Petone beat defending champions Northern United 21-20 in the Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium on Sunday, lifting the Cup for the first time since 2000 and becoming the fourth different club in the last four years to win Wellington rugby?s most coveted silverware. Recent Jubilee Cup finals have been extremely close run affairs, with the previous six finals all being won by a margin of no more than six points. So there was an air of inevitability when Petone fought back in this final from a 6-20 deficit early in the second half to find themselves trailing just 18-20 with ten minutes left on the clock...More

Oriental-Rongotai v Johnsonville This Sunday will be the final showdown between Oriental-Rongotai and Johnsonville for Hardham Cup glory in 2005. It is a game that shapes as a fascinating contest.Both teams find themselves in an unexpected position after overcoming heavily favoured opposition to win their semi finals. Ories were beaten convincingly26-14 the first time they came up against OBU and were predicted to do the same last Sunday. However they defied the odds and came out on top, posing a real threat today...More

Northern United v Petone There is a new stronghold in Wellington rugby regardless of today?s Jubilee Cup final outcome. Following their inception in 1990, when the Porirua and Titahi Bay clubs amalgamated, the sleeping giant of Northern United finally awoke in 2003, when they won the Swindale Shield to capture their first premier title. Since then Norths went on to lift last year?s Jubilee Cup with a pulsating 20-18 win in the final over Poneke, and if they can repeat that triumph against Petone today it will reinforce their conversion into the new powerhouse of Wellington rugby...More

The semi finals for the Hardham Cup proved to be thrillers for all teams with some unexpected results coming to fruition on Sunday. The two leading teams were both knocked over by the underdogs with Hutt Old Boys Marist losing to Johnsonville 24-25 in a nail biter that went down to the wire. Old Boys University were beaten by Oriental-Rongotai 24-14 at the Basin Reserve. OBU who were second on the table and who had previously beaten the Ories side, under estimated the ability of the team who took advantage and now advance to the final...More

Defending champions Northern United and Petone will meet in next Sunday?s Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium, after both sides enjoyed come-from-behind wins in their respective semi-finals. At Porirua Park Norths beat Upper Hutt 26-21 in a gripping, entertaining match, while Petone pipped Poneke 19-17 in stunning circumstances at the Petone Recreation Ground, with first five-eighth Earl Va?a kicking a sideline conversion to snatch victory with two minutes left on the clock. The excitement didn?t end with Va?a?s conversion though, with prolific Poneke points-scoring fullback Brad Cooper then missing a penalty chance in injury time to re-take what had seemed a likely win for the red-and-blacks only minutes earlier...More

Hutt Old Boys Marist v Johnsonville Hutt Old Boys Marist came away from the round robin unscathed winning all seven games and having the luxury of playing the fourth qualifier. The last game saw the side again convincingly defeat their opponents with MSP on the receiving end in round seven. This has been the trend for HOBM throughout the Hardham Cup, never missing a beat as the intimidating force at the top of the table.Johnsonville on the other hand have had their fair share of ups and downs during the Cup winning four out of seven and losing to HOBM 41-7 in round one...More

Petone v Poneke A buoyant Poneke will travel to the Petone Recreation Ground this Sunday to contest an eagerly anticipated Jubilee Cup semi-final. After an unspectacular Swindale Shield, where they finished sixth, the 2003 Cup champions have stormed into contention in recent weeks. Emphatic wins over Marist St. Pats (27-22), Upper Hutt (22-12) and Western Suburbs (36-14) in the last three rounds propelled them into third. But if Poneke wants to contest their sixth final in seven years they will have to overcome a confident Petone, who also got stronger as the season progressed...More

Round 7 Review Poneke and Upper Hutt secured the remaining two playoff spots and Petone sealed second place and the second home semi-final after the final round of Jubilee Cup matches. Petone will host Poneke in one semi-final next Sunday, while Upper Hutt will travel to Porirua to tackle top qualifiers Northern United in the other. While seven teams were still alive heading into round seven, the only change in the top four was in the order of qualifying, with Poneke leapfrogging Upper Hutt into third...More

Round 7 Review The seventh and final round of the Hardham Cup was played on Saturday resulting in no changes to the top four. Hutt Old Boys Marist is at the top of the table after thrashing Marist St Pats 74-5. Old Boys-University is in second place still, with a sloppy win over Petone 19-0 and Oriental-Rongotai take third spot after their 17-7 win over Poneke. Johnsonville are the last team to make the top four, just pipping Northern United 14-12. Norths, Poneke, Petone and Marist St Pats round out the bottom of the tableHOBM will host Johnsonville in the first semi-final at the Hutt Recreation Ground on Sunday, while OBU and Ories will square off in the other...More

Round 7 Preview For six clubs there is plenty to play for in this week?s final round of the Jubilee Cup. At stake is a berth in the semi-finals, and for Petone and Upper Hutt second place behind top qualifier Northern United and a home semi-final next Sunday.Norths have a six-point buffer at the top of the table, and are already assured of hosting one semi-final, while second placed Petone also secured their playoff berth last week and will either finish either second or third. Upper Hutt, Poneke, Avalon, Marist St...More