This weekend’s New Zealand Marist Spillane Cup tournament being hosted by the Hutt Old Boys Marist club at the Hutt Recreation Ground features Senior and Colts club teams from nine clubs around the country. The Spillane (Division? 1), Ham Cumming (Division 2), Brennan (Division 3) and Moran (Colts) Cups will be contested by teams from Auckland, Hamilton, Hastings, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Wellington (both HOBM and Marist St Pat’s). First round games are being played on Saturday starting at 11...More

Above: Upper Hutt Rams flanker and Wellington Sevens co-captain Hayden Schrijvers looking for support in a match against Tawa last seasonUpper Hutt and Rimutaka rugby have amalgamated in 2014 and their recent joint-venture is already bearing fruit.The newly-named Upper Hutt Rams appear to be off to a great start for such a youthful merger. The Rams took out the recent Northern United 10’s competition beating a Toa Invitational side 7-0 in the final. It is extremely impressive and promising to see the two clubs fit together seamlessly while adding early success as well...More

Above: The Hurricanes beat the Brumbies 11-10 in this match, with Thomas Waldrom scoring a memorable match-winning try on fulltime. Continuing our Hurricanes rugby series as the Investec Super Rugby hits its stride and the Hurricanes return home to Wellington to play their first home match of the season, here's ten magic matches, home and away, between 2005 and 2007 2005 Hurricanes 26 v Waratahs 24, Wellington Jerry Collins became the 11th play to reach 50 caps for the Hurricanes in this top-of-the-table mid-season clash between the Wallabies-laden Waratahs and competition leaders and the second placed Hurricanes...More

Above: Action from last year’s Greytown Sevens tournament, between host club Greytown and tournament winners Havelock North. Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/greytownrugbyclubTwelve teams representing eight clubs are contesting this Saturday's?annual Freshchoice Greytown Sevens tournament.Teams from Wairarapa-Bush, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu and Horowhenua-Kapiti are taking part, split up into Men’s, Women’s and Colts pools. The first game is at 9:20 am, a Women’s Pool match between the host club Greytown and Wellington contenders Avalon, leading up to the Colts, Women’s and Men’s finals scheduled for 2:40 pm, 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm respectively...More

Above: The Wellington Maori team with the Tirikatene Shield, following last year’s extraordinary come-from-behind 52-51 win over Canterbury Maori last September in Christchurch. Te Upoko o te Ika (Wellington Maori Rugby Team)?are competing?in the annual Te Tini a Maui Rugby Tournament in Palmerston North this coming Saturday and Sunday. The tournament features 10?senior and women's sides from Wellington, East Coast, Manawatu, Poverty Bay, Taranaki, Whanganui, Horowhenua- Kapiti, Wairarapa Bush and Hawke’s Bay...More

Above: the programme for the Hurricanes’ 28-22 win over the Crusaders in 2000, their first ever Super Rugby win over themContinuing our Hurricanes rugby series as the Investec Super Rugby season gets underway, here’s ten magic matches, home and away, from the first 10 years of the competition. 1996 Hurricanes 32 v Transvaal 16, NapierThe Hurricanes’ first ever win in Super Rugby. It took three matches for the Hurricanes to register their first win in the all-new professional showpiece competition, following a first-up 28-36 loss to the Blues in the opener at Palmerston North and a 28-35 defeat to the Brumbies in Canberra in round two...More

The Hurricanes?(above?meeting the fans last?Friday in?Levin)?open their Investec Super Rugby season against the Sharks in Durban on Sunday morning, kick-off 4.05 am. Here’s a selection of memorable Hurricanes Super Rugby competition wins overseas.2011 Hurricanes 50 - Cheetahs 47, Bloemfontein Lock Jeremy Thrush finished off a sweeping counterattack up the right hand touchline to score the match winning try in the 80th minute. The match winner was started deep inside the Hurricanes’ own territory and moved through several sets of hands, before replacement hooker Dane Coles tipped on the final pass to Thrush who pinned his ears back and galloped the final 30 metres to silence the home crowd...More

The inaugural Northern United Club 10s tournament is this Saturday at Porirua Park, featuring two pools in the Open Men’s grade and a four-team President’s sectionTeams from host club Norths, Toa, Paremata-Plimmerton, Wellington, and the Upper Hutt Rams are involved in the day-long tournament, which kicks off at 9.30 am, with finals commencing at 2.30 pm and the final scheduled for 4.10 pm. There’s almost six hours of continuous rugby scheduled. Norths are fielding two teams with most of their leading players involved, while visiting Wellington clubs the Upper Hutt Rams, Paremata-Plimmerton and the Wellington Axemen are also expected to field the bulk of their squads as they prepare for the start of the Wellington Premier club rugby season at the end of March...More

The Hurricanes head into the Investec Super Rugby season with a squad capable of challenging for the playoffs. There have been a number of good off season signings especially in Marty Banks, Cardiff Vaega and Hadleigh Parkes (pictured above with ball in hand last Friday against the Crusaders). Banks was the form player in the 2013 ITM Cup. Even though he has a slightly lean frame, the former Buller representative found his feet running the cutter for the Makos and with an eye for both gap and tryline, he will be back-up to Beauden Barrett at first five-eighth as well as a fullback...More

Above: TJ Perenara, who scored a memorable hat-trick on starting debut against the Force in 2012, seen here celebrating a great try last year by Jeremy Thrush against the Kings.As the countdown to the rugby season continues, here’s a look at ten notable scoring feats by individuals in Investec Super Rugby. Hurricanes v Force 2012: TJ Perenara 3 triesHalfback TJ Perenara scored a hat-trick in his Super Rugby starting debut as part of the Hurricanes’ bonus point 46-19 win in Perth. On a hot night, Perenara scored two tries in the first half and one more early in the second in an emphatic six tries to one win...More