2026 WRFU Community Awards Finalists Announced
Wellington Rugby is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2026 WRFU Community Awards, recognising the outstanding people and teams who make a difference across community rugby throughout the Wellington region.
The Community Awards celebrate the players, coaches, volunteers, teams and referees whose commitment, contribution and passion help our clubs and our game thrive.
Following nominations from across our rugby community, three finalists have been selected in each of the seven award categories.
Congratulations to our 2026 WRFU Community Awards finalists – in alphabetical order:
Referee of the Year
- Charlie Harris
- Ethan Loveridge
- Matt Thomas
Club Coach of the Year
- Anthony Carter (Pōneke Ruffnuts)
- Carne Green (Petone Premier Men)
- Marcus Mareko (Petone Premier 2 Men)
Club Team of the Year
- Petone Premier 2 Men
- Petone Premier Men
- Pōneke Ruffnuts
Club Rookie of the Year (Women)
- Anastasia Kerr (Petone)
- Faith Sola (Oriental Rongotai)
- Paige Lilo (Northern United)
Club Rookie of the Year (Men)
- Elijah Solomona (Wainuiomata)
- Rupeni Raviyawa (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
- William Davis (Petone)
Junior Club Volunteer of the Year
- Andrew 'Norm' Martin (Upper Hutt Rams)
- Cheryl Hirtzel (Petone)
- Lolah Malagamaali'i (Oriental Rongotai)
Senior Club Volunteer of the Year
- Andrew Robinson (Centurions)
- Maria Feterika-Moananu (Pōneke)
- Troy O'Kane (Avalon)
The finalists reflect the many different ways people contribute to rugby across our region, from players and teams taking the field each weekend, to coaches, referees and volunteers who give their time to make the game possible.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination and took the opportunity to recognise someone who has made a positive contribution to their club or the wider rugby community this season.
A celebration of Wellington rugby
The 2026 WRFU Community Awards will be held on Wednesday 7 October at Petone RFC, bringing our rugby community together to recognise achievement and contribution across the game.
Alongside the Community Awards category, a range of other awards and honours will be presented during the evening, recognising our club, age-grade, representative and high-performance rugby communities. These include:
Community Rugby
- Grade Winner Banners
- Sir William Perry Memorial Trophy & Dewar Shield
- Erin Rush Trophy (Women’s Club Rugby Best & Fairest)
- Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy (Men’s Club Rugby Best & Fairest)
High-Performance
- Men’s & Women’s High Performance Unit Awards
Representative Rugby
- Under 16 Players of the Year
- Under 18 Girls Player of the Year
- Under 20 Player of the Year
- Under 85kg Player of the Year
- Wellington Centurions Development Player of the Year
- Bill Freeman Cup (Representative Coach of the Year)
- Pride & Lions Rookie of the Year
- Pride & Lions Player of the Year
- Lions Supporters Club Award
Lifetime Contribution
- WRFU Lifetime Contribution Salver
Together, these awards reflect the breadth of rugby across the Wellington region and provide an opportunity to recognise achievement, service and contribution at all levels of our game.
Congratulations to all our 2026 WRFU Community Awards finalists.
We look forward to bringing the Wellington rugby community together at Petone RFC on Wednesday 7 October to celebrate our finalists, award recipients and the many people who make our game stronger.