For many the opening weekend of the club rugby season marks the start of the year's sporting calendar, when Wellington's leading players and supporters alike put their passion and glory on the line for the first of 20 hard fought and action packed weeks of grassroots rugby. The battle commences all in one place on Saturday at the season opening Gala Day at Trentham Memorial Park, where in a banquet of first round rugby, a total of 18 games will be played across the top three grades starting in mid morning and finishing late in the afternoon...More

The draws for the 2011 Premier Swindale Shield and Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield have been confirmed. The draw for the Senior 2 National Mututal Cup will be circulated by Wednesday of next week. Work continues to be undertaken on this draw to attempt to create equitable back-up for all clubs.The draw has been constructed taking into account the previous five years first round draws and the venues for respective clashes. Priority was also given to ensuring good back-up for teams.Highlights of the draw include - • A clash between Marist St Pats and Hutt Old Boys Marist on the occasion of Marist St Pats 40th Jubilee...More

It might be high summer in Wellington but the clock is fast counting down to the start of the toughest week in-week out amateur rugby competition in the land. With the start of the Swindale Shield just under two months away and only a few short weeks before the pre-season starts in earnest, fans can be rest assured that their favourite players are not remaining idle at present. Tins are being shifted and treadmills are getting pounded right around the gyms of Wellington, Hutt Valley and Porirua as the players get ready to pack down hard and explode into action when the season gets underway...More

Club Rugby 4 September The 2010 Wellington club rugby season wrapped up on Saturday with the last of the finals being the Senior 3 Johnsonville Centennium Cup and the Reserve Grade Division 1 and 2 finals. The Senior 3 Johnsonville Centennium Cup was won by the Johnsonville club, who beat Marist St. Pat's 23-21 in the final at Evans Bay Park. Upper Hutt J8s beat the MSP internationals 18-5 to take out the Reserve Grade Division 1 final and in an all-student affair the OBU Yardies beat the OBU Therapists 18-5...More

Old Boys-University are the 2010 Senior 1 Ed Chaney champions after beating top qualifier Oriental-Rongotai 15-13 in the final at the Polo Grounds on Saturday. The final result followed up OBU's one-point win over Ories when they met in the round-robin, whch was Ories' only previous loss of the Ed Chaney Cup. OBU's Senior 1 win made it one win from two for the club in Saturday's finals, after their third fifteen went down 22-10 to Marist St. Pat's at Evans Bay Park in the final of the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Trophy...More

Two more 2010 Wellington club rugby titles were decided on Saturday, with Hutt Old Boys Marist winning the U19 Division 1 grade and Marist St. Pat's claiming the U85kg Division 1 spoils.HOBM's U19 side beat riverside rivals Petone 32-8 in the U19 Eric Connolly Cup final, while the MSP Blues team accounted for its intense rivals the Poneke Dogs of War 17-13 in the U85kg Paul Potiki Memorial Shield final, to take out the lightweight double for 2010 after winning the first round JC Bowl. In other grades, there were semi-finals in the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup, Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Trophy and U21 John E Kelly Memorial Division one grades, with Old Boys-University sides set to contest two of the three finals this coming Saturday...More

St Pat's Silverstream won the Premier 1 Wellington secondary schools final 21-13 against St Pat's Wellington at Porirua Park on Monday night.St. Pat's Stream, are champions for the first time since 2000 after being runners-up in 2002, 2004 and 2009. The are the 2010 champions after qualifying fourth for the semi-finals and toppling 2003-2009 champions Wellington College 12-10 in their semi-final. The win is good reward for Stream, who won just one of their six traditional games during the season...More

Two electric Buxton Popoalii tries and committed second half defence carried Northern United to their fourth Jubilee Cup title in the final against Poneke at Westpac Stadium on Sunday afternoon.Popoalii scored two of Norths' first three tries that saw them race to a match winning 19-0 lead early in the second spell, ahead of an exhaustive Norths defensive effort for much of the rest of the final which restricted Poneke to just one try. After scoring the game's first try in the 10th minute, Popoaii added his second early in the second half, ahead of a Poneke try to captain and No...More

An ecstatic Wainuiomata won their second Hardman Cup since 2007 with a comfortable 31-10 victory over Avalon in the final at Westpac Stadium on Sunday. In an open game of rugby, Wainuiomata were the more organised and threatening team throughout and emerged deserving victors against gallant surprise finalists Avalon. Waiuiomata scored the first try of the game after 15 minutes when athletic former New Zealand U20 lock Shahn Eru bustled over following a long period of attack deep inside Avalon territory...More

The Wellington Development team for 2010 has been announced. The team is: TJ Ioane (Old Boys-University) Andrew McWhirter (Old Boys-University) Simon Malaeulu (Hutt Old Boys Marist) Polonga Pedro (Hutt Old Boys Marist) Leka Tupuola (Hutt Old Boys Marist) Jeff Allen (Marist St Pats) Taj Mailata (Marist St Pats) Nick Passi (Marist St Pats) Aiden Cains (Northern United) James So'oialo (Northern United) Sean Hay (Oriental Rongotai) Donal McNamara (Oriental Rongotai) Mateaki Kafatolu (Petone) Jared Kahu (Petone) Willie Moala (Petone) Michael Lealava'a (Petone) Masefau Leuluniu (Poneke) Misipalauni Moananu (Poneke) Brett Pigott (Upper Hutt RFC Jason Woodward (Upper Hutt) Shahn Eru (Wainuiomata) Tau Mamea (Wainuiomata) Ahtuni Masum (Wests Roosters) ????????? Galu Taufale (Wests Roosters) ?????????????? Coaches: Dion Ross and John Duignan? The Development team will be defending its Hurricanes region Development title throughout September and October...More