One point in it: Silverstream keep the Cullen Cup as Wellington's sevens season opens

The Wellington region's summer of sevens opened on Labour Day with the College Sport Wellington Sevens at Naenae College in Lower Hutt, and it finished with four different schools holding silverware. St Patrick's College Silverstream kept the Christian Cullen Cup by a single point, St Mary's College kept their grip on the Kat Whata-Simpkins Cup, Scots College won both Under-15 titles, and the host school won the Open Boys Plate on the last play of the game.

Twenty-seven teams entered across four grades. The tournament, run by College Sport Wellington with the Wellington Rugby Referees' Association and two visiting referees from Wairarapa-Bush, was back on its traditional Labour Day date after weather pushed the 2025 edition back a fortnight. Club Rugby, which covered the day in full, described conditions as mostly fine but very windy, with a strong north-westerly down both main fields in the afternoon. Most of the finals were close.

This was also the regional qualifier for the national Condor Sevens at Blake Park, Mount Maunganui, on 5 and 6 December. Under this year's rules the Open Boys still sends two teams, but the Open Girls drops to one, with the second girls' place reserved for the best team that has not already qualified at the Hurricanes Schools Sevens in Feilding next month.

Open Boys: Silverstream 22, Wellington College 21

Eleven teams contested the Christian Cullen Cup, and the final was the game of the day. Wellington College, coached by Stanley Solomon, went 14-0 up early playing into the wind and led 14-10 at halftime. When Liam Phelps scored again they were 21-15 ahead late in the second half.

Silverstream, the defending champions and a national First XV Top 4 school this year, dug in. Shae Taitua broke through for the winning try, his third of the final, and Silverstream held on 22-21. Club Rugby named Taitua its Open Boys Player of the Tournament for the hat-trick, a strong semifinal and his play earlier in the day. First XV captain Ryder Thompson, playmaker Jaxon Ropitini and midfielder Fletcher Cooper, who also scored in the final, were singled out for Silverstream; Connor Gregor, Z'Kedeus Schwalger, Phelps and Ben Willocks for Wellington College.

The road to the final:

• Quarterfinals: Silverstream 43-0 Wainuiomata High School; Wellington College 41-5 Naenae College; Hutt International Boys' School 33-26 Scots College (Scots led before Ben Park's two tries and one to Frankie Treavey turned it); Mana College beat Rongotai College 15-10 on the field, but the result was reversed for a player registration infraction and Rongotai advanced.
• Semifinals: Silverstream 40-10 HIBS; Wellington College 34-5 Rongotai, with Schwalger prominent.
• Plate final: Naenae College 24-17 Scots College. Locked at 17-17, Naenae, fielding some St Bernard's College players, launched an attack from a scrum inside their own half on the final play and scored.
• Bowl final: Silverstream B 17-12 Hutt Valley High School.

Rathkeale College, who had played the Napier Boys' High School tournament the week before, and St Patrick's College Town both withdrew before the day. Newlands College completed the field.

Silverstream and Wellington College have qualified for the Condor Sevens. Club Rugby reported that St Patrick's Town could still gain a place if they take up the opportunity to enter.

Open Girls: St Mary's A 31, NZ Performance Academy 19

Four teams played for the Kat Whata-Simpkins Cup: St Mary's A and B, Aotea College and the New Zealand Performance Academy (NZPA), the newcomer. The round robin saw the top three cancel each other out, with NZPA beating St Mary's 17-10 and Aotea 22-10. In the semifinals NZPA and Aotea scored three tries apiece, NZPA winning 17-15 because they kicked the first conversion, while St Mary's A beat St Mary's B 47-0.

The final swung both ways. NZPA, with the wind, led 14-5 midway through the first half. St Mary's replied through Foi Lemana, their Senior A netball captain, and Wellington Pride wing Ana Kerr to lead 19-14 at the break. Paige Lilo, playing hooker, scored the first try of the second half for 26-14; Club Rugby named her Open Girls Player of the Tournament for her work rate across the day, the first time the outlet has made the girls' award. NZPA closed to 26-19 before a late St Mary's breakout settled it at 31-19. For NZPA, the Ben-Tupuola sisters were strong in the forwards and Ella Mear and captain Emily Forster were the playmakers.

St Mary's, who have won the cup every year it has been played, take Wellington's single girls' place at the Condors.

Under-15s: a Scots double

Scots College won the Under-15 Boys' Roderick Solo Cup, beating Silverstream four tries to three in a final the exact score of which was still to be confirmed. Scots, coached by Jackson Garden-Bachop, broke a halftime deadlock with two tries early in the second half into the wind, then absorbed a Silverstream kick-and-chase try before the whistle. Scots had beaten Mana College 22-5 in their semifinal; Silverstream beat their own B side 36-5. Wellington College won the Under-15 Plate 26-14 over Naenae College. Nine schools entered the grade, including Aotea, Rongotai and Bishop Viard.

In the three-team Under-15 Girls, Scots beat Sacred Heart College 17-5 in the final after winning both pool games against Sacred Heart and St Mary's.

What comes next

The Wellington schools' next date is the Hurricanes Schools Sevens at Feilding High School, which Club Rugby reports has been confirmed for Saturday 14 November, a week later than first published. Then it is Blake Park in December, where Silverstream, Wellington College and St Mary's will carry the region's hopes.

If your school played at Naenae and we have missed a result, let us know.

Sources: Club Rugby (clubrugby.nz), 25, 26 and 28 October 2026; College Sport Wellington draw page.