Wainuiomata lock Jared Beyer crashing over for a tryA default and a draw were the two key outcomes in round six, meaning the Hardham Cup will go down to the wire in next week's final round, with two playoff berths still up for grabs, as well as the small matter of relegation on the line in round seven. There will be sleepless nights again this week, after Johnsonville were gifted five competition points without even needing to don their blue stripes after being defaulted to by a prop-less Hutt Old Boys Marist, and Western Suburbs could only collect two points in drawing 13-13 with Wainuiomata, setting up a must win encounter with Oriental-Rongotai for them next week...More

The race to the playoffs will go right down to the wire next week, with Petone and Poneke the big winners in round six action of the Jubilee Cup. In a season of highs and lows, defending champions Petone pulled out the round's surprise result, beating Northern United 16-8 at the Petone Recreation Ground to move into the top four and relegate a tottering Norths from first to third and in danger of missing out altogether next week.This means Poneke with 19 points are the new leaders after they enjoyed a comfortable 23-3 win over Marist St Pat's at Evans Bay Park, one point ahead of Hutt Old Boys Marist, who took care of Tawa 46-10 at Lyndhurst Park in the round's only bonus point win, with Norths a point back on 17...More

Fresh from a 91-0 preseason win over the newly formed Tasman Makos on Sunday (23 July), the Wellington Pride Women's squad for the 2006 season is: Coral Easton, Hiria McRae, Jackie Patea, Elieta Taito, Katrina Whata-Simpkins (Avalon); Aimee Gilbert, Lavinia Gould, Trish Hina, Alana McVicker, Bayli Rapira (HOBM); Courtney Kea, Natasha McCarthy, Kiri Mei, Ana Parkinson, Tatiana Tafatu, Moana Virtue (Johnsonville); Kalia Baker-Underhill, Agnes Dean, Dawn Patelesio, Tia Sa, Aimee Sutorius, Mariana Smeaton (Norths); Rebecca Liua'ana, Miriam Ready, Mere Wilson (Oriental Rongotai); Amy Farr (Poneke)...More

The composition of the four Jubilee Cup semi-finalists should become a whole lot clearer after this weekends penultimate round of matches, with the top four positioned teams playing the bottom four. But that's not taking into account any more surprise results, with most pundits not expecting the playoff contenders to be decided until after the final whistle next week. Round five games were all closely fought, with Avalon's three tries scored and nine point winning margin over Petone comparatively comfortable compared to the other three encounters, which produced a draw and two low scoring contests...More

Normally at this stage of the season, discussion is centred on the likely make-up of the four semi-finalists and who might be considered the more fancied picks of making the final at Westpac Stadium in three weeks. But Wainuiomata's unabated winning streak and some dramatic results amongst the other teams makes the only talking point surrounding the Hardham Cup the scramble to avoid relegation next year.The fate of all four current premier clubs, Johnsonville, Upper Hutt, Western Suburbs and Oriental-Rongotai, is hanging in the balance heading into the final fortnight of round-robin play, with Wainuiomata holding all the cards...More

HOBM with ball in hand against OBU at the Prime Finance Basin Reserve The top of the Jubilee Cup leader board remained unchanged after frontrunners Northern United and Poneke battled to a 13-13 draw in their key round five clash, with Norths still two points clear at the top over second placed Poneke. But on a day when more wretched weather dominated all four venues, Old Boys-University emerged as the significant winners, with their hard fought 5-3 victory over Hutt Old Boys Marist propelling them back into the top three, after being in danger of dropping away going into the round...More

For the second time in three weeks, All Blacks Piri Weepu and Chris Masoe stamped their marks on the Hardham Cup, helping to guide their respective clubs to emphatic fifth round upset wins. Their timely influence will no doubt not be lost on the other contenders either, as Weepu scored 16 points and played a key role in Wainuiomata's 21-8 top-of-the-table victory over Oriental-Rongotai at the Polo Ground. Masoe chimed in with a double to help Johnsonville beat Upper Hutt 41-7 at Helston Park and stay alive in a dramatic form reversal for them...More

The race to the Jubilee Cup playoffs is on a knife edge, with all round five games set to have a direct influence on the fortunes of the seven sides still in the hunt for the semi-finals. The points table couldn't be any closer heading into the remaining three round-robin sets of games, with only five points separating the leading five sides and just ten points separating first placed Northern United and seventh placed Avalon, only Tawa look to be out of contention. Last weekend Marist St. Pats caused the upset of the round when they held on to beat Norths 17-10, a result that not only helped to tighten up the field, but was also reflective of a recurring pattern this year that any team can be beaten on a good day...More

Wainuiomata will be anxiously looking over their shoulders over the next three weeks of round-robin play. The unlikely competition leaders have collected 19 out of a possible 20 competition points on offer throughout the first four rounds of the Hardham Cup competition and on paper look set to make the semi-finals in three weeks. But their focus will still firmly be on trying to secure their premier status next year, ahead of the ailing Johnsonville side whom they beat 14-11 three weeks ago. A goal they will finally achieve after this week's fifth round if Upper Hutt can beat Johnsonville...More

Poneke continue their ominous purple patch to outlast Old Boys-University 16-7 at Kilbirnie Park. It was a day for the traditional big guns in the Jubilee Cup, with Marist St. Pats, Poneke and Petone all coming to the fore with significant wins in fourth round action to set up a real dogfight over the remaining three rounds in the race to the playoffs. Most momentous was MSP's hugely needed 17-10 upset victory over previously unbeaten Northern United, while Poneke continued their ominous purple patch to outlast Old Boys-University 16-7 at Kilbirnie Park...More