Above: Try time for Northern United second five-eighth Siaosi Anamani last week against OBU B in the Hardham Cup. A key adage in the early rounds of the Jubilee Cup has always been that teams must win their early games if they want to be championship contenders at the business end of the season.The Jubilee Cup is all about momentum; for teams that win their early round-robin games, it's just a short sprint to the playoffs at the end of July. The statistics back this up - and modern Jubilee Cup history overwhelmingly favours teams that start well in the second round...More

Above: chasing the title. With Wellington Lions halfback Kayne Hammington raring to go for the rest of the club year ahead of the representative season, Upper Hutt have a big chance of capturing the Hardham Cup this yearThe Upper Hutt rugby club has had the services of impressive halfback Kayne Hammington since he was four years old.Tying his first pair of boots and pulling on the maroon and gold jersey for the first time at the young age, like so many around the country, Hammington’s talent was obvious...More

Above: Silverstream openside flanker Josh Svenson running away to score his side's second try of the second half and the match winner, giving the visitors an unassailable 20-6 lead with about 10 minutes to play. St Pat's Silverstream stole the show at Wellington College this afternoon, beating the home side 25-11 in the biggest midweek First XV fixture of the season in Wellington so far. Silverstream out-scored Wellington College four tries to one, pulling away in the second half and scoring three consecutive tries...More

Above: OBU captain Andrew Smith (on left with headgear) arrives at the scene to help teammate Stu Simonson take down Petone's Andrew Quinlivan, with Petone lock James? Saolele and OBU lock Augustine Escalona also in support. ? Club: Old Boys-University Home ground: The Hawkins Basin reserve and Nairnville Park Current Super Rugby players: Conrad Smith, Tim Bateman, Chris Smylie (Hurricanes), Lima Sopoaga (Highlanders) Jubilee Cups won: 1929 (VUC), 1933 (WCOB), 1946 (VUC), 1952, 1953, 1954 (VUC), 1958 (VUC), 1964 (VUC), 1966 (VUC)...More

Above: Soaring high in Hell. Action between Johnsonville and Avalon in the first round of the Hardham Cup at Helston Park. Johnsonville won 21-17. The opening Saturday of second round Wellington club rugby today was defined by a series of thrillers around the region and across several grades. In a series of tightly contested matches, there were several results that defied first round form and predictions and an equally number of near upsets. Wellington club rugby fans have got an exciting two months coming up to look forward to...More

Above: Unfamiliar territory. Northern United will join Rimutaka in the Hardham Cup starting Saturday, along with Upper Hutt and the Wests Roosters and the three Senior 1 teams from the first round who are hoping to win promotion for next year. Interest is high ahead of the start of the second round club rugby competitions in Wellington this Saturday. After a hotly contested first round that resulted in Tawa winning its maiden Premier club rugby title, the Swindale Shield, the season moves into championship mode this weekend...More

Above: HOBM captain Jason Risdon (left) celebrates a try to blindside flanker James Wall in last month's McBain Shield win over Petone, beating Petone's Thomas Tupuivao (foreground) and Petone flanker Mateaki Kafatolu to the punch.? Eight teams, eight captains, eight rounds before the finalists are found.?Club: Hutt Old Boys Marist Home ground: Hutt Recreation Ground Current Super Rugby players: Jeremy Thrush (Hurricanes); Hosea Gear (Highlanders) Jubilee Cups won: 1931, 1934,? 1991, 2007 Last year: Swindale Shield champions; fifth in the Jubilee Cup Swindale Shield this year: Third Captain: Jason Risdon Position: Openside flanker? 1...More

Somewhat lost amongst the resurgence of the Wellington Axemen and former Premier powerhouse Avalon during the Senior 1 competition have been the quiet performances of Johnsonville in taking out the first round Harper Lock Shield (see photo above), bringing with it Hardham Cup rugby and the opportunity to return to the Premier grade. Johnsonville last played at Premier level in 2010, but endured a winless Swindale Shield campaign and then missed out on the Hardham Cup semifinals and were relegated back to Senior 1 at the expense of a returning Avalon...More

Above: Tawa players Jeff Makapelu (left) and brothers Taniela and Joketani Koroi celebrating with the Swindale Shield and a group of young fans on Saturday afternoon. Tawa's maiden Swindale Shield win is a triumph of the community clubs. It's fantastic for the game and for grassroots sport, in Wellington and in all city and metropolitan Premier competitions around New Zealand. Like with Wainuiomata's rise in recent seasons, and with others such as Avalon in the early 1990s and again in the early 2000s, and Johnsonville and the Wests Roosters, both briefly in the late 1990s, its win has galvanised the local community, schools and non-rugby and rugby people alike...More

Above: Tawa have just scored their bonus point try and they've won the Swindale Shield outright. It's Tawa on their own. In a highly entertaining game at home at Lyndhurst Park, Tawa drew their battle 29-29 with Marist St Pat's but still won the campaign, ?earning the minimum of one bonus point they needed from the match and sealing the 2013 Wellington club rugby first round Swindale Shield outright for the first time in the club's 66-year history. And no-one at the ground could say it wasn't richly deserved...More