A flexible, unrestricted senior grade offering competitive rugby for players of varying experience levels. Open Grade balances solid on‑field competition with the strong social and community spirit that club rugby is known for.

Trophies & Structure

The Reserve Grade's club competition features the following trophies:

• First Round
  • Mike Copeland
    Mike Copeland is a Life Member of OBU, where he played 131 games for the 69ers and has long supported the club both on and off the field. He has served on the WRFU Board and continues to make a significant contribution to rugby through his work with the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, where he is also a Life Member. Mike became President of OBU in December 2018. The cup named in his honour was first contested in 2015.
• Second Round
  • John Davies Cup - First Division

    John is a Life Member and Past President of Pōneke, as well as a Past President of WRFU. He is also a Professor Emeritus at Victoria University of Wellington.

  • Alan Seerup Cup - Second Division
    Alan is a Life Member of OBU and played across more than two decades for the 7ozs and the 69ers. He also served as Social Team Coordinator for a decade during a period when OBU fielded over ten social teams. This trophy was replaced by the JDR Cup in 2018 and reinstated in 2021.

• For historical champions, scroll to the bottom of this page

2026 Participating Clubs

The 13 teams active in the competition include:

• Johnsonville Cripples
• Marist St Pats Internationals
• Northern United
• Old Boys University 69ers
• Old Boys University Mixed Veges
• Old Boys University Righteous Pink Ginners
• Paremata-Plimmerton Punters
• Petone Brotherhood
• Pōneke Ruffnuts
• Tawa
• Upper Hutt Rams Thirstys
• Wainuiomata Legacy
• Wellington GYU

2026 Competition Structure & Format

First Round: Mike Copeland Cup (11 April – 18 July)

• 13-week competition (full round-robin)

Second Round: John Davies Cup & Alan Seerup Cup (1 Aug – 15 Aug)

• 7-6 split
  • John Davies Cup – Premiership
  • Alan Seerup Cup – Championship
• Quarter final, semi-final, grand final
• Bye round on Club Finals Day (25 July)

Past Winners