University of Waikato Rugby Club

Calling all potential pugilists! 🥊

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the thrill of getting inside the old squared circle and serving up a few knuckle sandwiches, here’s your chance!

Represent The Mighty V on Fight Night, you’ll get expert training and your own personal training and fight gear from Outlaw Sports Apparel Ltd!

To celebrate all of our winners from the Awards Evening, our good friends at Outlaw Sports Apparel Ltd have provided the Varsity whānau a 20% discount on all Varsity gear for this week only!!!!
Head on over to www.outlawsports.co.nz and enter AWARD as your discount coupon for your savings now!

Outlaw At Outlaw Sports we pride ourselves on getting you high quality products at prices you can afford. Our staff have been at the coal face helping run community sports teams/clubs for decades, so we know the often high costs involved in kitting out your players, management and supporters. We also know....

That's a wrap on the 15's season! Thanks to all those that attended and supported our annual Awards Evening.
Award winners from the night were:

Colts
Most Valuable Forward - Vailolo Pele
Most Valuable Back - Charlie Roil
Player of the Year - SJ Volschenk

Premier Development
Most Valuable Forward - Mack Timu
Most Valuable Back - Diego Rangi
Player of the Year - Toby Robb

Premier Women
Rookie of the Year - Ella Wilton
Most Improved - Abbey Wilton
Player of the Year - Finau Mafi

Premier Men
Most Improved - Isaiah Moran
Team Man of the Year - Renata Ngata
Player of the Year - Nui Muriwai

Supporters of the Year - Bernadette Murphy & Paul Hedley

Service to the Club - Des Williams & Blessing Timetaotua

Junior Player of the Year (non-open grade) - SJ Volschenk

Hartstone Cup U19 Player of the Year - Oli Mathis

WURFC Cup for Highest Achievement - Chelsea Semple & Victoria Edmonds

Matt Goodlet Memorial Trophy for Personality of the Year - Jaz Murray

Don Llewellyn Cup for Team of the Year - Premier Men

A massive thank you to our club sponsors - Metalco Recyclers Ltd, Wayne & Nicki Robb - Bayleys Real Estate, Grins and Outlaw Sports Apparel Ltd - The club appreciates all of your on-going support!

Congratulations to all the award winners!

🖤 💛✌️

Despite the club season being done and dusted, our considerable number of our Varstonians are still churning out code in various representative sides!

Congratulations to those that have been named in these sides, with provincial U19 squads still to be named, more to come no doubt!

🖤💛 ✌️

Photo credit to WRU & Light & Motion Photography: Norrie Mailer

Outstanding mahi Seb Stephen!!! Back up to the top flight for the Scots in 2025!!!! 🏆

Seb Stephen “thoroughly enjoyed” playing his part in Scottish Rugby's men’s under-20 World Rugby Trophy success.

The title - and promotion to the top tier Championship - was sealed last Wednesday evening at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh with a 48-10 victory over USA in the final.

Stephen, the Garioch Rugby product, who has also played for Glenalmond College and Aberdeen Grammar Rugby, is only 18 and headed into the tournament off the back of a stint in New Zealand playing for University of Waikato Rugby Club based in Hamilton.

He was not part of the Six Nations campaign a few months ago and, as a result, the former under-18 cap had to really force his way into the matchday squad in recent weeks.

However, after missing out from the 123-15 win versus Samoa, he started the next Pool A game versus Hong Kong China and really impressed in the 101-0 victory.

That showing earned the replacement ho**er spot behind Jerry Blyth-Lafferty off the back of that showing ahead of Gavin Parry for the crucial 46-10 win over Japan as the team topped the pool and then for final.

“I thought it was a great campaign as it showed the level required to win international games and the preparation needed for each game,” Stephen, from Oldmeldrum who is pictured with his brother Jamie, said.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it as it was my first shot at under-20 international rugby.

“It feels great now having got the results we needed to progress to the Championship to face an even bigger challenge next year.

“It was also a great experience to make new connections and mates in the squad.”

