 Official WRU emblem | ||
| Union | Wellington Rugby Football Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Lions | |
| Founded | 1879 | |
| Location | Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand | |
| Ground(s) | Sky Stadium (Capacity: 34,500) | |
| CEO | Matthew Evans [1] | |
| Coach(es) | Tamati Ellison | |
| Captain(s) | Du'Plessis Kirifi | |
| Most appearances | Bernie Fraser (121) | |
| Top scorer | Allan Hewson (893) | |
| Most tries | Bernie Fraser (105) | |
| League(s) | Bunnings NPC | |
| 2023 | 1st Semifinalist | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
|
www | ||
Wellington (often known as the Wellington Lions) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Wellington, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1879, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Sky Stadium in Wellington. The team is affiliated with the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are black and gold.
Current squad
The Wellington Lions squad for the 2023 Bunnings NPC is: [2]
| Wellington Lions squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers Locks |
Loose forwards
Halfbacks (scrum-halves) First five-eighths (fly-halves) |
Midfielders (centres) Outside backs |
(
c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped, REP denotes a replacement squad player.
|
Honours
Wellington have been overall Champions on 5 occasions. Their first title was in 1978 and their most recent title was in 2022. Their full list of honours include: [6] [7]
- National Provincial Championship First Division
- Winners: 1978, 1981, 1986, 2000
- Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division
- Winners: 2017
- Winners: 2022
Current Super Rugby players
Players named in the 2023 Wellington Lions squad, who also earned contracts or were named in a squad for any side participating in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
References
- ^ "Staff Members". Wellington Rugby. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "Wellington Lions name 2023 squad to defend Bunnings NPC title". Wellington Rugby (Press release). 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "Bunnings NPC Semifinals: Team Lists". Bunnings NPC. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Bunnings NPC Round 1: Team Lists". Bunnings NPC. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "Bunnings NPC Round 3: Team Lists". Bunnings NPC. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ "National Provincial Championship winners, 1976–2014". Te Ara. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "Mitre 10 Cup". Rugby Heartland. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "Hurricanes 2023 squad announced" (Press release). Hurricanes. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "Highlanders 2023 Squad Announcement" (Press release). Highlanders. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "Highlanders named to face Blues in season opener" (Press release). Highlanders. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Melbourne Rebels Announce 2023 Super Rugby Pacific Squad" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "2023 Squad announced" (Press release). Crusaders. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "Match Centre - Super Rugby - Hurricanes vs. Force". SANZAAR. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ "Highlanders Named to Play Force in Invercargill" (Press release). Highlanders. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.