Hardham Cup semi-finals: Wainuiomata will defend the Hardham Cup in next weekend's final against an on-form Tawa, after disposing of Avalon 26-6 in a mudfest at Fraser Park. Across the Belmont Hills, a try-happy Tawa accounted for Wests 33-24 in a free-flowing game at Lyndhurst. Tawa made no race of it on their home track, dominating the first sixty minutes to lead 33-7, before letting in three late tries to bring the scoreline back to something nearer parity. Once more it was Tawa's backs who made the difference, with the return of Willie Lafaele in the midfield doing no harm to the home side's performance...More

Jubilee Cup semi-finals: Marist St. Pat's will have the chance to capture the coveted Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double when they meet Northern United under lights at Westpac Stadium in next Saturday's Jubilee Cup final. The two teams will meet for the first time in the season finale after both won rousing semi-finals played at Evans Bay and Petone on Saturday. Top qualifiers MSP?maintained their second round unbeaten run?in defeating Poneke 19-5, while Norths, the last team to win both Wellington club rugby's Premier trophies in the same year in 2006, ran out 18-5 winners over Petone in the other semi-final...More

JUBILEE CUP Marist St. Pat's v PonekeIt will take a sterling effort from Poneke to overcome Marist St. Pat's on their home patch today. Marist St. Pat's have had a terrific season in 2008, playing through unbeaten since the second week in early April, winning the first round Swindale Shield title for the first time since 2000 and qualifying for today's playoff with a week to spare and in top spot. Following a 20-10 loss to Old Boys-University in the first week of the year, the closest Marist St Pat's have since come to defeat was just last week when last year's Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys Marist held them to a 22-all draw, blemishing their hopes of a clean sweep in the round-robin...More

Hardham Cup round seven: It was hardly a day for champagne rugby, as Wainuiomata, Wests Roosters, Avalon and MSP B battled it out for the three remaining Hardham Cup semi-finals berths, with Tawa having already booked theirs. In bitter cold and under a slate grey sky, Wainui, Wests and Avalon each did enough to ensure that the semi-finals will be an all-A-team affair.At William Jones Park in Wainuiomata, the Green and Blacks made sure they'll be back next week. With a try to Tau Mamea and penalties to Michael Lealava'a giving the home side an 11-6 lead over Wests Roosters at half-time, Wainui went into the second-half with the edge...More

Jubilee Cup round seven: A one-point loss is frustrating at any time. But a one-point defeat becomes heartbreaking when after eighteen weeks of dedication and determination that solitary point comes down to the last match of the regular season. That was the emotion felt by Oriental-Rongotai's supporters and players on Saturday following their 13-12 away defeat to Upper Hutt that saw them miss out on the Jubilee Cup playoffs, after another one-point result much closer to home had transpired to fall in their favour...More

Hardham Cup followers will be on the edge of their seats during this weekend's last round set of matches to determine the make-up of the semi-finals, with an exciting end to the round-robin predicted. Heading into the closing round, the four Premier Swindale Shield teams occupy the semi-finals places, but both the Marist St. Pat's and Northern United B teams are still alive in the last week, with only Johnsonville and Rimutaka playing for pride in round seven. The outcomes of three out of the four Hardham Cup encounters this weekend could affect the composition on the playoff contenders a week from now, with only the outcome of the Rimutaka and Tawa clash unable to upset the status quo...More

The pressure is on Northern United in this weekend's final round of 2008 Jubilee Cup matches to beat Poneke or risk missing out on the Jubilee Cup playoffs for the first time since 2002. Norths have been the most successful club over the past five years, as the only side to have made the Jubilee Cup semi-finals every year between 2003-07. Their five consecutive semis appearances in this period also included four in a row at Porirua Park of which they won three, beating Petone 15-8 in 2004, Upper Hutt 26-21 in 2005 and Petone again in 2006 56-17...More

Marist St Pat's and Petone will host this year's two Jubilee Cup semi-finals, following wins on Saturday over Old Boys-University and Northern United respectively in conditions across the playing fields of Wellington and the Hutt Valley that can best be described as a mudbath. Torrential rain on Saturday morning helped cut up the already soft grounds around the region and made for a good old fashioned hard slog in the mud across most Premier and Premier Two sixth round venues, leaving a busy week ahead around the region for drycleaners...More

The coaches been reaching for their calculators across the training fields of the Hardham Cup this week, busily adding up the possible semi-final scenarios for their teams in a fortnight's time from now. What they see is a cluttered points table with the five contenders who are currently occupying places second through to sixth separated by just three points, none of whom are guaranteed a place in the playoffs. With two rounds to play only Tawa who have an eight-point lead to the chasing pack appear to be assured of their top four spot and seventh placed Johnsonville can still make the semi-finals if they win their last two games and other results fall in their favour...More

A frantic final fortnight of regular season Jubilee Cup rugby is in store for supporters with six of the chasing seven teams behind leaders Marist St. Pat's still in the hunt to varying degrees for this year's semi-finals. Last weekend Marist St. Pat's officially became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals when they defeated Upper Hutt 34-0 at Evans Bay Park for their 15th straight win, and they now have an eleven-point buffer on the points table to Poneke who currently occupy the all-important fourth place...More