* A version of this article appeared in the The Press and Journal at the weekend *

We thank y’all for the support shown towards these boys this season! Our whanau, friends, staff, players & everyone alongside this team! 🤎

Great to see Varsity Cap #827 Seb Stephen going well for Scotland U20s at the Junior World Trophy - even gives The V a shout out in a recent post-match interview!!! 💛 🖤 ✌️

Oldmeldrum’s Seb Stephen had a dream debut for the Scottish Rugby under-20 rugby team on Sunday fuelled by a recent stint playing in New Zealand.

The 18-year-old ho**er started the men’s under-20 World Rugby Trophy Pool A clash with Hong Kong China and earned praise from many watching on from the stands at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh with his ‘all action’ showing as the Scots won 101-0.

That backed up an opening 123-15 triumph over Samoa, which Stephen was not involved in, and now the squad are building up to Friday evening’s crucial match with Japan.

Whoever wins that one will go through to the final to face the winners of Pool B and head coach Kenny Murray has named Stephen on the bench.

After Sunday’s outing, Murray said that Stephen was “a real standout”.

And the man himself said: “I really enjoyed getting out there the other day against Hong Kong China and winning my first cap for the under-20s and a great result for the team topped things off.

“We executed our plans well, we knew that Hong Kong China would pose some problems, but we did the basics well and that gave us space to score a few tries.

“To be given a start was really good and I just tried to showed what I could do and did my job for the team.

“Japan are looking great, they are going to be a tough side to beat, so we are doing our work on preparing for them this week and then will take Friday as it comes.”

On Sunday Stephen was cheered on by his dad, brother, uncle, cousin and gran and grandpa who made the trip south to watch him play, but he himself took an even further trip south recently to help his rugby development.

“I went off to New Zealand at the end of August last year and managed to catch some of their rugby season,” the teenager, who left Glenalmond College in Perth & Kinross in the summer of 2023, explained.

“I played some club rugby out there for a team called Varsity [based in Hamilton and part of the University of Waikato Rugby Club set up] and I learnt a lot there.

“All of the boys in my team were around my age so it was good to play with them and the time over there helped me improve and take my game forward.

“I was really enjoying my time out there and was planning to stay until the end of their season, but I cut that short when I heard that the under-20s coaches were keen on looking at me ahead of this tournament.

“To try and get into the World Rugby Trophy squad for a tournament being played in Scotland was not an opportunity I wanted to pass up so I came back and worked hard to make sure I was selected and in the best shape I could be.

“Since I came back and into the Scotland under-20 set up everyone has made me welcome and we have built up lots of cohesion. All focus is on Japan now.”

Stephen, who was part of the Scotland under-18 squad for the Six Nations Festival in Ireland in April last year, started his rugby journey at Garioch Rugby in Inverurie age six and played mini and youth rugby there.

As he moved up in age, joined Glenalmond and was playing representative rugby for Caledonia age groups he then played senior rugby for Aberdeen Grammar Rugby in 2022-23.

“Various coaches wanted me to gain experience at senior level, so when I was in my final year at school and had just turned 17 I was playing [in National One] with Grammar,” he said.

“It was a big step up, but the guys at the club really helped me out and I took a lot from the experience that I was then able to take into the under-18s campaign soon after that and then into my time in New Zealand as well.”

Stephen was a prop in his early teens, but ho**er is now his role and he added: I enjoy the position now. I have been working with Jerry [Blyth-Lafferty] and Gav [Parry] who are the other ho**ers in this under-20s squad and I’m growing into the position and the role all of the time.”

* A version of this article first appeared in The Press and Journal this week *

A HOME Semi-finals ‼️tomorrow for our premier boys team. Come on down & support the boys 🤝🏾 Vzzz up 🆙

To celebrate our Premier Men's side being in the mix at the business end of the season, our apparel partner Outlaw Sports Apparel Ltd have created a discount code for all the Varsity Rugby whānau!

