A weight‑restricted grade promoting speed, skill and equal opportunity. U85kg rugby provides an exciting, fast‑paced competition where players of all body types can compete on an even footing.

Trophies & Structure

The Under 85kg club competition features the following trophies:

• First Round
  • JC Bowl
    Named after John Booth and Chris Tchernegovski, this trophy was donated while the pair were coaching the Upper Hutt 80/80s, one of the seven foundation teams when the grade began in 1996. After many years coaching the Upper Hutt side, both went on to lead the Hutt Valley 80/80 Representative team in 2002-03. Chris also served the Upper Hutt community as a city councillor. The bowl was first contested in 1996.
• Second Round
  • Paul Potiki Memorial Shield - First Division

    Paul Fontanne Kingi, born in 1918, served with the 22nd Infantry Battalion during the Second World War. A proud Pōneke club member and later a member of the Centurions Rugby Club (1946-48), he made a strong contribution to the Wellington rugby community. The trophy named in his honour was donated and first contested in 1996, coinciding with the introduction of the 80/80kg grade in WRFU competitions.

  • Tony O'Brien Shield - Second Division
    Donated by Marist St Pats in 2015, the Tony O’Brien Shield recognises Tony’s long‑standing involvement in Under 85kg rugby in Wellington since the grade first began. A Life Member and former President of Oriental Rongotai, Tony played a key role in advocating for the introduction of the 80/80 grade within WRFU competitions.

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

2026 Participating Clubs

The 9 clubs active in the competition include:

• Avalon
• Eastbourne
• Hutt Old Boys Marist
• Johnsonville
• Old Boys University
• Paremata-Plimmerton
• Pōneke
• Tawa
• Wellington

2026 Competition Structure & Format

First Round: JC Bowl (11 April – 6 June)

• 9-week competition (full round-robin)
• Grade-wide break on King's Birthday weekend

Second Round: John E Kelly Memorial Cup & Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup (13 June – 25 July)

• 5-4 split
  • Paul Potiki Memorial Shield – Premiership
  • Tony O’Brien Shield – Championship
• Full 5-week round-robin for the Paul Potiki Memorial Shield, with each team having one bye (5 teams)
• Full 6-week double round-robin for the Tony O’Brien Shield (4 teams)

Past Winners