer for any team he is in, was always overlooked and seen as second-best for representative selection. That constant disappointment only made his hunger and desire grow...More

Above: OBU wing Tim Smith has beaten his marker and is setting off for a try. Today's dramatic eighth round of matches in Wellington Premier rugby played under clearing skies did little to lift the cloud of uncertainty around the cluster of teams bidding for top-eight Jubilee Cup places at the end this month. One thing is certain from today's explosive set of matches, played to big crowds, is that leaders Tawa and second placed Marist St. Pat's have officially qualified for the Jubilee Cup...More

Above: All Black Kieran Read has suffered two concussions within a month and missed last Saturday's Crusaders versus Brumbies match and also will not play in this coming Sunday's match against the Reds. If you are 18 years of age and over and involved in rugby at any level as a player, ex-player, administrator, coach or supporter please take the time to complete this brief online survey (link at the bottom of this article) to help contribute to the enhancing of the understanding and management of concussion at the community level of the sport...More

The tension and drama ratchets up another gear this weekend as end of the Swindale round comes into view. With four rounds remaining and a maximum of 20 competition points still up for grabs the races for titles and promotions in the Premier and Senior grades for the next round are still well on, while the weather forecast for the weekend looks changeable, so teams may have to adapt their game plans on the fly. It's the second of the Wellington Rugby Referees interchange weekends, this time involving referees from the lower North Island and Waikato...More

Astute observers would have noticed a very distinctive face amongst the refereeing ranks this year in Japanese referee Noboru Ohira. Japanese referees are not unusual to Wellington. For many years the Wellington Rugby Referees Association has operated an interchange program that sees two referees spend two weeks in and around Wellington mid-season, with two WRRA members making the return trip to Sugadaira in central Japan later in the year. In addition the past two seasons have also seen Akihisa Aso take charge of Jubilee and Hardham Cup games as well as Heartland and ITM Cup matches as part of an IRB development program...More

One of five Wellington players currently in camp in Brisbane with the Samoa U20 team, Northern United's Aukuso Tuitama is a nephew of Hurricanes and Manu Samoa midfielder Alapati Leiua. Aukuso graduated from Porirua College at the end of 2012 and made his Premier Club debut for Norths in 2013 and went on to make 12 starts on the wing, scoring his maiden Premier hat-trick of tries against Avalon in last year's Hardham Cup. He is a fast and elusive ball carrier with a wonderful side step and is solid on defence...More