Head over to www.outlawsports.co.nz and apply the code FINALS and get a 15% discount on all purchases from the Varsity Rugby category over $20. Available for pick up at the game tomorrow (2:45pm at University)*

Get kitted out, get down to The Nest 🦅 tomorrow and get LOUD!!!! 🖤💛 ✌️

*sizes for some products may be unavailable

Outlaw At Outlaw Sports we pride ourselves on getting you high quality products at prices you can afford. Our staff have been at the coal face helping run community sports teams/clubs for decades, so we know the often high costs involved in kitting out your players, management and supporters. We also know....

Interesting “tale of the tape” from our resident club historian Des Williams:

BE THERE FOR THE VARSITY ON SATURDAY!
A Spanish-American philosopher named George Santayana (1863-1952) is known for the famous utterance, "Those who cannot remember [or ignore] the past are condemned to repeat it." Well, back in fairly recent history, University defeated Hautapu twice in the same season: 30-19 and 45-19 in 2014, and 50-44 and 33-19 in 2015. Fast forward to 2024. Hautapu squeaked home 31-24 in the first round and Varsity turned the tables last week by 31-17. This week it's the semi-final against the same team - clearly it is time for last weekend's history to be repeated. So, here's a call to all you Old Varstonians out there (near and far), come and crowd the sidelines at University Field and cheer the Premier boys along in search of the elusive dream! (And drag that old scarf out of the closet if you must!)

That’s a wrap for the Premier development & Colts rugby team’s this season. Proud of all players, coaches & management staff involved in making this season possible 🙌🏽 Excited for what’s next to come, V’ss up 🔝 lessgoooo

Results 🙌🏽

Team list for tomorrow 🙌🏽

A comprehensive win for our Premier Men's side in what was effectively a quarterfinal, sees them lock in a semi-final berth with a week to spare.

Agonisingly close loss for the Development side, after being 0-14 down in the first 10min of the game, they fought back with only 18 men, to be leading 21-19 with 2min left on the clock. The loss pits them in a do-or die battle with Hautapu this coming Saturday, with the winner clinching the last remaining semi-final spot.

Let's pack The Don this Saturday for both teams last guaranteed home games for the season!!!!!

If any followers would like to subscribe to our revamped club newsletter Black & Gold, please email the Old Varstonians Rugby Supporters Club: [email protected], with DATABASE in the subject line. We'll then get you on to our mailing list and keep you up to date with all things Varsity Rugby!

Congratulations to our own Patrick Hedley! Selected to start at 10 for the King Country Rams as they take on the Hawkes Bay Magpies today for the old Log O’ Wood in Hastings today at 3pm! Photo credit: Light & Motion Photography: Norrie Mailer

Results

That’s a wrap for the Varsity Women’s rugby season 🥹 Not the result we would’ve wanted today, but what a season it has been for the ladies! Proud of all the players & the management staff throughout this season 🙌🏽 V’ss UP 🆙

Team lists 🖋️
Semi-finals tomorrow for our Varsity women’s team
A BYE week for our premier boys & development
All the best to both teams playing tomorrow 🙌🏽

Results today 🙌🏽

Blazer Games for Jole & Jack tomorrow 🦅🙌🏽

Team list 🙌🏽

Hard luck for our teams today, we go again next week 🙌🏽

Team list for tomorrow 🙌🏽 - correction for Prem Development game vs Marist. Slightly earlier kick off of 12:45pm at Marist💛🖤✌️

Your one stop shop for all things Varsity is now open! Check out our club website to see what we've got for the heartiest Varsity Supporters https://www.uniwaikatorugby.com/shop
💛🖤✌️

University of Waikato Rugby Club Shop Order Form All money to be paid into account 38-9025-0032114-00 (Outlaw Sports Apparel Ltd) Please use your name as the reference. Part payments are allowable but no items will be released without payment in full. If shipping is required, please email [email protected] to arrange separate payment of ship...

Last 4 days to get your hands on some history! We've dropped reserve on the remaining T-Coll heritage jerseys that don't have leading bids on them, so drop a bid on and potentially grab yourself a bargain!

A win for both teams today 🙌🏽

Team lists for tomorrow ⬇️
Women’s & Colts team have no games tomorrow 🙌🏽